Making your own natural perfume oil is super easy to do, and so much better for your body than most store-bought brands, which are often pumped full of synthetic fragrances, chemicals, and other toxins. Plus, you can customise it to your preferred scent (which means an opportunity to get creative!)
I recently went to a vegan market with a friend of mine (she was on a mission to find fresh raspberries before they went out of season), and while there I started chatting with one of the ladies selling her own homemade perfume.
I was curious about what she used to make perfume, and why she started making her own in the first place. She shared how in the past, she’d used store-bought perfumes, but she found the specific toxins and chemicals used in the perfumes she was buying were making her really sick, so she decided to start making her own. Ever since she’s noticed considerable improvements in her health.
This began my research into how I, too, could make my own perfume.
The skin is the biggest organ in the body, and whatever we put on it will be absorbed into the bloodstream and carried around the body. Many conventional perfumes contain a lot of chemicals that do not have to be listed on the label. Because of this, there are many toxic chemicals in perfumes that we’re unaware of. What’s more, when spraying the perfume you’re also breathing in these toxins… not good.
Essential oils like jasmine, neroli, patchouli, lavender, rose, bergamot, sandalwood and ylang ylang, have long been used when making perfume. However, as essential oils are quite pricey, some perfume-makers prefer to use cheap copycat synthetic scents instead.
To make your own, all you need are a few essential oils and the right base ingredients, and you’ve got yourself endless perfume possibilities!
How to Make Your Own Perfume
Most perfumes are a mixture of scented oils in an alcohol or carrier oil base. Perfume is made up of three different parts; base fragrances, mid-tones, and top notes.
When smelling a perfume, often the first thing you’ll detect are the top notes, followed by the mid tones and base notes.
When making perfume, you select and add the scents in order from base to top notes.
To give a quick overview of what they are:
- Base notes: These are the final aromas that appear once the other notes have completely evaporated. These blend with the mid tones to create the entirety of your scent. These scents will often last for hours. Some good choices include vanilla, musk, cedarwood, patchouli, vetiver, ylang ylang, sandalwood, frankincense, jasmine, and myrrh.
- Middle notes: This is the “heart of your perfume”, and you’ll often smell them once your top notes have evaporated. These scents will last longer and have a powerful influence on the following base notes. These scents can include lavender, geranium, rose, peony, lemongrass, honeysuckle, cardamom, fennel, pine, chamomile, juniper, and marjoram.
- Top notes: Where your first impression of the fragrance will come from. They’re typically the lightest of all notes and fade the quickest. These scents can include citrus, herbs, light fruits such as berries, cinnamon, bergamot, grapefruit, lemon, tangerine, lime, orange, neroli, and peppermint.
This is one of the recipes I use below, but the key is finding what works for you.
Which scents you prefer, what aromas you love most, what goes well and what doesn’t. It’s all about experimenting and having fun! I recommend adding a few drops at a time of each oil and then keep a note (either on your phone, computer, or in a journal) of how many drops of each you’ve added. Once you’ve discovered your favourite blend and have it written down, you can easily make more of it.
Before we get started in learning how to make this all-natural perfume – if you like what you’re seeing, subscribe to my email newsletter at the bottom of the page to keep up to date on the latest recipes, DIYs, gardening and health tips I share!!
Homemade Natural Perfume Oil
These were the oils I used for each level of fragrance…
Alcohol/Carrier Oil Base:
- If I use alcohol as the base in my perfume recipe, I tend to go with organic gluten-free vodka as it’s pure and there’s no smell to it.
- If I’m using a carrier oil as the base, I’ll often go with jojoba oil, sweet almond oil, or fractionated coconut oil as they hold the scent really well.
Base Oils:
- 3 drops ylang ylang
- 6 drops patchouli
Middle Tones:
- 4 drops lavender
- 4 drops geranium
- 4 drops rose
Top Notes:
- 8 drops sweet orange
- 2 drops bergamot
If you want to try many different oils but are concerned about the expense they might bring, ask a friend who’s really into essential oils if you could borrow some of theirs, or collect some tester samples from the store (as you really only need a little of each).
When making perfume, some things to keep in mind are:
- Use a dark bottle (not transparent or clear) to keep perfume from going rancid over time, or store in a cool, dry place that isn’t exposed to sunlight.
- Make sure the lid is firmly attached to prevent oxidation
- The purer the alcohol, the better
- Test a little of the essential oils on your skin first to ensure no reaction
- Mix the ingredients together in a glass bowl/container to avoid metal or plastic interfering with the scents
- Add base oils first, then the mid notes, followed by the high notes
- Bottle and leave for a month to let the scents meld together before using.
Ingredients:
- 2 tbsp organic gluten-free grain alcohol or vodka
- 3 drops ylang ylang
- 6 drops patchouli
- 4 drops lavender
- 4 drops geranium
- 4 drops rose
- 8 drops sweet orange
- 2 drops bergamot
- Amber glass spray bottle
To make:
- Add the oils and alcohol to a dark glass bottle, then cap tightly and shake to combine. Allow the scents to meld together for at least a month.
- While they’re infusing, store the bottle in a cool, dry, dark place (away from sunlight). This is optional, but helps the alcohol scent fade and the scents of the oils to intensify.
- Shake before each use.
How to make Perfume Last Longer
Keep perfume bottles out of the bathroom. Make sure to apply perfume to the right places; pulse points are the best spots to make it last (due to the warmth of your blood).
For more tips, see my post on how to make perfume last longer.
As always, this is not personal medical advice and we recommend that you talk with your doctor before trying or using any new products. I am not a doctor. All opinions expressed are my own personal thoughts and feelings of the products mentioned. Check with your doctor or health practitioner if you are uncertain about trying out any of the products, recipes or tips mentioned in this post.
What are your favourite scents? Share in the comments below.
Lots of love,
🖤 Vanessa
Sources:
Wells, Katie. (January 23, 2019). DIY Herbal Perfume Recipe. Wellness Mama. Retrieved from https://wellnessmama.com/26194/diy-perfume/
Gale, Ela. (November 24, 2015). Homemade Natural Perfume Recipe – free of nasty chemicals. YouTube. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fvGlsSKaL6w
Gerber, Stephanie. (Updated: February 8, 2021). How To Make Your Own Perfume With Essential Oils (+ 12 Recipe Blends). Hello Glow. Retrieved from https://helloglow.co/essential-oil-perfume/
Pollard, Stephanie. (Updated: May 4, 2021). Make a Fresh Flower Petal Perfume for Mother’s Day. Hello Glow. Retrieved from https://helloglow.co/fresh-flower-petal-perfume/
Gerber, Stephanie. (Updated: July 15, 2021). How to Make Your Own Citrus Sunshine Perfume. Hello Glow. Retrieved from https://helloglow.co/how-to-make-perfume/
Gerber, Stephanie. (December 7, 2020). Make a Homemade Deodorant Spray (That Really Works!). Hello Glow. Retrieved from https://helloglow.co/diy-deodorant-spray/
DIY Natural Perfume Oil. (April 18, 2018). Biome. Retrieved from https://www.biome.com.au/blog/diy-natural-perfume-oil/