Creating your own perfume from scratch can only be judged a succes if you, and the people around you, like it. Start with a simple Eau de Cologne, or any of the following special blends.
Do-it-yourself and create your own scents to suit your unique personality.
Have fun and don't be afraid to experiment! Aftershave is great for soothing a man’s complexion after shaving. Why not create your own?
When you are experimenting with essential oils, make sure to understand the potency and/or health risks some oils can cause if not used properly. When in doubt, ask a professional aroma therapist/herbalist or at the health food store for more information.
Essential oils are, mostly, a natural product derived from flowers or plants. Fragrance oils are a blend, often synthetic, of a number of ingredients usually diluted with an oil carrier.
Many essential oils have an acceptable scent and, on their own, they are delightful to the nose. However, you have enormous scope from the large range of both flower and herb oils now available to improve upon a basic fragrance, and make your own special blend.
Tips on how to make your own Natural Perfumes:
Boil containers in hot water to ensure they are as sterile as possible. Dry thoroughly.
The best way to ensure that bottles are spotlessly clean is to preheat the oven to very slow 120C (250 F / Gas 1/2).Thoroughly wash bottles and lids in hot, soapy water (or in a dishwasher) and rinse well with hot water. Put bottles onto baking trays and place them in the oven for 20 minutes, or until you are ready to use them. Dry them fully in the oven. Do not use a teatowel.
Once you have either purchased or extracted your own essential oils it is important to ensure that they last as long as possible. Therfore, try to observe the following:
Store essential oils in a cool dry place, away from strong light and heat: heat can alter composition. A cupboard (not in the kitchen or bathroom is ideal).
When a perfume changes color or scent it is old and should be discarded. Never keep mixed oils, especially those made with a carrier oil base, any longer than two months. They begin to oxidise as soon as they are blended.
All perfume blends should be tested for skin sensitivity.
Essential oils are highly concentrated, and when used on the body should be diluted in a carrier oil such as coconut oil, almond, grapeseed or jojoba. When mixed, if you have sensitive skin, test a tiny amount of oil on the skin of your forearm to check for an allergic reaction.
When you buy essential oils, check the label to see where the manufacturer sources its ingredients, and if it runs checks for purity.
Label and date everything. Replace lids on bottles of essential oil immediately to maintain quality, as they are adversely affected by heat, light, oxygen and moisture. If properly kept, essential oils last for up to a year.
Never use metal instruments, as they may react with your perfume and alter its composition.
If glycerin is called for in a recipe, blend it with water so air bubbles do not occur. Glycerin is a good fixative which can be added to formulas to help it retain its scents. Use glass storage bottles that are dark (amber) colored and airtight. Never use plastic - oils are very potent substances and will eventually eat their way through plastic.
If you want to place flowers in your fragrance, make sure they are chemical free. A good fragrance formula should consist of 75% dilutants such as vodka, and 25% fragrances. Toilet Water 12 to 15% essential oils blended with 50 to 60% alcohol, with the balance made up of distilled water.
Every perfume consists of 3 scent levels, or "notes" which support each other and create the overall scent. Essential oils, classified as either top, middle or base notes, give each perfume its own special character.
Here are a few of the basic terms:
Top Note: This is the scent you notice first, but it doesn't last long because it evaporates quickest. Top notes are a small portion of the final blend and include fresh, light citrus scents using such oils as bergamot, neroli, lemon, lime, rosemary, orange or mint.
Middle Note: This links the base and top scents and determines the fragrance family. Middle notes include flowery essential oils, such as jasmine, rose germanium and ylang-ylang.
Base Note or Fixative: This scent lasts the longest, adds fullness and carries the other scents. Derived from balsams, roots, resins and wood, bases include such oils as sandalwood, vetiver and patchouli and tend to be dark, heavy and sweet.
A balanced combination of the three will usually produce an acceptable and pleasing fragrance. Too much top will be overly intense, light and heady, whereas too much base will give a heavy, pungent aroma. Spices will always blend with spices, fruits with fruits, and flowers with flowers. However, there is no need to restrict yourself to these combinations. Experimentation is the key to success, although at first you will more than likely end up with some very peculiar blends! Lemon and lavender are good neutralisers for any 'aroma disasters'.
