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How to make perfumeby ChrysN on November 2, 2008
Table of Contents
License: Attribution Non-commercial Share Alike (by-nc-sa) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Intro: How to make perfume . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
step 1: What you need: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
step 2: Preparing bottles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
step 3: Add the alcohol . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
step 4: A note about scents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
step 5: Add you scents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
step 6: Let it age . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
step 7: Add water and glycerine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
step 8: Finishing up . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
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Advertisements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Comments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-make-perfume/
License: Attribution Non-commercial Share Alike (by-nc-sa)
Intro: How to make perfumeWhy spend a fortune on perfume or cologne when you can make your own for cheap. Brand name perfume/cologne can cost from $50-100, why spend that much whenyou can create your own fragrance with vodka and essential oils.
Instead of wearing a fragrance that everyone else wears you can make your own unique blend. Your own aromatic creations also makes a thoughtful gift.
Image Notes1. Make your own perfume Image Notes
1. Ouch! Yes this is how much I paid for this Angel perfume. Well not any more.
step 1: What you need:Ingredients:
Vodka (the higher percentage alcohol the better) or Everclear if you can get itEssential oils*, fragrance oils**, infused oils, even flavour*** extracts (make sure it's pure) such as vanilla extractdistilled or spring waterglycerine
Other stuff
pretty glass bottles to put the finished product in, preferably coloured glass, reuse bottles or find them at the dollar store.glass jar for mixing fragrance inmeasuring cup/spoonsa dropper if you have onefunnelaluminum foil or wrapping paper if you are using clear glass bottlesa pencil and paper for jotting down your recipea discerning nose is helpful
*You can also make your own perfume oil Be a Romantic Scientist: Distill your own perfume oil.
**Fragrance oils are synthetic and are less expensive than essential oils.
***Quite a few perfumes use food flavours in them, so extracts are an easy way of incorporating them into your own creations.
http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-make-perfume/
Image Notes1. Spring water.2. Vodka.3. Glycerine4. Measuring cup.5. Essential/fragrance oils.6. Glass bottles for the final product.7. Infused oil, which I made and someday hope to do an instructable about.8. Jar for making up your perfume.9. Can you tell in which country I live?
Image Notes1. Vanilla extract. Pure extract is better, since it is just water, alcohol and thesource.
step 2: Preparing bottlesSterilize the bottles and jars in the dish washer, especially if you are reusing bottles. They need to be clean and sterile.
http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-make-perfume/
Image Notes1. My dishwasher.
Image Notes1. Pretty bottles, used and dollar store finds.
step 3: Add the alcoholMeasure 1/4 cup of vodka/Everclear and pour into jar.
Image Notes1. 1/4cup
http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-make-perfume/
step 4: A note about scentsI've included a few words about scents, if you want to launch right into concocting your perfume skip ahead to the next step.
Notes:In perfumes the fragrance can be divided into three different notes depending on when they arise.
Top note: The initial scent when you put the perfume on, then disappears, they include; lemon, orange, grapefruit, lime, bergamot, spearmint, peppermint and others.
Middle note: This scent appears just after the top note disappears. Scents like; coriander, palmarosa, marjoram, basil, rosemary, rose geranium, pettitgrain, lavender andothers.
Base note: This appears after the middle note and is the base of the perfume, they include; patchouli, vetiver, frankincense, cedarwood, sandalwood and others.
When you are mixing your perfume start by adding your base notes, then middle then your top notes.
Families:Scents can be divided into different families such as floral, oriental, woody and fresh (such as citrus, etc) See wheel below. This is lovely but why do we need to knowthis? When you are mixing your perfume,adding scents from neighboring families creates harmony in you perfume.
Brand name perfume/cologneThere is a website which identifies the different components of brand name fragrances, so if you would like make an imitation of your favorite perfume/cologne check itout; basenotes Fragrance directory
For example:Obsession Fragrance Notes
Top Notes
Mandarin, Bergamot, Jasmine, Rose, Orange Blossoms.
Middle Notes
Coriander, Tagete, Armoise.
Base Notes
Amber, Oakmoss.
Some of these scents may be a bit hard to find. (?armoise)
AromatherapyAromatherapy involves using scents to affect mood and well being, if you would like to consider this when blending your fragrance, check out Aromatherapy for EmotionalWell-Being
Men's CologneGuys, don't feel left out, try scents from the woody or fresh families to make a nice manly cologne.
Image Notes1. These are good scents to try for men's cologne.
http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-make-perfume/
step 5: Add you scentsThis is where the magic begins...
