Using Essential Oils To Make Natural Perfumes: A Short Guide

 

 

Throughout lockdown, people were rediscovering old hobbies and trying new ones. From upcycling to paint by numbers, people all around the world were uncovering their creativity. With some restrictions still in place, finding more hobbies to occupy your time is proving difficult, but why not try making the perfect perfume just for you?

 
 

The best thing about using essential oils is that they don’t contain any harmful chemicals that store-bought perfumes would contain. Essential oils are extracted from plants and some have been around for centuries. They’re very natural, so it’s better to do patch tests on your skin before experimenting with different oils. Essential oil scents do need to be topped up more, but they’re not overpowering, so they won’t make you sneeze or cause a headache!

 
 
 
 
 

First things first, you’ll need a selection of oils, a carrier oil (little to no scent like almond or jojoba), and a container. EO’s can be found in any wholesaler stores. You can use a small bottle (darker bottles preserve fragrance for longer), a roll-on bottle, or even use beeswax to make a solid perfume. It’s also handy to have coffee beans to cleanse your palate between smells.

Before you start mixing scents, pick the oils you want to use, open the caps, and smell them together. This will give you a preview of your scent. You’re going to need a base oil, middle tones, and top notes. The top note is what you smell first, and this dissipates quickly. The middle and base notes come after and the middle tone is the “heart” of your fragrance. Your base oil makes up about 20% of the scent, whilst the middle tone is 50%, and the top notes about 30%. The drop amount will depend on how much you want to make.

 
 
 
 
 

The base oils are usually earthy smells like rose, jasmine, or myrrh. The middle tones are the centre of your fragrance so try using black pepper, pine, or rosemary. As said previously, the top notes are the ones you smell first, so using EO’s like sage, orange, or cedarwood are ideal. The lines are blurred, so you can use base oils as middle tones and vice versa – it’s all about experimenting! Healthline’s Essential Oils 101  is a great place to start in deciding what oils you want to use to create your scent.

Add in your base oil, then drop by drop add your middle and top notes. Keep shaking and smelling after every drop to create the perfect balance. After you’ve created your ideal scent, you can add a couple of drops of alcohol (vodka or even spiced rum if you want to add a warming scent) to help preserve your perfume. Or if you don’t want to add alcohol, Wild Veil Perfume sell perfume fixatives in a balm formula which you rub onto your pulse points before applying your perfume. It’s best to shake your fragrance before you use it, and if you have the patience, leaving it for a month before using helps diffuse the alcohol smell and creates a stronger fragrance!

 
 
 
 
 

Here are a few recipes from Soap Deli News depending on what type of scent you prefer!

 

GRAPEFRUIT CITRUS INGREDIENTS:

10 drops grapefruit essential oil
5 drops lemongrass essential oil
2 drops peppermint essential oil
1 drop frankincense essential oil

 

PUMPKING SPICE INGREDIENTS:

4 drops cinnamon essential oil
4 drops fresh ginger essential oil
4 drops nutmeg essential oil
3 drops clove bud essential oil
1 drop cardamom essential oil

 

ROSE BLOSSOM INGREDIENTS:

6 drops rose absolute
4 drops Peru balsam essential oil
2 drop frankincense essential oil
2 drop sandalwood essential oil

 

TROPICAL FRUIT INGREDIENTS:

4 drops mandarin essential oil
4 drops ylang ylang essential oil
2 drop fresh ginger essential oil
2 drop pink pepper essential oil

 

LAVENDER INGREDIENTS:

4 drops amyris essential oil
4 drops lavender essential oil
2 drop peppermint essential oil
2 drop juniper essential oil

 

   +  Words: Shaelei, Luxiders Contributor

Shaelei Parmar is a Fashion and Sustainability Blogger. She recently graduated with a degree in English and Drama and is beginning her journey as a writer and sustainable consumer.

Blog: shaestyles.blog  |  IG: @shaelei_