Have you ever made your own perfume? You can easily make a roll-on perfume oil by combining essential oils with a carrier base oil. It doesn’t cost very much, can be a great gift for the holidays, or can be an inexpensive way to make your own signature scent.
Perfume Oil Project
Several years ago, my sister and I owned an herbal gift shop, and making your own perfume was one of the classes we taught. Back then, jojoba oil was considered the premier carrier oil. It is actually a wax and is said to last for years. Recently though, I have heard and read that fractionated coconut oil is another great carrier with a long shelf life. For this perfume oil project I will be using Fractionated Coconut Oil
The essential oils vary in price, but you can easily find some to fit your budget. In addition to smelling great, essentials give you the added bonus of providing aromatherapy for your mind and body. Some essential oils, such as lavender, are great for relaxation, whereas grapefruit is very energizing.
Fun project idea: Invite your friends over. Have each person bring a different essential oil that you can all share. You provide the roll-on bottles, the carrier oil and the wine.
The Recipe
What You Need
1/3 oz. carrier oil (jojoba oil
approx. 20 drops of essential oil
1- 10ml Roll on Bottles
plastic or glass Eye Dropper
- Start with one or two drops of your base note. This is the strongest and will dominate the others.
- Add a little more of the middle note – swirl and sniff.
- Then add five or six drops of the top note – swirl, sniff and adjust.
- Finish with the carrier oil.
The Details
To make my own “Garden Matter Blend,” I used bergamot oil
For my middle note I used lavender. The middle note is also known as the heart note, as it is considered the heart of the fragrance since it shows up once the top note has evaporated and lasts longer than the top note. The middle note is more mellow and well-rounded. Lavender and rose are typical middle note oils.
I chose patchouli as my base note. Base notes are the scents that linger the longest. Okay, I’m sure some of you are thinking, “patchouli?” It is reminiscent of the 70s and incense. However, I think of it more like onions and garlic in the cooking world. Alone they are very pungent and not so nice, but mixed with other foods, they are the stars that make the dish.
Here is a sample list of essential oils and whether they are top, middle or base notes. There are no rules. Have fun and play with them. Dab the oil at your pulse points (behind the ear, knee and inside of wrist). See how they wear after a time.
Top
Basil
Bergamot
Grapefruit
Eucalyptus
Lemon
Lime
Orange
Peppermint
Middle
Chamomile
Fennel
Geranium
Lavender
Marjoram
Rosemary
Rose
Base
Cedarwood
Frankincense
Jasmine
Myrrh
Patchouli
Sandalwood
Ylang Ylang
Free Label Template
I made a label to use with Microsoft Word. They print on standard mailing labels Avery 5160 2 ⅝” x 1”. You can change the color and the text to suit your needs. Test on paper first. Mine needed to be two inches, so I skewed the text left so I could cut them down to fit the bottle. Then I added some washi tape on the sides for decoration. click here to download the template
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Coral Winkworth says
Thanks for sharing the Perfume Oil recipe. It sounds great and I am going to try making it to see how it turns out. I will keep you updated once I do my test run. Thanks again and I love your website. Keep up the good work.
Patti says
Hi Coral,
I’m so glad you like the perfume oil. Testing it is half the fun. I’d love to hear how it works for you. Thanks for stopping by.
Patti
Gillian says
Hello
I am an aromatherapist and I have just bought some rollerball bottles. I would like to try making a blend of perfume using pure rose oil. Any suggestions which two other oils would blend nicely with rose? I would appreciate your comments x
Patti says
Hi Gillian,
As an aromatherapist you may know a lot more than I but here are my two cents. I believe rose is a nice middle note which to me means that it is not the first one you will smell and not the last one. I believe it is known to blend with many oils so good choice. Going from there traditionally you may want to pick a lighter top note like a citrus and a heavier base note like ylang ylang. Of course, it all depends on your taste. Rose oil is expensive and if you want that fragrance to stand out use more or consider skipping the base note. Hope that helps and that you find the perfect mix.
Krystle says
What size bottle did you use? I can’t wait to smell this blend.
Thank you!
Patti says
Krystle,
It’s a standard 10 ml size. I should have included it in the post. Thanks for pointing it out.
Patti
Robert says
Hello, I’m planning to make my own perfume oil but may I know how long does the scent last and is it as strong as the typical perfume we purchase in stores? Thank you!
Patti Estep says
Hi Robert,
It really depends on the oils you use. If you look at the list of oils I have given you a sample of top, middle and base notes. The base notes will last the longest. I would say in my experience that the oil perfume is not quite as strong as commercial but may last just as long, but again it depends on the perfume and the perfume. Have fun experimenting!
Robert says
Oh… but can the scent be detected by others easily or is it just a slight whiff? I was thinking of making a blend that smells woody + spicy (since it might be stronger/ more condensed), may I know which scent would you recommend to use as the base note? Anw thanks so much for the reply!
Patti Estep says
In my opinion the scent is usually subtle not strong. You probably wouldn’t notice it when you walk past someone. Most of the time you notice it close up for example in an embrace.
For a woody spicy scent you may want to try cedarwood for the base note. Black pepper could be a good choice but I believe its more of a middle note. It all depends on your preference and how they smell on you so you’ll want to experiment but that half the fun.
Ria says
How can yo make lavender oil from your laven der plant.
Patti Estep says
True essential oil from a lavender plant is a huge process called distillation. You can make a hydrosol or a floral water pretty easily with your lavender plant. This would be used as a body spray or linen spray. Here’s a post I wrote a while ago about floral hydrosols.
https://hearthandvine.com/make-your-own-hydrosol/