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How to make perfume

by 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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http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-make-perfume/
License: Attribution Non-commercial Share Alike (by-nc-sa)

Intro: How to make perfume

Why 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 when
you 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 Notes
1. 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 it
Essential oils*, fragrance oils**, infused oils, even flavour*** extracts (make sure it's pure) such as vanilla extract
distilled or spring water
glycerine

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 in
measuring cup/spoons
a dropper if you have one
funnel
aluminum foil or wrapping paper if you are using clear glass bottles
a pencil and paper for jotting down your recipe
a 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 Notes
1. Spring water.
2. Vodka.
3. Glycerine
4. 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 Notes
1. Vanilla extract. Pure extract is better, since it is just water, alcohol and the
source.

step 2: Preparing bottles

Sterilize 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 Notes
1. My dishwasher.

Image Notes
1. Pretty bottles, used and dollar store finds.

step 3: Add the alcohol

Measure 1/4 cup of vodka/Everclear and pour into jar.

Image Notes
1. 1/4cup

http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-make-perfume/
step 4: A note about scents
I'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 and
others.

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 know
this? When you are mixing your perfume,adding scents from neighboring families creates harmony in you perfume.

Brand name perfume/cologne

There 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 it
out; 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)

Aromatherapy
Aromatherapy involves using scents to affect mood and well being, if you would like to consider this when blending your fragrance, check out Aromatherapy for Emotional
Well-Being

Men's Cologne
Guys, don't feel left out, try scents from the woody or fresh families to make a nice manly cologne.

Image Notes
1. These are good scents to try for men's cologne.

http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-make-perfume/
step 5: Add you scents
This is where the magic begins...

Add approximately 25 drops of essential/fragrance oil.

Take one scent ;

add a few drops

swirl
smell
add more or continue on
write 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 Notes
1. Don't forget to write it down, if you want to recreate it.
2. Add.
Image Notes
1. Swirl, then smell.

Image Notes
1. Add
2. See, I added 4 drops. Image Notes
1. Swirl, then smell.

http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-make-perfume/
 Image Notes
1. Add
Image Notes
1. Swirl, then smell.

Image Notes
1. I love rose!
2. Add Image Notes
1. Swirl, then smell.

Image Notes
1. Add

http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-make-perfume/
 Image Notes
1. Swirl, then smell.

step 6: Let it age

Once 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, the
mingling 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 was
added).

Image Notes
1. Cool, dark spot.

Image Notes
1. Ready to age.

step 7: Add water and glycerine

Now 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 Notes
1. Add 2 tablespoons water, or more if you want a perfume spray.

Image Notes
1. Add 5 drops glycerine.

step 8: Finishing up
Pour 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 (your
fragrance 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 Notes
1. Pour.

Image Notes
1. I'm sure you can make a nicer label than mine.

http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-make-perfume/
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Comments
50 comments Add Comment view all 54 comments

stephenniall says: Aug 18, 2009. 9:49 PM REPLY

is 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 REPLY

You 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 body
causing 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 talking
with the wayward guys in shop class.
</dad mode>

ChrysN says: Nov 29, 2010. 5:38 PM REPLY

That is a good point, thanks for mentioning it.

cynxC says: Nov 11, 2010. 12:12 PM REPLY

When 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?can
ethanol 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 REPLY

Dear 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 vodka
is 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 REPLY

Ethanol is in drinking alcohol such as vodka, wine, beer etc. The highest proof drinking alcohol you can get is everclear. Though it is not available
everywhere. 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 REPLY

Your 'infused oil' seems to look quite a lot like travel-sized whiskey.

ChrysN says: Nov 29, 2008. 11:39 AM REPLY

Actually 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 REPLY

Yes, 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 REPLY
how do u do it?

ChrysN says: Oct 13, 2010. 7:00 PM REPLY

Here 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 REPLY

are you on line now?

CherylTX says: May 9, 2009. 5:31 PM REPLY

Great instructable! Thanks for putting it out there! Can't wait to get started.

concept gage says: Oct 13, 2010. 5:43 PM REPLY

Hi,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 REPLY

Glycerin 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.org
however 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 or
safe 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 REPLY

sucks for me though, I'm allergic to glycerin. :(

naturesmagick says: Oct 13, 2010. 7:57 AM REPLY

I 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,peach
kernel,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 REPLY

You 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 increase
the 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, the
grasier 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 340
ml 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 REPLY

You 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 REPLY

Wow, 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 REPLY

Wow! 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 REPLY

Glycerin 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 REPLY

You 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 REPLY

Thanks 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 was
wondering 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 might
make a longer lasting fragrance.

ChrysN says: Sep 1, 2009. 4:28 PM REPLY

Hi, 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 REPLY

this 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, men
can 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 scent
and 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 de
Cologne 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 most
closely 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 REPLY

I'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 REPLY

Oil 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 REPLY

how would you get a good guys cologne scent?

ChrysN says: Jul 8, 2009. 5:01 PM REPLY

Your 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 REPLY

Nice 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 REPLY

My 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 sell
herbal 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 is
always a good place to buy stuff too.

illdoyourdrugs says: May 11, 2009. 9:38 AM REPLY

Right 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. I
think 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 REPLY

Your instructable is excellent! I found your work very interesting and I have always wondered how I could make a "signature' fragrance". Wow! really kind of
you to share your knowledge :0) Thanks

http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-make-perfume/
 ChrysN says: May 9, 2009. 8:29 PM REPLY
Thanks, I like the idea of having a signature fragrance, rather then a store bought scent.

djsc says: Mar 23, 2009. 4:14 AM REPLY

can 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 to
steep things directly into the alcohol since essential oils are expensive. does surgical alcohol smell?

ChrysN says: Mar 23, 2009. 4:21 PM REPLY

Rubbing 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 the
scents, 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 a
great idea, that would be like a tincture, essential oils are rather pricey.

djsc says: Mar 24, 2009. 7:35 AM REPLY

thanks, 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- I
have made vanilla flavouring before with some vanilla pods chopped and soaked in vodka- smells quite strong.

djsc says: Mar 25, 2009. 1:36 PM REPLY

I 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 REPLY

I guess the additives are to prevent people from drinking it.

nightninja87 says: Nov 14, 2008. 9:22 PM REPLY

hey 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 REPLY

Sorry, 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 REPLY

its 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 REPLY

Good Job! I will use that website, to make my own curve!

Kiteman says: Nov 3, 2008. 11:50 AM REPLY

Nice project, and thanks for the link!

view all 54 comments

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