Aromatherapy and Essential Oils Promote Health and Well-Being, Balance & Harmony of Body, Mind, and Spirit

Details: Category: Aromatherapy; Last Updated: 20 December 2023

Bottles Filled with Aromatherapy Perfume. — Use Aromatherapy Essential Oils as a Delicate Perfume

Crafting Your Signature Scent: The Art of Homemade Aromatherapy Perfumes

If you have spent time learning about essential oils, you may have realized that they smell amazing and offer some fantastic benefits. The natural essences of fruits, spices, and flowers can improve your mood and well-being in many ways- they can make you feel happy, calm you down after a stressful day, help your mental focus, and much more.

One unique way to enjoy essential oils is to make aromatherapy perfumes. Using essential oils to copy your favorite commercial scent or create a unique blend is surprisingly easy. When you make your recipes based on commercial scents, you can use more of your favorite fragrances to make a perfume scent uniquely you. Whatever recipe you try, use pure essential oils, as fragrance oils may be partially or fully artificial and won't have the same benefits.

Discover how the natural essences of fruits, flowers, and spices delight the senses and enhance your mood and well-being. In this guide, we'll explore how you can create your unique aromatherapy perfume, blending the mystique of fragrance with the therapeutic benefits of essential oils.

Essential Oil Selection

The first step in crafting your perfume is selecting essential oils. Consider their scent profiles - citrus, floral, woodsy, etc. - and therapeutic properties. For instance, lavender is for relaxation, citrus is for uplifting, and sandalwood is for grounding. Understanding the synergy between oils is key to creating a balanced and harmonious blend.

Blending Techniques

Perfumery is an art that balances top, middle, and base notes to create a lasting fragrance. The top notes are the initial scent impression, the middle notes form the perfume's heart, and the base notes provide depth - experiment with different combinations, considering each oil's unique evaporation rate and intensity.

Safety and Dilution Guidelines

Dilute essential oils in a carrier oil or alcohol base to ensure they're safe to apply to the skin. Common dilution ratios range from 1% to 5% of essential oil in the total blend. Always perform a patch test to check for skin reactions.

Alcohol vs. Oil-Based Perfumes

To make an aromatherapy perfume, choose an appropriate base. Most perfumes have some alcohol as their base. If you want to use an alcohol base, your best choice is plain, unflavored, and unscented vodka, which is commonly available and usually inexpensive. You can also use rubbing alcohol.

You can also dilute your fragrance in a carrier oil, such as almond, jojoba, apricot kernel oil, or similar. When practicing with a blend, use a less expensive carrier oil (like almond oil), then switch to a more expensive oil (such as jojoba, which is excellent for the skin) when you are happy with it.

Alcohol-Based Perfumes: These have a more robust scent and evaporate quickly, leaving the fragrance to linger. Use a high-proof, unscented vodka as your base, and allow the perfume to mature for several weeks for optimal fragrance development.
Oil-Based Perfumes: Carrier oils like jojoba or almond oil offer a more subtle scent and nourish the skin. They're perfect for roll-on perfumes and longer-lasting fragrances.

Personalization Tips

Creating a signature scent is a deeply personal process. Start with a base recipe and modify it by adding or removing oils based on your scent preference. Consider seasonal ingredients for a summer refresh or a cozy winter scent.

Advanced Techniques and Tools

Use precise tools like droppers and blending bottles for accurate measurements. Testing your perfume on perfume strips can help you understand how the scent evolves over time. Store your perfumes in dark glass bottles to preserve their integrity.

Recreating Your Favorite Perfume with Essential Oil Scents

You can mimic a favorite fragrance when blending a scent or use one of the recipes below if it interests you. One of my favorite commercial fragrances contains the essences of orange, jasmine, and rose blended with musk, sandalwood, and patchouli notes. Consider the therapeutic benefits when choosing essential oils for a personal blend.

If I were to recreate my favorite perfume with essential oils, it would be something like this:

Orange: Besides its warming effect, orange essential oil is reputed to boost mood and energy levels. It's often used in aromatherapy to alleviate symptoms of mild anxiety and to create a cheerful atmosphere.
Jasmine: Jasmine is renowned for its potential to soothe the nervous system, making it a popular essential oil for dealing with emotional distress. It's also used to enhance libido and balance hormones.
Rose: Rose oil may help ease feelings of sadness and anxiety and is known for its skin-enhancing properties.
Sandalwood: Often used in meditation for its grounding properties, sandalwood can promote mental clarity and relaxation. Its aphrodisiac qualities make it a popular choice in romantic blends.
Patchouli: Patchouli is often used in aromatherapy for its mood-lifting and grounding effects. It's also known to help in relieving fatigue and supporting recovery from addiction.
Musk: Musk naturally occurs in deer glands. You can substitute with Ambrette seed to simulate a musk scent.
Ambrette Seed: Essential oil is used for its woody, musky scent in aromatherapy perfumes. Ambrette is also said to lift depression, reduce anxiety, and act as an aphrodisiac. Like musk, ambrette seed oil is believed to have antidepressant and aphrodisiac properties. It's also used for its anxiety-reducing effects.

I have created a few aromatherapy perfumes from essential oils. One scent is warmer or heavier, and I typically use it for winter months. Another has more jasmine, sandalwood, and ambrette seed.

One of my favorite perfume recipes has additional patchouli oil. The scent of patchouli reminds me to relax and enjoy. This particular blend also has more rose, jasmine, and orange. When trying to lose weight (or when a friend was trying to quit smoking), I use more jasmine and patchouli to fight addictions and ambrette seed to stimulate the adrenal glands.

Aromatherapy Perfume Recipes

Trying out new aromatherapy recipes is fun, and many aromatherapy perfume recipes with essential oils are possible. They leave you feeling warm and happy like you've escaped on a journey to an exotic land. Try one for yourself, give another as a gift, and discover the scents of health and happiness!

Note: If you use an essential oil or carrier for the first time, do a patch test on your skin to check for sensitivity before using it in any recipe. Everyone has different reactions to different essential oils.

Base Recipe for Essential Oil Blends (Below)

1 tablespoon of alcohol (rubbing alcohol or vodka) or your favorite carrier oil
12 drops of essential oil or a mixture of oils (you can use less essential oil, but not more)

Add essential oil to the carrier oil one drop at a time, and shake the mixture after adding each drop. If you want to make more perfume at a time, keep the essential oil to carrier solution ratio constant. For example, if you make a solution using 1/4 cup of rubbing alcohol, vodka, or carrier oil, add 48 drops of essential oil to the carrier solution.