How to Make a Natural Perfume

Alcohol-Based Perfume

Pick 1-3 essential oils for your perfume. One of the best parts of making your own perfume is making a scent that you love. Decide if you’d prefer a floral, musky, or energizing scent. Then, pick 1-3 oils to blend together in your perfume to make the scent. If you’re interested in make a floral scent, try mixing lavender and peony, or just sticking with 1 floral scent. For a more sensual scent, combine amber and vanilla. If you want to create a refreshing scent, choose 1-2 citrus fruits, like lime, orange, or grapefruit.

Dilute 20-25 drops of oils with 2 fluid ounces (59 mL) of rectified spirits. Get an alcohol that is over 180 proof, such as rectified spirits, and use a pipette or dropper to add 20-25 drops of your oils to a small bowl containing the "carrier" alcohol. Try to balance the scents so that the scent that you want to stand out has more drops. Then, stir the oil and alcohol mixture to combine everything thoroughly. This creates a 2% dilution of oils, which is safe for use on your skin. For a sample mixture, if you’re making a lemongrass scent with peppermint, use 10 drops of peppermint and 15 drops of lemongrass in 2 fluid ounces (59 mL) of rectified spirits to make the lemongrass the dominant scent. In general, the ratio of the oils will depend on your personal preference. You can always adjust the scent by adding more essential oils if it isn’t strong enough. If you add more than 2-3 extra drops, you should also add at least 0.5 fluid ounces (15 mL) of rectified spirits.

Pour the dilution into the bottle. Carefully add the dilution to the bottom of the bottle, using a funnel or pipette to prevent spills. Leave the bottle open to prepare for adding the alcohol. If you do spill some of the dilution, don’t worry. The dilution will still be intact since you mixed it before adding it to the bottle.

Pour the alcohol into the bottle, leaving a little headspace. Once you’ve added your diluted oils, top off the bottle with a high-proof alcohol, like vodka or grain alcohol, leaving about ⁄2 inch (1.3 cm) of head space in case you want to add more oil. It might be helpful to use a funnel to add the alcohol to the bottle to prevent spills. High-proof alcohol has little to no scent, and will combine with the oils to make your perfume. If you can’t find a high-proof alcohol, use denatured alcohol, which you can buy at most home improvement stores, or perfumer’s alcohol, which you can order online.

Replace the cap and shake the bottle to combine the dilution and alcohol. For an alcohol-based perfume, you should only need to shake it one time to mix the dilution with the alcohol. Make sure the cap is secured tightly before you shake the bottle! If you’re using a clear bottle, you should be able to see that the liquid is one uniform color when it’s completely combined.

Spray the perfume and adjust the scent by adding oils if necessary. Test the perfume by spraying it into the air or onto a piece of paper. Let it dry for 10 seconds before smelling it, and then add 3-5 additional drops of oil to the bottle if the scent isn’t strong enough. If you’re happy with the scent, you can start using your perfume immediately!

Store the bottle in a cool, dark place. Since sunlight can break down essential oils, causing them to lose their pleasant scent, you should always store your perfume out of direct light. Place it on a shelf in the medicine cabinet, cupboard, or inside of a drawer to protect your new scent. If stored properly, your perfume will last indefinitely. If it starts to lose its smell, add a few more drops of oils to “refresh” to perfume.

Oil-Based Perfume

Use a rollerball jar for easier application. Oil-based perfumes can clog spray bottles, so it’s best to use a rollerball jar for easy application. Luckily, rollerballs allow you to target your scent in specific areas, like your wrists or neck area, making for a more muted and subtle scent. If you want a more pronounced scent, you can use the rollerball to apply the scent in multiple spots on your body.

Add the jojoba and fractionated coconut oil to the jar. Use a funnel to pour ⁄2 fluid ounce (15 mL) of jojoba oil and ⁄2 fluid ounce (15 mL) of fractionated coconut oil into the bottom of the container. Be sure to measure your ingredients before adding them to the jar, as too much carrier oil can dilute the essential oils. You can find jojoba and fractionated coconut oil at most specialty grocery or health stores. It’s important to use the fractionated version of coconut oil because it stays in a liquid form, rather than solidifying.

Put 20-25 drops of essential oils into the container. Use a dropper or pipette to carefully add the essential oils to the jar. Be sure to balance your oils carefully to prevent the perfume from becoming too strong. The essential oils will float on top of the other oils when you first put them in the jar.

Replace the rollerball cap and shake the jar. Screw the rollerball lid on tightly to prevent leaks. Then, shake the jar and invert it for about 30 seconds to combine the oils thoroughly. Depending on the types of essential oils that you use, your oils might separate after sitting for a bit. Be sure to shake your perfume each time before you use it.

Test the perfume on your arm, and adjust the scent if needed. Roll the ball of the jar on your wrist and wait 10 seconds for it to dry. Then, smell the scent and add 3-5 more drops of oils if you want to make the scent stronger. Keep in mind that most people won’t be able to smell the perfume unless they’re close to your body. If you want people to be able to smell it, apply the perfume to more places on your body, like your arms, chest, and behind your ears. If you want a more subtle scent, add 5-10 drops of jojoba or fractionated coconut oil.

Store the jar in a cool spot out of direct sunlight. To keep your perfume smelling fresh, keep it in a medicine cabinet or drawer. If you’re carrying it around, be sure to keep it in a pocket of your bag out of the sunlight. If your rollerball is a dark color, like blue or brown, it’s safe to keep it on the counter for short periods of time. Oil-based perfumes should last 6 months-1 year. If your perfume starts to lose its scent, pour it out and make a new batch.

Choosing Essential Oils

Pick oils derived from flowers to make a floral-scented perfume. If you find yourself drawn to the smell of a particular flower, use essential oils from that flower! You can blend the oils with other complementary oils, like sandalwood, bergamot, or vanilla, to make a multi-note scent. Popular floral blends include lavender and bergamot, lilac and ylang ylang, or geranium and sandalwood. For a perfume with a single scent, choose a strong floral oil, like rose, lavender, or jasmine.

Choose some citrus oils for an energizing perfume. Lemon, lime, and orange are all very popular base scents for an energizing citrus perfume. These scents are versatile, and can be paired with floral scents, herbal scents, or other citrus scents. Popular citrus blends include lemon and ginger, orange and cardamom, or lime and basil. Keep in mind that citrus oils tend to be very strong, so combining more than 2 can be overwhelming.

Use herbal scents to make a crisp, clean scent. Scents like chamomile, basil, mint, rosemary, and clove create a fresh, Earthy-smelling perfume. They’re great for mixing with florals, citrus, and musky scents to incorporate notes of the outdoors. Herbal oil blends of chamomile and vanilla, basil and mint, rosemary and bergamot, and sage pear are all very popular.

Incorporate musky or “warm” scents for an alluring smell. Oils like ginger tuberose, neroli, patchouli, jasmine, and cedarwood are all considered musky scents, which are both strong and sweet. They can conjure up particular memories, or be very pungent. Vanilla and cedarwood, amber and patchouli, neroli and orange, and tuberose and gardenia are all popular oil blends for a musky perfume. Musky scents are considered very sensual, so if you’re looking for a perfume for an upcoming date, make one using these oils!