Homemade Perfume
This is one of the simplest recipes for perfume making you can do at home, using only home ingredients.
2 cup of purified water
1 cup fresh chopped flower blossoms
In a bowl place a muslin/ cheesecloth where the edges are hanging over the bowl. Fill with 1 cup of chemical-free flower blossoms of your choice. Pour water over the flowers until they are completely covered.
Cover and let sit overnight. The next day using the edges of cheesecloth pull it out of the bowl and gently squeeze the scented water into a small pot. Simmer the water until about 1 teaspoon is left. Cool and place into a small bottle. Making perfume this way has a shelf life of about 1 month.
Other suggestions for flowers: Lavender, Lilac, Orange Blossoms, Rose Petals, Elder Flowers or even Honeysuckle. Anything that is highly fragrant works best.
Most simple perfumes are a mixture of alcohol, essential oils and distilled water. Don't be tempted to use water from your kitchen faucet for this, it must be distilled. The oils are stirred slowly into the alcohol, one drop at a time. Stir slowly but long enough for the oils to be completely dispersed.
Perfume is like fine wine, it needs to stand and mature before it reaches perfection.
After the perfume has matured, filter it through a coffee filter to remove any sediment and bottle it into a colored glass bottle with a stopper.
Part of the fun of making your own fragrances is being able to experiment and make one that is yours alone. You may need to experiment for a while before you discover the perfect scent, so make notes of everything you do including the exact quantities used. Remember that a single drop of an essential oil can change the smell of the perfume completely.
Rose Toilet Water
This toilet water is simple to make, and may be based on either fresh or dried rose petals.
Fill a warmed, heat-resistant jar with sufficient rose petals. Bring 35 fl oz (1 litre) of distilled water to the boil in an enamel or stainless steel saucepan, add enough boiling water to cover the petals. Seal the jar and leave to cool slightly.
Add 1 1/2 fl oz (40 ml) vodka to the mixture, seal again and leave until completely cool. Strain through muslin cloth, squeezing all liquid from the petals. Add 6 drops rose essential oil, mix well, store in an airtight bottle for 48 hours. Drip through filter paper and store in an airtight bottle.
Eau de Cologne
1.5 ml bergamot essential oil
1.5 ml lemon essential oil
35 drops orange essential oil
10 drops nerolli essential oil
5 drops rosemary essential oil
3 1/2 fl oz (100ml) orrisroot perfume base or organic vodka
Mix all ingredients and allow to stand for 48 hours. Drip through filter paper, store in a tightly sealed bottle. Alternatively, the scent can be diluted by adding up to 50 per cent distilled water to the mixture.
Eau de Cologne
3 drops lemongrass oil
10 drops lavender oil
10 drops lime oil
3 1/2 fl oz (100ml) orrisroot perfume base or organic vodka
Mix all ingredients and allow to stand for 48 hours. Drip through filter paper, store in a tightly sealed bottle. Alternatively, the scent can be diluted by adding up to 50 per cent distilled water to the mixture.
Rosewater Perfume
24 fl oz (750 ml) orrisroot perfume base or organic vodka
8 fl oz (250 ml) rosewater
6 ml rose essential oil
25 drops bergamot essential oil
Mix all ingredients thoroughly and allow to stand for 10 days - 3 weeks. Drip through filter paper into glass bottles and seal tightly.
Lavender Water
19 fl oz (570 ml) orrisroot perfume base or organic vodka
4 1/2 fl oz (130 ml) rosewater or distilled water
6 ml lavender essential oil
30 drops bergamot essential oil
Mix all ingredients and allow to stand for mimimum of 10 days. Drip through filter paper and store in a tighlty sealed glass bottle.
Spirit Lifting Fragrance
1 cup of distilled water and 5 teaspoons of vodka
3 drops of coriander essential oil
1 drop of Frankincense essential oil
3 drops of Juniper essential oil
4 drops of Orange essential oil
Mix all ingredients and allow to stand for 10 days. Drip through filter paper and store in a tighlty sealed glass bottle.
