Heidi Norton
Creating your own perfume with essential oils is a fun and easy DIY project that can be done in a matter of minutes. All you need is a few essential oils of your choosing, a dark-coloured bottle, and a carrier oil such as olive oil. The process involves combining different scents from three categories: top notes, middle notes, and base notes. Top notes are the first impression and tend to consist of citrus and herbal oils, while middle notes are the heart of the perfume, and base notes provide a lasting smell. When making perfume with olive oil, you can infuse the plant's essential oils with the carrier oil, using fragrant plants like roses or lavender. With some simple ingredients and experimentation, you can create your own unique scent.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Purpose | To create a unique scent |
| Ingredients | Olive oil, fragrant plant, essential oils, vodka, distilled/spring water, glycerine, perfumer's alcohol |
| Equipment | Glass jar, dark-coloured bottle, roller, funnel, aluminium foil/wrapping paper |
| Procedure | Combine olive oil with dried herbs/flower petals in a glass jar, add essential oils, vodka, water, glycerine, and alcohol, pour into a dark bottle, store in a dark place, shake before use |
| Notes | Top notes: citrus and herb-y oils; Middle notes: floral scents; Base notes: woodsy scents |
| Carrier Oils | Jojoba, Sweet Almond, Fractionated Coconut Oil |
| Caution | Avoid essential oils that can irritate skin or cause photosensitivity, and those that are toxic to pets |
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What You'll Learn
Choose a fragrant flower or herb to infuse with olive oil
When choosing a flower or herb to infuse with olive oil, it's important to consider the desired fragrance and intended use. Here are some factors to keep in mind:
Fragrance
The fragrance of the final product will depend on the flower or herb you choose. If you're looking for a floral scent, popular options include rose, lavender, chamomile, jasmine, and calendula. These flowers are known for their distinct and pleasant aromas. If you prefer a more herbal scent, rosemary, basil, thyme, and oregano are excellent choices, offering a refreshing and invigorating fragrance. For a unique twist, you can even experiment with edible flowers like chamomile and calendula, which not only add a delicate flavour but also provide nourishing benefits for the skin.
Intended Use
Before selecting your flower or herb, consider how you intend to use the infused olive oil. If it's for skincare or body care purposes, choose flowers or herbs that are safe for topical application and offer beneficial properties for the skin. For example, lavender is known for its calming and soothing properties, while chamomile can be gentle and nourishing. If you plan to use the infused oil for culinary purposes, opt for herbs and flowers that complement your dishes. Basil, rosemary, and garlic can add a delicious flavour kick to your recipes.
Personal Preference
Ultimately, choosing a flower or herb to infuse with olive oil is a personal decision. Consider the scents you are naturally drawn to and build your fragrance combination from there. You can experiment with different flowers and herbs to create a signature scent that truly represents your unique taste and personality.
Remember, when using fresh flowers or herbs, it's important to dry them before infusing to prevent the oil from turning rancid. This ensures your infused olive oil lasts longer and maintains its aromatic qualities.
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Dry flower petals and combine with olive oil in a glass jar
To make perfume with olive oil, you'll first need to dry the flower petals you plan to use. One way to do this is by air-drying. First, pick sturdy flowers with strong petals, as you may lose some flowers during the drying process. Next, separate the flowers by type, keeping the same species bundled together. Remove all leaves and foliage from the stems and limit your bundles to about three stems. Use a rubber band or twine to hold the stems together, then hang the flowers upside down in the open air. This method typically takes two to four weeks.
Another option is to use a microwave with a moisture-absorbing desiccant like silica gel or cat litter. First, remove the leaves and snip the stems so they fit into your microwave-safe container. Cover the flowers with the desiccant, then place the flowers on top and fill the rest of the container with more desiccant. This method takes a day rather than weeks.
Once your petals are fully dried, you can combine them with olive oil in a clean glass jar. Use about 1/4 ounce of dried petals for 1 cup of olive oil, adding more petals if you want a stronger scent.
If you're creating a perfume, you'll need to add other essential oils to create a balanced fragrance. Choose a combination of scents you like, such as citrus, woodsy, or herbal notes. Citrus scents like bergamot, lemon, and grapefruit work well as head notes, while light and airy florals like jasmine and rose are good for heart notes. Woody scents like cedarwood and sandalwood have longevity and are suitable as base notes. Once you've chosen your oils, add them to the olive oil and dried petals in the correct ratios, then store the perfume in a dark place to let the scents meld.
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Add 15-20 drops of a base note
When making perfume, the base note is the first scent you should add to your blend. It is the scent that will last the longest and is often an earthy fragrance. Base notes can be 5 to 20% of your blend, but this can vary. Generally, you want more base than head notes.