Add approximately 25 drops of essential/fragrance oil.
Take one scent ;
add a few dropsswirlsmelladd more or continue onwrite down the oil and number of drops
Take the next scent and repeat as above until you have added the approximate number of drops. Feel free to add more or less to create the desired fragrance.
If you are just starting out and don't know which scents to try. You can divided the alcohol into smaller volumes and try different combination, experiment, be creative,have fun with it.
Image Notes1. Don't forget to write it down, if you want to recreate it.2. Add.
Image Notes1. Swirl, then smell.
Image Notes1. Add2. See, I added 4 drops. Image Notes
1. Swirl, then smell.
http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-make-perfume/
Image Notes1. Add
Image Notes1. Swirl, then smell.
Image Notes1. I love rose!2. Add Image Notes
1. Swirl, then smell.
Image Notes1. Add
http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-make-perfume/
Image Notes1. Swirl, then smell.
step 6: Let it ageOnce you are happy with the fragrance that you've created it is time to let it age. Place it in a cool dark location for a minimum of 48 hours, up to a month.
Aging your fragrance allows the scents to mingle, and also become stronger. Once you have aged your fragrance for the desired length of time, smell it again, themingling may have changed the overall scent, so feel free to add a few more drops of scent to tweak it (don't forget you will need to age it again, if more scent wasadded).
Image Notes1. Ready to age.
Image Notes1. Cool, dark spot.
step 7: Add water and glycerineNow that the fragrance is ready, it needs to be diluted.
Add 2 tablespoons of distilled/spring water. If you are making a perfume spray, add more water.Add approximately 5 drops of glycerine, this helps preserve the fragrance.
http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-make-perfume/
Image Notes1. Add 2 tablespoons water, or more if you want a perfume spray.
Image Notes1. Add 5 drops glycerine.
step 8: Finishing upPour the perfume into your bottle, use a funnel if you need to. If you are using clear bottles, you will need to cover them with aluminum foil or wrapping paper (yourfragrance needs to be protected from the light or it will go off).Add a label, decorate it, give it a fancy name and be happy that you saved a lot of money!
Image Notes1. Pour.
Image Notes1. I'm sure you can make a nicer label than mine.
http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-make-perfume/
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Comments50 comments Add Comment view all 54 comments
stephenniall says: Aug 18, 2009. 9:49 PM REPLYis here another thing i can use than vodka as im under 18 and cant get hold of it lol !
ChrysN says: Aug 18, 2009. 10:19 PM REPLYYou can use (and buy yourself) rubbing alcohol but it may have a smell of it's own which may overpower the perfume.
mgalyean says: Nov 29, 2010. 5:41 AM REPLY<dad mode>The adult in me has to add for the minor's sake: If you buy rubbing alcohol, do not drink it ! it can kill you as it converts to acetone in your bodycausing horrible pain, liver damage, and perhaps death. But you probably already knew this because of D.A.R.E., getting A's in science, or talkingwith the wayward guys in shop class.</dad mode>
ChrysN says: Nov 29, 2010. 5:38 PM REPLYThat is a good point, thanks for mentioning it.
cynxC says: Nov 11, 2010. 12:12 PM REPLYWhen you say vodka do you mean the drinking kind coz i read somewhere the alcohol used in perfumery is ethanol.is ethanol in the drinking vodka?canethanol be obtained or purchased online?what is the highest alcohol substitute to ethanol?thanks for the post
dudaott says: Nov 28, 2010. 10:22 AM REPLYDear cynxC!
The ethanol usually used in perfumery is known as grain alcohol, `cause it's obtained from cereal grains. It's chosen because it is odorless. A good vodkais as good as the grain alcohol purchased for perfumery. Hope it clears some of your doubts.
Best Regards. Dudaott
ChrysN says: Nov 11, 2010. 12:48 PM REPLYEthanol is in drinking alcohol such as vodka, wine, beer etc. The highest proof drinking alcohol you can get is everclear. Though it is not availableeverywhere. Here is a link I found for buying ethanol, though I haven't ordered it from there myself: http://secure.sciencecompany.com/Ethyl-Alcohol-Anhydrous-AKA-Ethanol-16oz-P6658C670.aspx.
chriskarr says: Nov 28, 2008. 7:39 PM REPLYYour 'infused oil' seems to look quite a lot like travel-sized whiskey.
