Making perfume with essential oils is ideal for fragrance lovers who avoid alcohol-based scents and are bored of using traditional scents. Since essential oils are plant extracts, they benefit the mind and body.
Essential oils mask body odor in a small quantity and have more longevity and potency compared to alcohol-based scents. However, making perfume with essential oils is not as easy as mixing two and two together. One must follow certain protocols before making DIY essential oil perfumes.
One requires at least three essential oils as the base, middle, and top notes, depending on the blend they want to create. Fragrance enthusiasts can use ginger essential oil for an earthy fragrance, lavender for a romantic scent, and lime essential oil for a citrusy scent when creating a perfume with essential oils.
Equipment and steps to make perfume with essential oils
The tools required to make perfume with essential oils comprise:
- A liquid measuring cup
- A pin-like sharp object
- A dropper in case the essential oil being used doesn’t have one
- A small, dark glass bottle
- Carrier oils like olive oil, grape seed oil, and jojoba oil
- 3 essential oils of choice
- Vitamin E capsule
The first step is to clean the dark-colored bottle where the perfume is to be stored. A dark-colored bottle prevents the fragrance from getting spoilt and one can use a roller cap or a spritz cap to make application easier.
Next, add two to three ounces of carrier oil into the bottle. It is important to use a carrier oil when making perfume with essential oils as the carrier oil dilutes the essential oils and helps them settle on the skin. Using essential oils without carrier oil can cause burning and itching.
Once the carrier oil is added, it's time to add the base, middle, and top notes. The quantities for the same must be:
15-20 drops of the base note: Since the base note is the long-lasting part of the scent, ensure choosing a strong essential oil. Peppermint and ylang-ylang are suggested.
10-15 drops of the middle note: The middle note is the center of the fragrance, it portrays one's idea of the scent and what they are going for. Orange and lemongrass essential oils are ideal for fresh, citrus fragrances, while ginger, cedarwood, and rosewood essential oils are ideal for woody, earthy scents.
Approximately 10 drops of the top note: The top note is the initial smell of the scent, which can be smelled at the beginning of spritzing a perfume. If opting for a floral blend, choose the rose essential oil, cedarwood essential oil for an earthy top note, and lavender for a fresh, floral scent.
Mix the ingredients properly and add a fixative to the scent. The fixative when making perfume for essential oils is Vitamin E. Vitamin E will act as a preservative and make the essential oil perfume last a bit longer.
Shake the perfume well and let it rest for some time, preferably a month. This resting period will allow the essential oils to mix and form a strong scent.
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Once the perfume with essential oils is ready, fragrance enthusiasts can use it through the cap of their choice. They can opt for a spritz cap to layer their fragrances by spraying it all over themselves or a rollerball cap if they like to apply a scent on individual body parts.