When creating your own perfume, you should add 15-20 drops of your chosen base note. Examples of base notes include amber and oakmoss, cedarwood, labdanum, pine, and sandalwood. Woody scents are a good option for a base note as they have longevity.
If you are making a 5ml bottle of perfume, you will have 100 drops of liquid in total. The ratio of notes is usually 2 parts base, 1 part heart, 1 part head, and the rest is carrier oil. This means that for a 5ml bottle, you will add 40 drops of base note.
You can also add 15-20 drops of vetiver oil for an earthy and sensual fragrance, or 14 drops of ginger essential oil for a similar scent. It is important to note that the number of drops you add will depend on the strength and smell of your oils, so you may want to add more or less to suit your preference.
Carrier oils such as olive oil, jojoba, or sweet almond oil are used to dilute the blend and create a natural, handmade perfume.
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Add 10-15 drops of a middle note
Middle notes, also known as heart notes, are crucial in creating a seamless transition between the initial and final aromas of a perfume. They add depth and complexity to the fragrance, making it more engaging and well-balanced. Middle notes typically comprise about 50-75% of the blend, as they form the heart of the scent.
When adding middle notes to your perfume, it's important to consider the role they play in the overall fragrance structure. Middle notes emerge as the top notes begin to fade, adding depth and intensity to the perfume. They are often full-bodied, floral scents such as jasmine and ylang-ylang, but can also include spicy fragrances like cinnamon and pepper, or fruity notes such as apple and strawberry.
The number of drops of a middle note that you add to your perfume will depend on the desired intensity and the specific essential oils you are using. As a general guideline, for a 5ml bottle of perfume, you will typically use 10-15 drops of a middle note. However, it's important to remember that this may vary depending on the strength and smell of your particular oils.
When blending your perfume, it's essential to follow the proper order of notes. Start by adding your base notes, followed by the middle notes, and finally, the head or top notes. This ensures that each layer of fragrance has a chance to shine and contributes to the overall complexity and longevity of your perfume.
To create a perfectly balanced scent, you can use the drop-by-drop method. Begin with a single drop of each chosen top, middle, and base note, then gradually add more drops until the fragrance reaches the desired harmony. This technique allows you to fine-tune the layers of your perfume, ensuring that each note complements the others.
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Add 10 drops of a top note
When making perfume, top notes are the first impression of a fragrance and are usually the first scents you smell. They are mainly fresh, sharp scents, composed largely of citrus ingredients, but can also include other fresh notes such as green and fruity elements. Top notes are the most volatile of the three notes, evaporating the quickest, so their scent is short-lived.
When making your own perfume with olive oil, you will first need to choose a fragrant plant to use as your fragrance. This could be a flower such as a gardenia, rose, or lavender, or a pungent herb such as rosemary or basil. If using flowers, you will need to dry the petals by hanging them upside down in a bouquet. Once dried, you can combine the olive oil and petals or herbs in a clean glass jar, using about 1/4 ounce of petals or herbs for 1 cup of olive oil.
Now that you have your base fragrance oil, you can begin to add your top notes. For a 5ml bottle of perfume, you will need 100 drops of liquid in total. A general rule of thumb is to use 20% fragrance and 80% carrier oil. So, your fragrance combination will be 20 drops, and the remaining 80 drops will be carrier oil. Within your fragrance combination, you will have your top, heart, and base notes. The ratios of the notes are usually 2 parts base, 1 part heart, and 1 part head. So, for 20 drops of fragrance, you will need 10 drops of base, 5 drops of heart, and 5 drops of head.
As top notes are the first impression of a fragrance, you will want to add 10 drops of a top note to your perfume. Typical top notes include citrus elements such as bergamot, lemon, orange zest, or grapefruit, light fruits such as anise or berries, and fresh herbs like basil, sage, or lavender.
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Frequently asked questions
Olive oil can be used as a carrier oil to dilute essential oils. To make perfume, you will need a few essential oils of your choosing, a dark-coloured bottle, and perfumer's alcohol. Add 15-20 drops of your base note, 10-15 drops of your middle note, and 10 drops of your top note. Finish with 1-4 fl oz of perfumer's alcohol or a carrier oil.
Base notes are the scent that lasts the longest in your perfume. Middle notes are the heart of the perfume and make their entrance as the top notes wear off. Top notes are the first impression and tend to evaporate within 30 minutes.
For base notes, woodsy scents like cedarwood, sandalwood, or pine work well. Middle notes are typically floral scents like rose, geranium, or jasmine. Top notes often consist of citrus oils like bergamot, lemon, or grapefruit.
The concentration of essential oils in your carrier oil can be up to 20% for perfumes. For a 5ml bottle, this equates to 20 drops of essential oil and 80 drops of carrier oil.
Store your perfume in a dark place, out of direct sunlight, in a dark-coloured glass bottle.