Citrus Fragrance
5 teaspoons vodka
1/2 tespoon distilled water
15 drops lemon essential oil
10 drops grapefruit essential oil
10 drops lemongrass essential oil
2 drops benzoin oil
3 drops cedarwood oil
5 drops neroli essential oil
5 drops cypress essential oil
10 drops verbena essential oil
Place all of the ingredients in a dark glass bottle and shake well. Store the perfume in a cool, dark place for 2-3 weeks to allow it to develop. Turn the bottle upside down occasionally as the perfume steeps.
Body Spray
Invigorating lotion can be splashed on or misted over the body with an atomiser. Depending upon the essential oil used, floral waters and body colognes can have a stimulating, toning or relaxing effect. They are ideal for use on hot summer days or nights, giving your spirits a lift by making you feel fresh and cool. Are also simple to make, fun to use and make an ideal gift for a friend.
Mix one tablespoon each of orange and lemon peels that have been freshly chopped, with 3 tablespoons of vodka in a jar with an air-tight cover and let the mixture stand for one week. Strain the liquid, add 2 cups distilled water, 5 drops lemon verbena essentialoil, 10 drops mandarin essential oil, and 10 drops of orange essential oil to the remaining content. Once you’ve done that, store the body spray mixture in a dark and cool place for two weeks, while making sure to shake the jar once per day.
Floral Water
Make a tea. Steep one to two teaspoons of dried lavender flowers in a covered cup of filtered, boiled water for five to ten minutes, strain, add 20 drops essential oil of lavender to the warm tea. You can use a washcloth and wring out in the mixture, applying it on the face like a compress for a few moments, then using friction in a circular motion over the face and neck.
An even easier recipe is to simply put 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon of the essential oil into two cups of nearly boiled, filtered water in a large ceramic bowl. The steam will clear your sinuses. After letting it cool to a comfortably warm temperature, mix together well and rinse the face or massage it into the skin with your fingers.
Your floral water can be chilled in the refrigerator in a glass container for later use. It will keep indefinitely, although you should stir or shake to make sure it is well-blended. The cooling combines well with the herbaceous scent and is refreshing after being out in the city on a hot humid day. If you leave the cloth out to dry, its evaporation will refresh the air.
You can also use it as a final rinse for your hair for shine, to detangle, and to impart an aromatic note. Another very easy method is to take a cup of bottled mineral water and combine with 10 drops of lavender essential oil in a spray bottle, spritzing the face for a skin freshener (making sure to keep the eyes closed, of course, and shake it well each time).
One of the best aspects of making your own floral waters is that you can experiment. The same methods can be used with different materials, for example with chamomile, to make a very soothing and calming facial toning treatment, famously good for blondes because it helps keep the fairness of the hair and skin. Please note that chamomile, a relative of ragweed, is not recommended for those with allergies. I would also recommend melissa (aka lemonbalm), which is a little more difficult to obtain in tea form but well worth the trouble. It has a woody tone to its lemon aroma, and has a famously calming, soothing and antiviral quality (which makes it an effective preventative and treatment for fever blisters). Make these up for use within a two week period.
Aftershave Splash
A refreshing, mildly antiseptic and delightfully aromatic aftershave lotion. Makes an ideal gift for a man.
10 drops rosemary essential oil 6 drops bay essential oil 6 drops lemon essential oil 5 drops lime essential oil 2 drops sage essential oil 1/3 fl oz (10 ml) tincture of benzoin (friar's balsam) 1/2 fl oz (15 ml) witch hazel 2 fl oz (50ml) rosewater 2 fl oz (50 ml) cider vinegar.
Dissolve the essential oils in the tincture of benzoin, and then mix with the witch hazel, ensuring that the mixture is well blended. Mix the rosewater and cider vinegar together, and then thoroughly blend the two solutions together. Store in a glass bottle with a tight-fitting, non-metallic lid.
Solid Perfume
1 2/3 pt beeswax + 10 g (1/3 oz) each of lavender essental oil + rose essential oil + lemon essentail oil.
Melt the beeswax and then slowly pour the oils into whilst stirring. Pour into small jars or small chocolate moulds or found moulds around the home, plastic lids etc. When the perfume blocks are solid take them out of the moulds, wrap in cloth and tie with ribbon. These perfumes are ideal for carrying or keeping in the drawer to scent clothes. Attach a gift card suggesting to rub some on the corner of towels or drapes for a fresh fragrance.
