Heidi Norton
Creating perfume is a unique and fragrant way to express your personality. While many people use denatured alcohol with no issues, it is important to note that not all denaturants are great for the skin. The most widely used and recommended variant is SD-40b, a specific grade denatured with tert-butyl alcohol. When making perfume, it is best to use ethanol or ethyl alcohol. The base of your perfume will be perfumers' alcohol, which is ideal because it evaporates quickly and carries the fragrance without altering the scent profile. Start by adding your base notes to the perfumers' alcohol. For a standard mixture, use about 10-30% of essential oil or fragrance oil in total. Finish with 10 drops of top notes to 30ml of perfumers' alcohol. Let your perfume sit in a cool, dark place for at least 48 hours, up to a month for perfumes made with essential oils.
How to make perfume with denatured alcohol
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Base | Perfumers alcohol, which is ideal because it’s formulated specifically for making perfumes. |
| Type of Alcohol | Denatured alcohol, which is widely available and often significantly cheaper. |
| Denaturing Agent | Usually mixed with methanol to render it undrinkable. |
| Additives | A blend of alcohol and some additives used as a base for perfumes. |
| Container | Dark glass to protect the oils from light. |
| Storage | Store in a cool, dark place for at least 48 hours, up to a month for perfumes made with essential oils. |
| Filtration | Use a coffee filter or a fine mesh strainer to filter out any sediment. |
| Dilution | Can be diluted with water to make it less harsh on the skin. |
| Disinfection | Alcohol acts as a natural disinfectant. |
| Scent | The alcohol smell should dissipate after a few seconds, leaving behind the perfume notes. |
| Safety | Avoid using methanol as it is toxic and readily absorbed by the skin. |
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What You'll Learn
Use cosmetic-grade Trade Specific Denatured Alcohol (TSDA)
It is important to note that not all denaturants are harmful. In fact, most perfumes are made using a very specific type of denatured alcohol: cosmetic-grade Trade-Specific Denatured Alcohol (TSDA). The most widely used and recommended variant is SD-40b, a specific grade denatured with tert-butyl alcohol.
When making your own perfume, you should look for SD-40b TSDA to use as your perfumer's alcohol where possible. Perfumer's alcohol is a loose term for a blend of alcohol and some additives used as a base for perfumes. It can be used as a placeholder term for TSDA or in reference to a blend intended to be used in place of TSDA.
Some brands sell proprietary perfumer's alcohol blends in countries where you need a license to obtain TSDA, such as the UK. This is an excellent alcohol to use for beginners when TSDA cannot be obtained.
When making perfume, it is important to use ethanol or ethyl alcohol. Ethanol smells less medicinal than isopropyl rubbing alcohol. You should never use methanol or methyl alcohol, as it is highly toxic and can be absorbed through the skin.
Perfumes are generally made up of essential oils and alcohol. The essential oils comprise the base, middle, and top notes of the perfume. The alcohol used can be perfumer's alcohol, denatured alcohol, vodka, or Everclear. The advantage of using vodka or Everclear is that it is food-grade and is less likely to cause a reaction on the skin or detract from the perfume's scent.
The process of making perfume involves adding the base notes to the alcohol first. For a standard mixture, use about 10-30% of essential oil or fragrance oil in total. Finish with 10 drops of top notes to 30ml of alcohol. If you are using fragrance oil, you can start with a ratio of 3ml of fragrance to 30ml of alcohol. This is a 10% fragrance usage rate. You can use more or less depending on the strength you desire.
After mixing the ingredients, let the perfume sit in a cool, dark place for at least 48 hours, up to a month for perfumes made with essential oils. This aging process allows the oils to meld perfectly with the alcohol, enhancing the depth and longevity of the fragrance. Once your perfume has matured, filter out any sediment using a coffee filter or a fine mesh strainer, and funnel the liquid into your final storage bottle.
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Add base notes to the alcohol
When creating your own perfume, the first step is to add your base notes to the perfumer's alcohol. Base notes are the scents that emerge after the top and middle notes of a fragrance have evaporated. They are the richest, heaviest, and longest-lasting notes in a perfume, lingering on the skin for six hours or more. As such, they are also the strongest notes and play a crucial role in anchoring a fragrance, providing depth and improving its wear time.
To make your own perfume, you should use perfumer's alcohol, which is ideal because it's formulated specifically for making perfumes. It evaporates quickly and carries the fragrance without altering the scent profile. Make sure you are choosing pure, undenatured ethanol, specifically for use in perfume. Denatured ethanol is widely available and often cheaper, but it is usually mixed with methanol, which can cause adverse reactions when applied to the skin. Cosmetic-grade Trade Specific Denatured Alcohol (TSDA) is the most widely used and recommended variant. If you cannot obtain TSDA, look for perfumer's alcohol from a trusted manufacturer with the stated use case of making perfumes.
