Content

• To step
• Part 1 of 2: Learning the basics
• Part 2 of 2: Making your perfume
• Necessities

Making perfume with essential oils is very easy and can be done with just a few oils. You can create your own unique signature scent for personal use or to give to a friend. Visit a store nearby to try out some essential oils and see which scents you like best. By making your own perfume you have control over the ingredients and the quality of your fragrance product.

To step

Part 1 of 2: Learning the basics

1. Learn about the sequence of oils. When making perfume from essential oils, you will have to follow a certain sequence: you start with a base oil, then add the mid-notes and finally the top notes. The top note is what you smell when you first smell your perfume, and then you are gradually able to smell your other scents. You will need to add oils in this order.
   • The top notes reach our senses first, but dissipate quickly. The middle notes are actually it heart of your scent. They add warmth and fullness to your perfume and their scent is what lingers. Basic notes unfold over time, so you may not smell them at first. However, when all other scents have faded, the base notes linger. They are often fortifying scents such as pine, musk, cloves, cedarwood, sandalwood, etc.
2. Use a dark colored bottle. This is important because a dark bottle will preserve your scent better by keeping the light out. Make sure to shake your perfume before applying it so that the scents mix. When storing your bottle, keep it out of direct sunlight.
   • You can also use a roller bottle for essential oils. This sometimes works better because the scent is often thicker than normal perfume, making it a little more difficult to spray over your skin.
3. Give the scents time to merge. While you can use your perfume right away, it is better to give the scents time to melt together before using it. You can choose to use your perfume right away, but the scent will be less fragrant and the different oils will not have had much time to blend into one wonderful scent. That's why it's helpful to leave it on for a while, as that will allow your perfume time to reach its final scent.
   • A perfume made with essential oils may smell wonderful at first, but over time the scents can combine into something that doesn't smell that appealing. Leaving your perfume on for a while will give you a better idea of ​​how your combined scents will smell for most of their existence.
4. Know the benefits of essential oils. While regular perfumes stay on your skin longer, essential oils are great because they are taken directly from nature. They don't have the many chemicals that commercial perfumes do, so if you're looking for something organic and natural, essential oils are just the thing. You also have the option to create thousands of different scents and fragrances with essential oils.
   • Essential oils are also good for those with sensitive skin or who have a negative reaction to scented products. These oils are natural to you, so you can create a wide variety of different scents that your skin will hopefully tolerate better than commercial perfumes.
   • Commercial perfumes have preservatives and other chemicals that make the fragrance and perfume last longer. Essential oils, because they are taken from nature, will fade faster. But you can use one or two drops of natural fixative if you want perfume to last longer. These are usually very corrosive, so you don't want to use this often or in large amounts, but a drop here and there won't hurt.

Part 2 of 2: Making your perfume

1. Add your base note. The first step to creating your perfume is to add your base note. Usually base notes are earthy scents that add a good, long-lasting fragrance to your perfume and can make up 5 to 20 percent of your blend (but this varies). However, some people choose to use scents like grape seed or sweet almond oil. It is your personal preference and you can experiment to see which scent you like. If you're not sure where to start, you can follow these guidelines:
   • For a fresh and uplifting perfume, add 17 drops of grapefruit essential oil to your perfume bottle or roller.
   • For a romantic and floral blend, take 25 drops of rose essential oil.
   • For a sensual and earthy scent, take 20 drops of sweet orange essential oil.
2. Mix in your middle note. This is the heart of your scent, the scent that appears after your top note has dissipated. Some people choose a more floral scent for this note, but again, it is your personal preference. Often times, the middle notes will make up the bulk of your blend (50 to 80 percent), but this will differ when you experiment. Here are some suggestions following the previous step:
   • For a fresh and uplifting perfume, add 14 drops of ginger essential oil.
   • For a romantic and floral blend, take 10 drops of lime essential oil.
   • For a sensual and earthy scent, take 15 drops of ylang ylang essential oil. Ylang ylang is an oil extracted from the cananga tree, known for its rich, floral scent.
3. Add your top fragrance note. Finally, your last big addition to your perfume, this is the top fragrance note, which will dissipate quickly but will be the first fragrance you smell when you open your perfume. It can often make up 5 to 20 percent of the mixture, but you can add more or less according to your choice. Some people prefer fruity, minty, or refreshing scents for their top note. Try out different scents if you're not sure and see what you like best. You can also follow these guidelines:
   • For a fresh and invigorating blend, take 10 drops of vetiver essential oil. Vetiver is a clump of grass that originates in India and is often used as a fragrance because it forms a thick syrup. It also has fixing properties, making the fragrance of the perfume last longer.
   • For a floral, romantic perfume, take 10 drops of vetiver essential oil.
   • For an earthy, sensual scent, take 10 drops of cedar essential oil.
4. Experiment with your scents. If you've tried different combinations and you're not satisfied, you may just have to experiment with the scents. Play with different scents until you find one you like.
   • Maybe you prefer woody scents and stick to vanilla, sandalwood and sweet almond oil. Or do you like very floral scents and want to use lavender, ylang ylang and grape seed oil. You may appreciate fruity scents and want to use lemon, sweet orange and tangerine.
   • If you've created a great scent until now and then ruined it with another oil, don't worry. You can add a drop of orange oil, which is said to neutralize other perfumes.
5. Add alcohol as a preservative. This step is not necessary, but can be useful if you want your fragrance to last longer. The amount of alcohol you need to add depends on the bottle size you choose. If you are using around 60 drops of essential oil, you can add 90 to 120 ml of alcohol. If you are only using 20 to 30 drops of the essential oil, you should probably reduce the amount of alcohol to 30 to 60 ml.
   • You can use any type of alcohol for this, but it is better to get one that goes well with your scents. Some people opt for vodka because it is relatively flavorless, but a spicy rum might be nice too. If you're unsure, start with an alcohol that has fewer flavorings.
6. Shake your perfume and use it. Once you have added all of your ingredients to your perfume, shake well. This will give the scents time to mix properly. Then, if you have the patience, leave it for a month before using it. You can use it sooner, but the smells will get stronger the longer it rests, and the alcohol smell will also decrease.
7. Make a solid perfume. You can also create a solid perfume with beeswax and jojoba oil. Some people only use jojoba oil for their liquid perfume, but when it cools, it hardens. Therefore, it is better to use this if you are going to make a solid perfume.
   • One recipe you may want to try is four tablespoons of beeswax, four tablespoons of jojoba, 27-32 drops of sandalwood oil, 27-32 drops of vanilla oil, 25-30 drops of grapefruit oil, and 20-25 drops of bergamot oil.
   • Start by grating the beeswax and melting it au bain-marie over low heat. Then add the jojoba oil until completely blended. Let the mixture cool to below 50 degrees Celsius and then add the rest of the oils. Keep it in a small jar or lip balm tube.

Necessities

• Your choice of essential oils (enough for base, mid and top notes)
• 30 to 120 ml of alcohol
• A bottle or roller made of dark glass