Posted on February 24, 2020 by dragonspitapothecary
One of the things I really struggled with swapping to more natural products was giving up my designer perfume. I loved the Valentino brand of perfumes and often would ask for them as gifts for my birthday or Christmas. It was lovely to get a bottle of my favorite perfume. I really liked having those pretty bottles on my bathroom counter and felt special every time I went to use them. However I realize most perfumes contain a lot of unnecessary chemicals and along came the day I decided I wouldn’t ask or buy anymore of them.
Certainly essential oils smell wonderful and I am often complimented on smelling nice when I’m out but it wasn’t the same as having a perfume. However, it wasn’t long before I discovered I could in fact make my own perfume! Not only was it less expensive than my favorite designer perfume but it was chemical free and personalized to me!
Where else can you totally customize and personalize something you use daily to this degree?
Even though there is an endless array of blends you can make there are a small number of
guidelines to help.
Select a high quality perfume bottle with mister. Skimping on a cheaper bottle with plastic parts will only end in disappointment when you try to use them.
Always dilute with carriers. For perfumes we use distilled water, alcohol and witch hazel
Don’t use pre-diluted oils to make perfume or cologne
Use high quality pure essential oils for best results
Add stickers and labels to remind you what is in the bottle
Perfume & Cologne Basics
In perfume making there are 3 layers of aroma that are blended together to make a complex aroma that is unique and personal. Manufacturers of perfume do this for the experience of being in a field of flowers and to give variety to the scent to suit a great number of people.
Base Note
A base note is the underlying aroma of the perfume. It is the most recognizable aroma in the perfume and compliments the other scents in the blend. In essential oils it is often the heaviest, thickest, or strongest of the oils that will be used. Examples of base oils include:
Sandalwood
Vetiver
Cedarwood
Frankincense
Cinnamon
Myrrh
Patchouli
Siberian Fir
Select a base oil that suits you and appeals to your desired scent. Typically these are heavier oils.
Middle Layer
A Middle layer is used to blend the base and top layers and provide the bridge of the perfume so it works well together. These are your bridge oils and work well with the base or top layer when paired individually. These oils are good middle bases to consider using:
Cassia
Clary Sage
Clove
Geranium
Ginger
Jasmine
Lemongrass
Marjoram
Neroli
Rose
Thyme
Ylang Ylang
Top Layer
The top layer is what you notice first when you first smell the perfume. It is the allure aroma that draws you in and let’s you drift into the deeper middle and base aromas.
Popular top layer aromas include:
Basil
Bergamot
Roman Chamomile
Coriander
Juniper Berry
Lavender
Lemon
Lime
Neroli
Wild Orange
Petigrain
Rosemary
Spearmint
Perfume Blending
Start with a base note of your choosing and add in the middle and top layers. Experiment on a small basis to see what appeals to you and what smells best on your skin. You can add more than one of each layer to personalize the perfume. A couple drops of each blended together can help you find the right aroma for your perfume. I like to experiment by diffusing the oils together in my office to really live with the aroma and see how it makes me feel when I smell it.
When ready to increase the blend, use a 2.7 ounce/70ml bottle add in your base note first followed by your middle and top layers. Mix your oils together. The ratio of oils to carrier liquids in a perfume or cologne are:
Perfume is 15%- 30% essential oil blend to 70% to 85% carrier liquid. 5% to 10% of this is water
Cologne is 3% to 5% essential oil blend to 95% to 97% carrier liquid. 30% of this is water
Perfumers will often let their perfume age before adding in the carrier liquids. You can do this by mixing your oils first, shaking/mixing them well and then sealing them closed for a period of 5-20 days. The intensity, complexity and scent will change the longer it “ages.” Add in your carrier liquids when you’ve reached your preferred age of complex aroma.
Life in a Natural Perfumery
What I notice most these days is when I encounter someone wearing a store bought perfume. It is a very distinct aroma that can be very over-powering. It’s is sincerely hard to believe that I too once sprayed a designer perfume and could have also been over-powering for someone to be near me. It used to make me wonder why people would say perfume gave them a headache or was uncomfortable to be around. Now I understand completely.
The difference in using a pure perfume with essential oils that those uncomfortable, over-powering sensations don’t occur. The essential oils have healing benefits that don’t negatively effect our senses or emotions. You can actually be helping people feel good just by wearing them. What a difference that is indeed.
Amy’s Perfume
This is the blend I have fallen in love with and you will find me wearing most often.
Base note: doTERRA Frankincense
Middle layer: doterra Clary Sage and Grapefruit
Top layer: doTERRA Rosemary
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