ChrysN says: Nov 29, 2008. 11:39 AM REPLYActually it was rum, it's a handy bottle to reuse for other things, like some infused oil that I made.
chriskarr says: Nov 29, 2008. 1:02 PM REPLYYes, but the liquid in it even looks like alcohol.
http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-make-perfume/
concept gage says: Oct 13, 2010. 5:46 PM REPLYhow do u do it?
ChrysN says: Oct 13, 2010. 7:00 PM REPLYHere is how to make infused oil: http://www.ehow.com/how_5222827_make-herbal-oil-infusion.html
It suggests using olive oil, but you can use other oils such as jojoba, grapeseed, sweet almond oil.
concept gage says: Oct 13, 2010. 7:16 PM REPLYare you on line now?
CherylTX says: May 9, 2009. 5:31 PM REPLYGreat instructable! Thanks for putting it out there! Can't wait to get started.
concept gage says: Oct 13, 2010. 5:43 PM REPLYHi,nice to meet you.plc have you got something started and how is it going?.I may want to need your help plc
lotusduck says: Nov 4, 2008. 6:48 AM REPLYGlycerin is possible to get for free, because it is a byproduct of making biodiesel. In Minnesota there's a listing for free glycerin on www.mnexchange.orghowever any biodiesel producer creates glycerin and I'm not sure if they all have something to do with it. I don't know for sure if that glycerin is food grade orsafe for human skin, but since it's created after the oil has been filtered I would guess that it is.
nicochan says: Dec 15, 2008. 2:38 AM REPLYsucks for me though, I'm allergic to glycerin. :(
naturesmagick says: Oct 13, 2010. 7:57 AM REPLYI make perfume currently as a profession and the best oil is jojoba oil (from ebay or likewise) you can use others such as coconut,olive oil,peachkernel,apricot,grapeseed,poppy etc,Jojoba oil has a long shelf life and is neutral and has skin softening properties, It also doesn't discolour as much as other oils throughout time.
ymagination says: Jul 14, 2010. 10:58 AM REPLYYou can use any baby-oil is good for your skin. Glycerin is odorless, so wont affect your perfume. If you use baby oil, most of them come aromatized.Try finding one that´s scenless (or with very little smell). Glycerin or baby oil, wont make your perfume last longer, what they actually do is increasethe evaporation time (making the mixture evaporate in a longer period of time). The more glycerin you use, the longer the smell will last, but, also, thegrasier you will feel aplying it... I use to buy essences already mixed. For instance, I use 10 ml of XS scent (imitation, ofcourse) and mix it up with 340ml of Cereal Alcohol (98°). Some mixes will be almost transparent, so, if you wanna give some color to it, just dip a PILOT tip in it for 2 secs, shake,and voila! Glycerin or baby oil shold be about 10 ml per half liter alcohol... Good Luck!!
ChrysN says: Dec 15, 2008. 4:19 PM REPLYYou can probably do without the glycerine, it's added to make the perfume last longer, but you could make it up in smaller quantities.
ChrysN says: Nov 4, 2008. 4:08 PM REPLYWow, free, that's good to know, thanks for the tip.
mc thumbs says: May 30, 2010. 5:27 AM REPLY This dude saved my back ;)
theduffster says: May 8, 2010. 7:23 PM REPLYWow! This is awesome, and I can't wait to get started. But I was curious, what is glycerin, and where is it in the stores? Thank you! <3
ChrysN says: May 8, 2010. 10:06 PM REPLYGlycerin helps keep the oils and water mixed and preserves the fragrance. I found mine in a pharmacy.
http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-make-perfume/
94 says: May 8, 2010. 10:08 AM REPLY Could we use Kiteman's method of creating sent oils for your perfume?
ChrysN says: May 8, 2010. 2:58 PM REPLYYou sure can, most store bought scent oils are extracted through distillation.
94 says: May 8, 2010. 7:09 PM REPLY Well that makes things cheaper! Cool, I would like to make my own cologne and my girlfriend perfume.
SB1124 says: Sep 1, 2009. 4:09 PM REPLYThanks so much for posting this - I can't wait to give it a try! Just wondering if you've tried making perfume in an oil base rather than alcohol???? I waswondering if I took the dried ingredients and added them to some warm oil (maybe almond oil) - let them steep for a while and strain. Just thought this mightmake a longer lasting fragrance.
ChrysN says: Sep 1, 2009. 4:28 PM REPLYHi, I have tried this, I guess you would call it an infused oil. I don't think the fragrance is as strong, but it may last longer.
