Anisha Riggs
Making perfume from scratch is a fun and experimental process that allows you to create a unique fragrance that is customised to your preferences. The process is simple and gives you complete control over your signature scent, allowing you to avoid harsh chemicals found in some commercial perfumes. To get started, you'll need to gather your ingredients and supplies, including fragrances, carrier agents, and a dark glass bottle to store your creation. You'll then combine your ingredients, following a perfume recipe and layering your chosen scents to create a harmonious blend. After mixing and adjusting, you'll have your very own homemade perfume to apply to your pulse points.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Ingredients | Essential oils, absolute oils, botanical extracts, aromachemicals, carrier oil, alcohol |
| Container | Glass, dark glass to protect perfume from light, with a tight-fitting lid |
| Process | Combine oils, carrier, and alcohol, let sit for 48 hours, add water, transfer to a new bottle |
| Notes | Top notes (30%), middle notes (50%), base notes (20%) |
| Top notes | Basil, grapefruit, lavender, lemon, lime, mint, rosemary, sweet orange, cypress, ginger, pine, sandalwood, vanilla |
| Middle notes | Black pepper, cardamom, bay, fennel, geranium, chamomile, nutmeg |
| Base notes | Extend the longevity of the middle notes |
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What You'll Learn
Understanding perfume notes
Top notes are the first scents you notice when you spray a perfume. They are bright, lively, and attention-grabbing. These notes are usually made from ingredients like citrus, herbs, or delicate fruits, and they evaporate quickly, typically within 10 to 15 minutes. Examples of popular top notes include lemon, bergamot, and mint. Think of top notes as the "appetizer" of a meal—they spark your interest but don't last long.
Middle notes, or heart notes, are the main body of the perfume. They emerge as the top notes fade and last for a few hours. These notes are often floral, fruity, or spicy, creating a well-rounded and balanced scent. Middle notes are like the "main course" of a meal—they define the core personality of the fragrance. Examples of middle notes include rose, jasmine, lavender, cardamom, and cinnamon. They tie the lighter top notes with the heavier base notes, creating a seamless transition.
Base notes are the foundation of the perfume. They are deep, rich, and often warm or woody. These notes emerge about 30 minutes after applying the perfume and can linger for hours, even all day. Base notes are like the "dessert" of a meal—sweet and satisfying, leaving a lasting impression. Examples of base notes include vanilla, sandalwood, musk, and amber. They are the heaviest molecules, giving the perfume its longevity.
The combination of these three types of notes is crucial to the evolution of a fragrance on the skin. A perfume that lacks one of these layers can perform very differently. For example, a fragrance with only top notes may smell exciting at first but will fade quickly, leaving you unsatisfied. Understanding how these notes work together will help you create a well-balanced and captivating perfume.
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Choosing a carrier
When making perfume from scratch, you can choose between two types of carriers: alcohol or carrier oil.
If you want to make a solid perfume that resembles a lip balm, you can use melted beeswax as a fixative instead of alcohol or water. If you are using alcohol, it needs to be almost pure alcohol, such as 190-proof vodka, in order to dissolve the oils and aromachemicals. You can also purchase perfumer's alcohol from suppliers such as Save on Scents or Savonscents.com.
If you choose to use a carrier oil, popular choices include sweet almond oil, coconut oil, jojoba oil, apricot oil, avocado oil, grape seed oil, and fractionated coconut oil. These oils can be purchased from suppliers such as The Perfumer's Apprentice or soap-making suppliers like Soap Queen.
It's important to note that the type of container you use for your perfume is also crucial. It is recommended to use dark glass containers as they help protect your perfume from light, preserving its lifespan. Ensure that your glass containers have not previously contained any food items to avoid residual scents transferring to your perfume.
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Using essential oils
Making perfume with essential oils is a fun and easy DIY project that allows you to create a unique fragrance that reflects your personality and character. Here's a comprehensive guide to help you get started:
Choosing Essential Oils
Select three essential oils to blend into your signature scent. You can choose any combination of scents, but a good place to start is to mix a head note, a heart note, and a base note. Citrus scents like bergamot, lemon, and grapefruit make excellent head notes as they are potent, light, and revitalizing. Floral scents like rose, geranium, and jasmine are popular choices for the heart note, while woodsy scents like cedarwood, sandalwood, and pine provide longevity as the base note.
Carrier Oils
In addition to essential oils, you will need a carrier oil. Carrier oils help dilute the essential oils and can enhance your fragrance. Some popular options include:
- Jojoba oil: Similar to the skin's natural oils, easily absorbed, and helps retain fragrance.
- Fractionated coconut oil: Liquid at room temperature, neutral scent, and absorbs quickly.
- Sweet almond oil: Rich in vitamins and nourishes the skin.
- Grapeseed oil: Lightweight, non-greasy, and rich in antioxidants.
Materials and Equipment
To make your perfume, gather the following materials and equipment:
- A 5ml or 10ml rollerball or atomizer bottle, preferably dark-colored or amber to preserve the fragrance.
- Pipettes or glass droppers for measuring.
- Funnel (optional).
- Alcohol or distilled water to dilute the perfume.
