Perfume appeals to our emotions and memories. If you want to wear a natural perfume without synthetic substances that are harmful to your health and that reflects your image, you can make it! Learn how to create your own homemade and personalised natural perfume, which will perfectly match your personality and your desires.
What is a homemade perfume made of?
Essential oils for the 3 notes of perfume
A perfume is made of three notes. All perfumes can be broken down into what is known as the olfactory pyramid. Schematically, the notes follow one another in the following order: the top note, the middle note and the base note.
The top note:
The most volatile note. It can be smelled right after the perfume is sprayed and usually disappears after about ten minutes. It is a “fresh, green note” that can last up to 2 hours. They can be made up of citrus, herbal or floral fragrances..
- Angelica root
- Basil,
- Bergamot,
- Black pepper,
- Cajeput,
- Camphor,
- Cardamom,
- Chili pepper leaf,
- Coriander seed,
- Eucalyptus radiata,
- Grapefruit,
- Ho wood,
- Laurel/bay leaf,
- Lavender,
- Lavandin Grosso,
- Lemon (zest),
- Lemongrass,
- Litsea Cubeba,
- Mandarin,
- Mint,
- Myrtle,
- Niaouli,
- Nutmeg,
- Orange,
- Parsley leaf,
- Peppermint,
- Pink pepper,
- Ravensara,
- Ravintsara,
- Rosemary,
- Spike Lavender,
- Tea tree,
- Yuzu
The middle note:
It develops up to four hours after the evaporation of the top note. It also determines the olfactory family of the perfume: woody, fruity, amber, floral… The middle note or heart note constitutes the soul of the perfume. It can be floral, fruity or spicy.
- Carrot seed,
- Celery seed,
- Cinnamon,
- Clary sage,
- Clove,
- Cumin,
- Cypress,
- Davana,
- Dill,
- Eucalyptus Citriodora,
- Eucalyptus Globulus,
- Frankincense,
- Geranium,
- Ginger,
- Helichrysum
- Juniper,
- Marjoram,
- Neroli,
- Oregano,
- Palmarosa,
- Petit grain Bigaradier,
- Roman chamomile,
- Rosemary verbenon,
- Rose,
- Savory,
- Scotch pine,
- Tagete,
- Tarragon,
- Thyme linalol,
- Ylang-Ylang complete
The base note:
It evaporates slowly, it sometimes lasts for several days or weeks on a garment. Its function: to fix the perfume, to make it last in time. It is the heaviest and least volatile note. These are essentially woody, sweet and amber scents.
- Cedarwood Atlas, Ciste,
- Lovage root,
- Myrrh, Nard (Jatamansi), Palo Santo, Patchouli,
- Sandalwood,
- Vetiver,
The dosage.
Ideally, a fragrance should be made up of 30% top note, 50% middle note and 20% base note.
If you don’t have a structure for your perfume yet, look to scents you know and love for inspiration. You can find great ideas on the “basenotes” website, it gives descriptions of well-known perfumes.
If you want some help with the quantities, here is a free spreadsheet
Olfactory notes in perfumery
>HESPERIDES NOTES: all the citrus notes, zest
Orange, Grapefruit, Mandarin, …
>GREEN NOTES: vegetal, they evoke cut grass, the smell of crumpled leaves, nature
Violet leaf, blackcurrant buds…
>AROMATIC NOTES: all the beneficial and vegetal scents of aromatic herbs
Lavender, Mint, Sage, Rosemary, Thyme, Eucalyptus…
>FRUITY NOTES: greedy, mouth-watering and evocative of summer
Apricot, Peach, Cherry, Coconut…
>FLORAL NOTES: they lead us into an intoxicating garden of flowers…
Jasmine, Rose, Neroli, Ylang-ylang…
>SPICY NOTES: mysterious, they invite us to travel and heat up all the perfume compositions
Cinnamon, Cardamom, Ginger, Pink pepper …
>WOODY NOTES: Comfortable, powerful and warm, they bring depth to the fragrance
Sandalwood, Patchouli, Vetiver, Cedarwood…
>AMBER NOTES: Bewitching, warm and sweet, these are sensual notes that transport us to the land of a thousand and one nights!
Vanilla, Benzoin, Tonka, Peru balm…
Olfactory families in perfumery
Perfumery can be divided into seven categories of fundamental odours:
The Aromatic family: made of all the aromatic herbs (sage, thyme, rosemary or lavender).
The Woody family: it is warmer and more opulent. The major ingredients in this category are sandalwood, patchouli, cedar and vetiver. These are typical of men’s fragrances.
The Chypre family: mainly based on oakmoss, patchouli or bergamot accords.
