How to make perfume with essential oils

Preparing natural homemade perfumes, with essential oils

How to make homemade perfume with essential oils

Men and women have used perfumes since time immemorial. Smell is a sense that we have something forgotten in consciousness, but that remains very much alive in our unconscious brain. Numerous scientific studies confirm that humans remember many more smells than we think to consciously remember, and this is used for therapeutic properties.

A perfume can transport us to a pleasant afternoon, to moments of yesteryear, or to a feeling of relaxation.

How to make your own perfume at home

Homemade perfumes are a useful personal resource for a respite of joy, beautiful memories, or peace of mind. And what better way to make our own personal perfume mixing our favorite, natural scents that will transport us and connect us with ourselves and with nature.

All aromas are considered to have a specific effect on the body: pleasant, stimulating, relaxing…

Preparing your own fragrances at home is an excellent practice to do in a group, since it is curious to observe how each person chooses a certain aroma or another, and the perfumes that result from their choice. It can be practiced in a group or family workshop (extreme precautions in children). We assure you that it is a very relaxing and entertaining activity.

Making a homemade perfume

To make a homemade perfume it is necessary to follow a series of rules that allow us to create balanced fragrances, avoiding perfumes that are too strong or intense.

Ingredients to prepare a homemade perfume

• Base oil: Serves to dilute essential oils, since pure are irritating to the skin and could cause burns. Generally, the oil used to make perfume is jojoba oil, since it is a non-comedogenic wax, which is light in texture and regulates the secretion of oil from the skin.
• Natural essential oils: It is about correctly combining the different essential oils, to get the perfume that we like the most. The perfume can change slightly during its maturation, that is, after making it, it is left to macerate for 2 weeks.
• Label and pen to note the combination of essences and the date of manufacture.

Types of essential oils in a perfume

The basic concept in creating a perfume is to correctly combine essential oils. There are some guidelines to respect to make successful perfumes, with combinations of essences.

We have to distinguish between “top note”, “middle note” and “low note” essential oils. We can distinguish the following types of essences:

PERFUME CONCEPT

Schematic illustration of the types of essential oils. Made by © Botanical-online.com

Tope note essential oils

Top note essential oils are the most volatile essences, the first to be felt in the perfume. Generally they are usually intense citrus or floral aromas.

They are attributed properties to lift the mood, tone and increase intellectual concentration. Applied topically, they are very antiseptic.

Types of top note essential oils:

• Lemon essential oil
• Lime essential oil
• Orange essential oil
• Grapefruit essential oil
• Bergamot essential oil
• Peppermint essential oil
• Eucalyptus essential oil
• Rosemary essential oil
• Sage essential oil
• Thyme essential oil
• Citronella essential oil
• Juniper essential oil
• Laurel essential oil
• Cajeput essential oil

Middle note essential oils

They are the “heart” of the perfume, the fragrance that develops slowly but that dominates the perfume and the one that lasts the longest. They are generally floral, sweet, spicy or fresh notes.

They are attributed properties against sadness, emotional blocks and relaxing.

Types of essential oils of middle note

• Tea tree essential oil
• Lavender essential oil
• Cypress essential oil
• Jasmine essential oil
• Ylang-ylang essential oil
• Ginger essential oil
• Rose essential oil
• Marjoram essential oil
• Lemon balm essential oil
• Chamomile essential oil
• Clove essential oil
• Tarragon essential oil
• Litsea essential oil
• Santolina essential oil
• St. John’s wort essential oil (not to be confused with St. John’s wort oil)
• Geranium essential oil

Low note essential oils

The essential oils of low note are intense or balsamic aromas, that last and permeate all the oil of their fragrance. An example are essential oils with aromas of wood, moss, earth…

They are the ones that are used in less quantity. You start by making the perfume by adding 3-5 drops of low note essential oils.

Low note essential oil types

• Cinnamon essential oil
• Benzoin essential oil
• Cedar essential oil
• Frankincense essential oil
• Sandalwood essential oil
• Patchouli essential oil

Make a natural perfume with essential oils

• Place 10ml of jojoba oil in an opaque, green, purple or blue glass container.
• Mix essential oils into jojoba oil. The different types of essential oils are combined in the following order:
  • Low note oils are added first (3-5 drops)
  • Middle note oils (8-10 drops)
  • Top note oils (8-10 drops)
• Write down the ingredients and amounts used in the perfume and stick the label on the perfume bottle.
• Cover hermetically and let the perfume marinate for 2-3 weeks. A few drops are applied to a handkerchief to smell at certain times of the day, or to perfume the wrists and neck with a few drops.

Essential oils according to their properties:

• Essential oils for depression
• Aphrodisiac essential oils
• Essential oils for the skin
• Essential oils for hair
• Essential oils for the bathroom
• Essential oils for lice and fleas

*Related information: Essential oil contraindications

More information on essential oils

Written by Editorial Botanical-online team in charge of content writing

29 July, 2021