Creating Your Fragrance
Now, you're ready to create your fragrance! Here are the steps:
- If using alcohol, pour it into your measuring cup first. Then, add the alcohol to your bottle using a funnel to minimize mess.
- Using a pipette, add your essential oils to the bottle. The number of drops will depend on the desired dilution ratio and the strength of your oils. A typical ratio is 6 drops of a top note, 10 drops of a middle note, and 15-20 drops of a base note.
- Close the bottle and shake gently to mix the oils.
- If using distilled water, add it now.
- Label your perfume and store it in a dark place to avoid direct sunlight, which can affect the fragrance.
Precautions
When working with essential oils, it is important to take some precautions:
- Always dilute essential oils and never apply them directly to the skin.
- Perform a patch test to ensure the oil is compatible with your skin.
- Some essential oils can cause skin irritation or allergic reactions, so be cautious when blending.
- If using your perfume as a room spray, be mindful that certain essential oils can be harmful to pets.
Creating your own perfume with essential oils offers endless possibilities for customization. Experiment with different scents, blends, and dilution ratios to find your perfect signature fragrance!
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Adding aromachemicals
Aromachemicals are isolates of naturally sourced ingredients or are chemically produced from petroleum. They are used to add specific aromas to perfumes, skincare, personal care, and hair care products.
Aromachemicals are what real perfumes are made from. They add depth to fragrances and are associated with quality. When using an essential oil in a perfume, you are adding all of its component chemicals, both good and bad. For example, lemon oil contains d'limonene, which can be removed by fractional distillation to get a more soluble and stable product. The extracted d'limonene can then be used as a solvent or as a starting material for other aroma chemicals.
When selecting aromachemicals for your perfume, it is important to consider the growing conditions of the crops, as subtle changes in temperature, precipitation, wind, sunlight, and soil can impact the fragrance of natural aroma chemicals. Additionally, some essential oils may contain undesirable qualities such as toxins, which can be removed through chemical processes to improve their properties.
Some useful aromachemicals to consider when making your own perfume include coumarin, hedione, galaxolide, ambroxan, calone, and Ise E Super. These aromachemicals can be difficult to find in small amounts, so amateur perfumers may need to participate in group buys or purchase from specialty suppliers.
When blending aromachemicals, it is important to use a carrier such as alcohol or carrier oil to dilute and fix the fragrance. Popular carrier oils include jojoba oil, almond oil, and grape seed oil. The type of carrier you choose will depend on the desired consistency of your perfume, with alcohol typically used for sprayable perfumes and melted beeswax or carrier oil used for solid perfumes.
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Storing your perfume
Firstly, it is important to store your perfume in a dark place, away from direct sunlight and bright light. Light can shorten the lifespan of your perfume by breaking down its essential oils, weakening the fragrance. Dark glass containers are ideal for protecting your perfume from light, but if you are unable to get your hands on these, simply store your perfume in a dark place, such as a closet, drawer, or cabinet.
Secondly, aim to store your perfume in an area with a consistent temperature. Extremely high or low temperatures can affect the quality of your perfume, so avoid placing it in areas that are subject to dramatic temperature changes, such as the kitchen or bathroom. Instead, opt for a closet or hallway, where temperatures are more stable.
Thirdly, avoid storing your perfume in humid areas. Humidity can negatively impact the quality of your perfume, particularly if it contains delicate ingredients such as citrus or floral notes. Therefore, it is best to keep your perfume away from bathrooms or other humid environments. If you have a dehumidifier set up in a particular room, this could be a great place to store your perfume.
Lastly, keep your perfume in its original bottle, and ensure it has a tight-fitting lid. The original bottle is likely designed to protect the perfume from external factors, and transferring it to another container can expose it to air, causing it to lose some of its scent. Additionally, always keep the cap on your bottle to prevent the perfume from going bad, and consider placing the bottle in a box for extra protection from heat and light.
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Frequently asked questions
You will need essential oils, absolute oils, botanical extracts, and aromachemicals. Popular essential oils include jojoba oil, almond oil, and grape seed oil. Common aromachemicals include coumarin, hedione, galaxolide, ambroxan, calone, and Ise E Super.
You will need a clean glass container with a tight-fitting lid, preferably made of dark glass to protect your perfume from light. You will also need a carrier, such as alcohol or carrier oil. If you are making a solid perfume, you can use melted beeswax instead.
Perfumes are a blend of different levels of scent, also called "notes." Top notes are the first scent you smell, middle notes are the core of the fragrance, and base notes extend the longevity of the middle notes. You can find the notes of your favorite perfumes online or experiment with different combinations of scents to create your own unique perfume.
Collect flowers, leaves, or herbs with a strong scent. Combine your chosen ingredients, including carrier oil and notes, in your glass container. Fill the container with alcohol and secure the lid. Let the mixture sit for 48 hours, then add bottled water. Transfer your perfume to a new bottle using a coffee filter.
You can buy ingredients and equipment online from suppliers such as Liberty Natural Products, The Perfumer's Apprentice, Hermitage Oils, and Save on Scents. You can also find some ingredients, such as essential oils and alcohol, at specialty stores or make your own using chemistry equipment.