The Floral family: it is an integral part of feminine perfumery and features ingredients such as jasmine, rose, violet, lily of the valley, lilac …
The Fern family: this is the set of lavender and woody notes associated with oakmoss, bergamot, geranium, etc. The fern category is typically masculine.
The Hesperidae family: this includes essential oils obtained by extracting the zest of citrus fruits such as bergamot, grapefruit, lemon, orange or mandarin.
The Oriental family: Gentle, powdery and vanilla fragrances. They also have a strong animal and sensual touch. They often contain musk, vanilla, amber, resin, tobacco, exotic spices and precious woods.
A base to choose according to the type of perfume
The base, which will be used to mix the EOs and absolutes, will depend on the type of perfume you wish to make:
- Alcoholic perfume uses alcohol as a base. Easy to use, the alcohol evaporates quickly to leave only the smell of the perfume on the skin and ensures good conservation. The alcohol chosen should have high alcoholic strength and a very neutral smell so as to not alter the final product. We advise you to use undenatured 70 or 90% alcohol or vodka.
- The oily perfume uses vegetable oil as a carrier. It is particularly well suited to sensitive and dry skin since it does not contain alcohol. It is important to choose an oil that is as neutral as possible so that it does not interfere with the notes of the perfume: jojoba oil, sweet almond oil, and grapeseed oil.
- Solid perfume is another form of oily perfume, where beeswax is mixed in. As it cools, the perfume solidifies. It is the ideal format for travelling.
Composition of a perfume
>Adding the essential oils
To obtain a balanced perfume, the ideal proportions are:
6 drops of EO for the base note (20%)
15 drops for the heart note (50%)
9 drops for the top note (30%)
Firstly, incorporate the oils corresponding to the base note, then add those of the heart note. Finish it off with the top note oils.
My personalised perfume =
Essential oils (or absolutes or aromas)
+
Support (perfume base, alcohol or oily support)
>Making it
Use a sheet of paper to calculate and determine the quantity of each raw material
Practice
1/ an alcohol-based perfume
The concentration of alcohol in a perfume ranges from 15 to 40%, while for an eau de toilette it is around 6 to 12%.
|
Type of perfume |
Concentration |
holding |
| Perfume |
15 to 40% |
1 to several days |
| Eau de parfum |
8 to 20% |
1 day |
| Eau de toilette |
6 to 12% |
3 to 5 hours |
| Fresh water |
< 8% |
1 to 2 hours |
The base recipe:
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1
|
2
|
3
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| Mix
30 ml of 70 °C alcohol or vodka. + 20 drops of EOs that combine the 3 notes of your perfume. |
Shake this mixture well and leave it to allow the perfume to mature for 4 weeks in a cool place away from daylight | Place the perfume in a freezer for one night
Filter the perfume through a coffee filter It is done! |
2/An alcohol-free perfume
The base used is a vegetable oil which has the advantage of not drying out the skin as can be the case with alcohol.
The base recipe:
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1
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2
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3
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| Mix the EOs that will constitute the 3 notes of your perfume. For 30ml, you will need 80 drops of EOs in total. | Let the mixture rest a few days before diluting it in a VO of your choice (jojoba, sweet almond or grape seed). | Add 2 drops of vitamin E
Let it rest for 24 hours before using it. |
Tip: you can add 2 drops of vitamin E for better conservation of your oily perfume without alcohol.
3/A solid perfume
Also called “concrete”, solid perfume is very easily made on the same basis as an oily one.
The base recipe:
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1
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2
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3
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| Melt in a water bath (bain-marie) :
10 ml of VO or vegetal butter + 15 ml of beeswax or soy |
Add the EOs or fragrances of your choice and mix well | Pour in a jar and let it harden for at least 2 hours |
Use: take a little perfume on your finger and apply it behind the ear, on the wrists or on each side of the neck.
Advice
- Do not add fruit juices to your perfume. They can accelerate rancidity and curdling.
- Citrus EOs, especially lemon EO, are photosensitising. If you use it in your perfume, avoid spraying it on your skin during the day or exposing yourself to the sun. If you put lemon juice on your skin, it will burn in the sun.
Some ideas of combinations to create a unique home fragrance
If you’re not sure which essential oils to combine to create your own unique fragrance, here are some suggestions:
Floral perfume
- Head notes: lavandin and lemon
- Heart notes: ylang-ylang and geranium
- Base notes: cedarwood Atlas and rosewood
Perfume with oriental notes
- Head notes: mandarin and bergamot
- Heart notes: ylang-ylang and helichrysum
- Base notes: cedarwood Atlas, frankincense and myrrh
A fresh citrus-based scents
- Head notes: bergamot, grapefruit and orange
- Heart notes: petitgrain bigarade and palmarosa
- Base notes: patchouli and rosewood