When adding base notes to the alcohol, you should use about 10-30% of essential oil or fragrance oil in total. Popular base notes include vanilla, amber, musk, patchouli, moss, and woody notes like sandalwood, cedarwood, and oud. These notes add an earthy, musky, or resinous quality to a fragrance. Spice notes like cinnamon and nutmeg can also be used to add warmth and potency to a fragrance, while notes like rosemary and basil have an herbal quality.
After adding your base notes, you can move on to adding your middle and top notes. Middle notes, also known as heart notes, form the core of the perfume and take longer to develop on the skin. They usually consist of floral, fruity, or full-bodied, aromatic floral oils. Top notes, or head notes, are the scents you detect first after spraying a perfume and usually evaporate quickly. Common top notes include citrus scents like lemon, orange, and bergamot, as well as light floral scents like lavender and rose.
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Add essential oils
Essential oils are the heart and soul of your fragrance. When choosing essential oils, opt for a variety based on the notes you are drawn to. Top notes are the scent's first impression—think citrus and herbs, which are light and evaporative. Middle notes, or heart notes, form the core of the perfume and take longer to develop on the skin. Examples include floral and fruity fragrances. Base notes are usually woody or musky scents.
For a standard mixture, use about 10-30% of essential oil or fragrance oil in total. If you are using fragrance oil, you can start with a ratio of 3ml of fragrance to 30ml of perfumer's alcohol. This is a 10% fragrance usage rate, but you can use more or less depending on the strength you desire.
Patience is key when making perfume. Let your mixture sit in a cool, dark place for at least 48 hours or up to a month for perfumes made with essential oils. During this aging process, the oils meld with the alcohol, enhancing the depth and longevity of your fragrance.
Once your perfume has matured, filter out any sediment using a coffee filter or a fine-mesh strainer. Funnel the liquid into your final storage bottle, preferably a dark glass bottle to protect the oils from light. Your custom perfume is now ready to wear!
Remember, perfumes can evolve with time, so feel free to revisit and tweak the blend as needed. Always label your experiments with the date and ingredients used for future reference. If you prefer a lighter scent, consider diluting the mixture with more perfumer's alcohol.
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Add water to reduce harshness
Adding water to perfume is a common practice, but it's important to understand the potential benefits and drawbacks. Firstly, it's essential to use only distilled or deionized water, as regular tap water can introduce contaminants that may ruin your perfume.
The primary benefit of adding water to perfume is to reduce the harshness of alcohol on the skin. Alcohol has a drying effect, and by diluting it with water, you can make your perfume more pleasant and gentle when sprayed on the skin. This reduction in alcohol content also helps to prevent the release of "boozy off-notes" that can occur with pure alcohol or even vodka. Water can enhance the persistence of odours on the skin, making the top notes of your perfume last longer, which is an attractive selling point for many consumers.
However, there are a few important considerations. Firstly, water may cloud your fragrance due to the formation of a colloid. Additionally, water can reduce the solubility of perfume materials, as ethanol is necessary for solubilization. This can lead to issues with your perfume's consistency and stability. Moreover, water breeds bacteria, whereas alcohol kills it, so introducing water may increase the risk of contamination.
Ultimately, the decision to add water is a personal choice. Many perfume manufacturers include a small amount of water (a couple of percent) to reduce the harshness of alcohol. However, it's crucial to be aware of the potential drawbacks and take the necessary precautions, such as using distilled water and ensuring proper storage to minimize contamination risks.
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Store in a dark bottle
Storing your homemade perfume in a dark bottle is essential to preserving its scent and quality. Exposure to light can cause the structures within the fragrance to break down, which will weaken your fragrance. Even in their bottles, perfumes exposed to strong light, heat, and humidity can undergo chemical changes that negatively affect their scent.
For this reason, it is recommended to store your perfume in a cool, dark place, such as a dresser drawer or a closet, where the temperature remains consistent. Keeping your perfume in its original box can also help protect it from light exposure and reduce the risk of chemical reactions caused by temperature changes and humidity.
Additionally, it is important to note that shaking or excessive movement of the bottle can increase the scent's exposure to air, which can also impact the fragrance's quality. Therefore, it is best to avoid opening the perfume bottle unless necessary and to handle it with care.
By following these storage guidelines, you can help ensure that your homemade perfume maintains its scent and quality for a longer period.
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