Simple Perfume Recipes

Basic Recipes to Make Perfume Fragrances from Essential Oils

Feb 2, 2010
Genevieve Kiger

Essential Oil Blends are the Basis of Perfumery - wendati

Making personalized perfumes using essential oils can be a true pleasure, whether they be for yourself or intended for others as gifts.

Essential oils can be used for much more than as therapeutic oils through aromatherapy; among other things, they can be combined simply for their fragrance and scents. These essential oil blends can then be added to lotions, moisturizers, and similar aromatherapy products, or used to create perfume. Unlike therapeutic essential oil uses, perfumery is much more of an art than a science, and involves much more trial and error to perfect.

Creating Perfume from Essential Oil Blends

For a more detailed overview of the steps involved in turning essential oil blends into perfumes, see Basics of Making Personal Perfume Fragrances, or read on for a few essential oil blends to try.

In quick summary, for a typical perfume solution, multiply the given perfume oil recipes as needed to reach about 10% of the final amount of perfume desired (this can vary anywhere from 1% up to 40% according to desired strength). Approximately 10% (varies from less that 5% to 30%, depending on the strength) of the final mixture will be water, and the remainder alcohol.

Add the essential oils to the alcohol, and allow to sit anywhere from 48 hours to a month; then either filter the mixture and add the water, or allow it to remain unfiltered when adding the water. The decision whether to filter or not seems to be a personal one, though larger quantities or finished perfume, or formulas that will not be used quickly, should probably be filtered to prevent the oil residues from solidifying over time. To filter, simply run the alcohol and oil mixture through a paper coffee filter.

Adding Essential Oil Fragrance Blends to Moisturizers

To create scented lotion or moisturizer, the amount of essential oil required is much less. Each recipe is enough to fragrance 1-2 oz. of unscented lotion or oil base; simply combine the essential oils to the base lotion or oil.

Citrus Flower

10 drops Bergamot
10 d. Lemon
2 d. Rosemary
2 d. Orange
2 d. Neroli

India Spice

6 d. Sandalwood
5 d. Rose
2 d. Lemon
2 d. Coriander

Antique Romance

12 d. Patchouli
3 d. Geranium
2 d. Ylang-ylang
1 d. Cinnamon

Country Garden

4 d. Rose
2 d. Lemon
2 d. Orange
2 d. Bergamot
1 d. Basil
1 d. Neroli
1 d. Petitgraine

Citrus Spice Cologne

4 d. Bergamot
4 d. Lemon
4 d. Orange
2 d. Rosemary
2 d. Petitgraine
1 d. Rose

Fresh and Flowery

10 d. Palmarosa
8 d. Orange
3 d. Petitgraine
2 d. Lime
1 d. Geranium

Lovely and Lively

9 d. Grapefruit
5 d. Clary Sage
3 d. Geranium

Exotic Arbor

12 d. Rosewood
6 d. Ylang-ylang
2 d. Jasmine

Overview of Carrier Oils - this articles gives basic profiles of 18 of the more common carrier oils used in aromatherapy
Choosing the Right Moisturizer - discusses just what a moisturizer is and how it works, and compares various options for moisturizing, including creating your own

Genevieve Kiger, Sarah Freeland Simonson

Genevieve Kiger - Genevieve is passionate about all manner of natural subjects; herbs, herbalism, aromatherapy, and general natural health and body care.