LampEssentials

Customers love having their favorite scent in lotions, bath salts, shower gels and more. They love to know that a product has been custom made for them. And it becomes a show when you start to add the fragrance oil right before their eyes and do your mixing and shaking.

A common question raised in perfume making is whether to use Fragrance Oil or Essential oil. If you've been shopping for both you will have noticed that there is a steep price difference between the two.

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.

The recipes here are really designed for essential oils but really there's no reason you cannot use fragrance oils. In fact, I would suggest you start with the much lower cost fragrance oils until you understand the blending process. This will save you a lot of money until you discover what fragrance blend works for your skin.

It's true that the better perfumes will often come from a blend of essential oils, so be prepared to move onto these for the best results.

A few reasons to stick with fragrance oil:

1. Low Cost

2. Some scents are only available with fragrance oil

3. Some people are allergic to essential oil

4. They may have a lower environmental impact. Sometimes several hundred pounds of plants may be needed for a small bottle of essential oil.

And some in favor of essential oil:

1. Some say that they make a better quality perfume

2. They may carry natural health benefits derived from the plants

3. Some people are allergic to fragrance oils

Ultimately, it's your choice in the end. As I've suggested, start with the fragrance oils and if you find yourself wanting to create more advanced perfumes, move onto essential oils.

In this post, I'm going to cover the basic how to make perfume instructions. There's no special skills involved in making perfume, just follow the procedure and you will get a great smelling fragrance.

Since Perfumer's Alcohol can be hard to find in most cities, I'm going to suggest using Vodka in these recipes. As long as it's for personal use and you aren't selling the perfume, The Department of Tobacco, Alcohol and Firearms won't come and hunt you down. Use only 100 proof alcohol and be sure to test a single drop on your skin to make sure you aren't allergic to any ingredient.

The strength of the perfume is dependent on the ratio of fragrant oils, alcohol and water in the blend. Each blend will smell different and the amount of essential oil is critical. A single drop too much, or too little, will change the characteristic of the perfume completely.

The basic procedure for making perfume is the same whatever the blend.

Most simple perfumes are a mixture of alcohol, essential of fragrance 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.

Let the blend of oil and alcohol stand undisturbed for 48 hours. Now add the distilled water, again stirring slowly until completely dispersed.

Perfume is like fine wine, it needs to stand and mature before it reaches perfection. Leave your perfume to stand for at least three weeks in a cool dark place.

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.

Perfume Recipes

 

Rain Shower

This is a very light scent reminiscent of a lingering rain shower.

5 drops Bergamot
3 drops Sandalwood
5 drops Cassis
1 cup distilled water
5 teaspoons of Vodka

Blend the ingredients as described above.

English Country Garden

5 drops Valerian
5 drops Chamomile
3 drops Lavender
1 cup distilled water
5 teaspoons Vodka