CREATE YOUR OWN PERFUME

Jump to recipe

WHY CREATE YOUR OWN PERFUME?

I’ve always loved perfume. There’s something special about wearing a fragrance that can evoke memories, boost confidence, or simply make an ordinary day feel a little more beautiful. But after learning how loosely the fragrance industry is regulated, I found myself questioning what was actually inside the perfumes I had been wearing for years, which led me to explore more natural alternatives.

What I discovered was surprising. Most commercial fragrances are made primarily from synthetic compounds derived from petroleum and natural gas, known as petrochemicals. Additionally, many fragrances can be entirely synthetic rather than sourced from flowers, herbs or other botanicals.

On top of that, fragrance companies are allowed to keep many of their ingredients confidential under the umbrella of protecting trade secrets. That means consumers often have no way of knowing exactly what they’re spraying on their skin or breathing in each day as they spritz themselves with their favorite scents. Thankfully, making your own perfume is really fun as it gives you the ability to be creative and tailor the scent to exactly what you want.

THE FORMULA

The formula I like to use is a 3 step process. The base is always a grain alcohol, which I use vodka. But you can also use rum or or other grain alcohol. I prefer vodka because it does not carry a scent with it. Instead it allows the essential oils to really be brought out. Rum, on the other hand, has a very nice sweet scent. This allows the essential oils to have an even sweeter smell to them.

Step 1

Pour your grain alcohol into a 2 oz. dark glass spritz container. Leave about a 1/2 inch space toward the top of the bottle.

Step 2

Add 1/2 teaspoon of either almond, vanilla or orange extract to the alcohol. I like almond extract best.

Step 3

Add 3 different essential oils. Why 3 you ask? It is just my rule of thumb. I have found that 3 scents mixed together have always produced the most beautiful scents. Not only that, but it also keeps it simple. Any more than 3 essential oils and the scent can get really weird.

You will always want to include at least one strong essential oil scent in your combination to ‘carry the scent’. For a 2 oz. bottle of perfume you will use a total of about 50-75 drops of essential oil. I know that sounds like a large amount of essential oil but you will only be using a few sprays at a time. A good way to decide whether or not you will like a perfume combination is to test it first. Add a few drops of each essential oil you want to use to about a teaspoon of carrier oil.  This will allow you to try it out before you use a large amount of essential oil for a perfume.

Strong essential oils:

cedarwood
vetiver
ylang ylang
sandlewood
frankincense
myrrh
benzoin
clove

Combine with two of the following:

rose
bergamot
lemon
wild orange or orange
neroli
lavender
chamomile
lemongrass
geranium

Try out this pretty smelling perfume recipe:

Playing with perfume combinations can be really fun. Additionally, using healing essential oils as your perfume can be so much healthier than what is offered in departments stores. The list of essential oils above are just guidelines. There may be certain oils that you absolutely love that are not listed. Do not be afraid to give them a try. Once you find a combination that you love, you will always have that recipe for the future. Try the recipe above or try making your own combinations to find the perfect scent.

For more DIY skincare recipes, check out the Beyond Beauty Book, available on Amazon!