Solid Fragrance + Deodorant
1/2 oz cocoa butter + 1/2 oz beeswax + 1 tablespoon glycerine + 1 tablespoon rosewater. Melt the cocoa butter and beeswax slowly in a double boiler. Remove from heat and add the glycerine and rosewater slowly, drop by drop, stirring all the time until the mix reaches room temperature and is the consistency of cream. Now add several drops (let your nose be your guide) of one or more of the essential oils - calendula, sage, rosemary, eucalyptus, lavender, thyme, lemon.
Store in a clean jar, can use as a deodorant or a solid fragrance for pulse points.
Here are several suggestions as to how you can make your natural fragrances last longer:
Making Fragrances Linger
Spray bottles, which will not come into contact with the skin, are the best choice for applying perfume. Direct skin contact may cause dead skin cells to slough off and be deposited in the bottle, which can can have effect on the perfume's scent over the long term.
Apply to pulse points.
Apply to several points, not just one.
Apply liberally so that the initial 'lift' of your fragrance is a little more intense than you want it to be.
Avoid neutralising your fragrance by using unscented grooming products. Layering by adding a few drops of the same scent to your bath soap or shower gel and body lotion, too.
Scent applied to the inside of your wrists tends to be removed when you wash your hands.
As fragrance evaporates, it rises, so be sure to apply scent behind your knees and ankles so you can fully enjoy the scent.
A Guide to Essential Oils
The essential oils listed below offer a wide range of aromatherapy benefits, so they make good choices for both beginners and experienced users. The following list is by no means exhaustive.
Lavender: Balancing, soothing, clarifying, normalizing
Eucalyptus: Purifying, invigorating, balancing, cooling
Peppermint: Revitalizing, refreshing, energizing, cooling
Rosemary: Clarifying, warming, invigorating
Ylang Ylang: Sensual, euphoric, romantic, alluring, exotic
Sweet Orange: Cheering, refreshing, uplifting
Bergamot: Uplifting, normalizing, confidence building
Lemon: Energizing, uplifting, refreshing, strengthening When used as an antiseptic, a 2% solution in distilled water stops small cuts bleeding
Geranium: Uplifting, balancing, relaxing, normalizing Geranium essential oil is good for poor circulation, and is also said to help balance mood swings.
Patchouli: Romantic, uplifting, soothing
Clove: Clarifying, invigorating, refreshing
Grapefruit: Uplifting, reviving, balancing, calming, euphoric
Frankincense: Warming, relaxing, tonic
Ginger: Stimulating, tonic
Rose: Relaxing and calming: Stress, headaches; suitable for all skin types; circulation and digestion
Melissa (Lemon Balm): Delicious lemon scent, antidepressant, very relaxing and refreshing
Neroli: Antiseptic, very relaxing, a heady scent
Myrrh: Antiseptic, healing
Lemongrass: Refreshing, reviving and uplifting, healing for skin complaints, antiseptic
Tangerine: Stimulating and invigorating. Rheumatism, cellulite and stretch marks. Suitable for all skin types and for during pregnancy. Helps to improve energy levels, and is great as a pick-me-up after an illness
Pine: Extra invigorating with a clean, refreshing scent, reviving and stimulating. Antiseptic, disinfectant
Sage: Aromatic, refreshing, relaxing and enlivening, soothing, antiseptic Warning: Quite toxic, use in moderation and avoid completely if breastfeeding
Once you become more familiar with essential oils and their many uses, you can extend your 'basic wardrobe'.
When essences come in contact with the skin, they react according to an individual's body chemistry. It is the chemistry that makes us either alluring or an aromatic disaster. Over the centuries, perfumers have turned the blending of different essences into a passionate art form of finding that elusive scent which fulfils our fantasies.
With a little effort and practice, you will be able to make acceptable scents too.
Pleasure is the reward for being good, so start indulging while keeping your principles intact.
Caution
Do not use perfume before going out in the sun. The essential oils, when exposed to UV light, may result in brown skin discoloration (pigment spots) that is difficult or impossible to remove.
Bergamot essential oil should not be used by pregnant women or epileptics. |
