Organic Perfume

Organic perfumes are made up from natural products and contain none of the additional chemicals and synthetic scents that commercial perfumes are made from. They are manufactured using pure essential oils which not only offer an amazing variety of scents but which also contain therapeutic benefits, so in addition to smelling great, your perfumes could also be treating any ailments or long term health conditions you may have.  In contrast, many commercial perfumes can cause health problems and/or exacerbate some conditions you may already be suffering from, such as allergic reactions, headaches, hormone disruption, increased severity of asthma or eczema conditions, thyroid complications and a suppressed immune system. These health risks are caused by the chemicals which are included in the perfume recipes and which, because of the secrecy clauses included in the manufacture of commercially branded perfumes, are often undisclosed on the product packaging.  Many of the chemi

Before you begin to make your perfume you must decide what strength you want to make, what type of perfume you would like and what sort of scent you require. There are five different perfume strengths for feminine perfumes and three main strengths for masculine scents. Parfum (Perfume) and Cologne  Perfume and cologne are the strongest scented of the perfume types. They contain between 15 – 40% of essential oils to 60 – 85% of dilution substance. As such, these are also the most expensive to purchase, but this cost is dramatically reduced when making it yourself at home. Espirit de Parfum/Cologne  This is the least common strength of commercial perfumes but works well for home manufacture. It is made up of between 15 – 30% of essential oils which allows for the option of a lower cost perfume while still retaining a strong aroma. Eau de Parfum  This strength tends to be the most popular blend as it carries much of the intensity of a full perfume but is ligh

  Once you have decided on the strength of perfume you wish to make, you need to decide on the composition of your scent. Do you want an oil, spray or solid perfume? Natural perfumes can be made using liquid oils such as almond or jojoba, solids such as coconut oil or Shea butter which can be mixed with a natural wax or you can use alcohol, water or both to make spray perfumes. Oil Based Perfumes  Liquid oils, (also known as carrier oils), are an inexpensive and popular choice for natural home-made perfumes. They blend well with the essential oils, are easy to apply and are quickly absorbed into the skin. Many carrier oils also provide their own therapeutic properties which work well with the individual or combined properties of the essential oils being used in your scent. Spray Perfumes  This type of fragrance is made using an alcohol base. Perfume alcohol can be used but plain vodka works just as well and often costs considerably less. Alternatively, if you li

When you first begin choosing your own blends of essential oils it is important to familiarise yourself with both individual oils scents and combined scents. Many oils smell very different when mixed with another and even though they appear unpleasant on their own, when blended with other scents they can create beautiful aromas. Similarly, pleasant smelling oils can take on quite unpleasant smelling characteristics if mixed with the wrong oil.  Keep a notebook to hand when experimenting with blending so you can record what works and what does not.  Start with a limit of 5 to 10 drops of oil in total and use a mixture of top, middle and base notes. Do not waste your oils by making sample blends using too many drops as this can lead to expensive mistakes. Once you find a blend you like you can begin to experiment further but it will save a lot of waste in the interim. Once you have settled on a particular blend, test it out with different dilution mediums.  All carrier

Whether you choose to use a base oil, (carrier oil), wax or an alcohol as a dilution agent, it is important to understand the positive properties each substance contains.  Water & Alcohol  Distilled Water Distilled water comes from the steam which is collected while boiling water. Purified or filtered water can be used as an alternative to distilled water.  Hydrosol  Hydrosol is distilled water collected from the boiling of floral waters such as lavender infused water. This can be purchased ready-made or you can make your own at home.  Rectified Spirit   Rectified spirit or alcohol is an agriculturally based ethyl alcohol, (usually grain), which is repeatedly distilled to create a pure alcohol. The purity level of most rectified spirits is 95.6%, however this can be difficult to purchase due to the restrictions of such a high alcohol level. A popular choice is a rectified spirit of 75.5% ABV, (151 proof) called ‘Everclear’ as this is more widely available. 

There are a huge variety of containers available online for storing your perfumes. From expensive, fancy bottles to plain and simple bottles, containers and vials, the choice is limited only by your personal taste. Vials are usually around 5ml and are great for samples. Some are clear bottleswith a screw top while others have a small applicator attached to the inside of the lid. Roller Ball Bottles are perfect for oil based perfumes as they allow you to control the amount you are applying. They often have screw top lids which make them leak proof and are inexpensive. While most are made from plain glass or plastic, it is possible to purchase decorate bottles which are great when making perfumes for gifts. Spray Atomizer Bottles are used for all alcohol or water based perfumes and can be use for very thin oil/water mixes. They range from small and plain to highly decorative so you can create some amazing perfumes that can be packaged very attractively. Jars and tins a