Killin Idea says: Dec 21, 2009. 7:22 PM REPLYthis is because the evaporation point of alcohol is much lower than that of oil. so ou smell more of it.
mikebook says: Dec 16, 2009. 7:53 PM REPLY A very good crash course in scent theory. Many people don't realize that scents effect as much as colors do. As a note of pure semantics, however, mencan also wear perfume, and ladies can wear cologne. The names of the scents aren't divided by what gender they are intended for, but by their form of scentand their origins. Colognes are so named because they are often slightly woody scents based in the wood and fruit of oranges used in the first Eau deCologne which was named after the creators hometown of Cologne, Germany. So men, don't feel limited at all in your scent palettes. While our society mostclosely associates fresh and woody scents with masculinity, your options are not limited to these traditional cologne scents.
DanEhlke says: Sep 14, 2009. 9:31 AM REPLYI'm having trouble getting my essential oils to mix with the alcohol; the oil just sits on the top. . . . . . any suggestions?
ChrysN says: Sep 14, 2009. 6:21 PM REPLYOil and alcohol won't mix, however I believe the scent does. Just good shake before you spray on the perfume.
cbrown222 says: Jul 8, 2009. 3:59 PM REPLYhow would you get a good guys cologne scent?
ChrysN says: Jul 8, 2009. 5:01 PM REPLYYour best bet would be woody or citrus scents. Here is a link for essential oils for men http://www.aromaweb.com/essentialoils/essentialoilsformen.asp.(Sorry, I've only made perfume for women so I don't have any recipes for you.)
illdoyourdrugs says: May 10, 2009. 7:26 PM REPLYNice work here chief. I just might do this one if the price is right. Where is a good place to purchase oils, fragrance...etc
ChrysN says: May 10, 2009. 10:28 PM REPLYMy local grocery store actually sells them, which seems a bit unusual, you can probably find them at natural food stores, you know the ones that sellherbal stuff. There is also a store in the mall where I live, called Sage that sells aromatherapy stuff, with a wide selection of essential oils. The internet isalways a good place to buy stuff too.
illdoyourdrugs says: May 11, 2009. 9:38 AM REPLYRight i figured all that but thought maybe you had a good priced online source. I noticed walmart had a nice little selection for a reasonable price. Ithink thats going to be my best bet. I noticed a wikihow article that very similar to your instructable. Is that where you got the idea from?
porcupinemamma says: May 9, 2009. 7:32 PM REPLYYour instructable is excellent! I found your work very interesting and I have always wondered how I could make a "signature' fragrance". Wow! really kind ofyou to share your knowledge :0) Thanks
http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-make-perfume/
ChrysN says: May 9, 2009. 8:29 PM REPLYThanks, I like the idea of having a signature fragrance, rather then a store bought scent.
djsc says: Mar 23, 2009. 4:14 AM REPLYcan you use surgical spirit/ rubbing alcohol in place of the vodka? I think higher alcohol content is better for taking up the scent- especially as I would like tosteep things directly into the alcohol since essential oils are expensive. does surgical alcohol smell?
ChrysN says: Mar 23, 2009. 4:21 PM REPLYRubbing alcohol has a slightly stronger scent then vodka, but yes it has a higher alcohol content and is less expensive, but I'm sure when you add thescents, you wouldn't notice it. It is meant to be used topically so I don't see a problem with using it for perfume. Steeping things directly in the alcohol is agreat idea, that would be like a tincture, essential oils are rather pricey.
djsc says: Mar 24, 2009. 7:35 AM REPLYthanks, The biggest problem with the essential oils is you need to sniff them first to know what you will end up with right? this way I can use spices- Ihave made vanilla flavouring before with some vanilla pods chopped and soaked in vodka- smells quite strong.
djsc says: Mar 25, 2009. 1:36 PM REPLYI bought some surgical spirit-it smells like deep heat! additives imparting the smell obviously. Stick to the Vodka.
ChrysN says: Mar 25, 2009. 5:48 PM REPLYI guess the additives are to prevent people from drinking it.
nightninja87 says: Nov 14, 2008. 9:22 PM REPLYhey great ible i was wondering could anyone give me the amounts for curve chill or curve thank you
ChrysN says: Nov 15, 2008. 3:02 PM REPLYSorry, I haven't tried making curve, I guess that's the tricky part, knowing how much of each oil to use.
nightninja87 says: Nov 15, 2008. 7:42 PM REPLYits ok but i thought someone might know how to do it i wish there was another site that tells you how many drops
mg0930mg says: Nov 4, 2008. 9:50 AM REPLYGood Job! I will use that website, to make my own curve!
Kiteman says: Nov 3, 2008. 11:50 AM REPLYNice project, and thanks for the link!
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