I've been keen to try mixing my own scents for a while now, so I enlisted the help of my daughter Keira and we got started! It turned into a lovely activity to do together and we're both really happy with the perfumes we made for ourselves. We made some roll-on oil-based perfumes, and a few solid perfumes too. We plan to make some as Christmas gifts for our friends, next.
My favourite thing about these little perfumes is that they're small and easy to slip into the little pouch I have in my handbag for lip balm and hairclips - and re-apply any time throughout the day. The soothing scent of my little bottle of lavender and rose goodness is almost like a rescue remedy for me as I go about my busy day. I love knowing it's in my bag.
I shared this idea on Instagram the other day and had a few questions about my method in general and where I got my ingredients from. So here are a few notes. Please know that I am a total amateur at perfume making, but I intend to keep practising because I'm obsessed with beautiful scents. Another thing to keep in mind is that the scent of this perfume doesn't last as long on the skin as a synthetic perfume does, so a few applications throughout the day might be necessary. But that's not really a hardship!
Also, please remember that you'll want to do a patch test first to ensure your blend won't irritate your skin. Essential oils should never be applied in their undiluted form. Keep out of reach of children. Some oils should not be used during pregnancy.
Roll-on perfume
You'll need:
Neutral carrier oil such as jojoba, apricot kernel or similar. I used organic sweet almond oil from Kereru Natural Products
Essential oils you love - I used a blend of three, also from Kereru
Small bottles - I used 10ml amber glass bottles with metal rollers and screw-on lids (found on TradeMe)
Label + pen or paper and glue stick to make a label
Cotton pads or scrap fabric, and an eye-dropper (optional)
1. First, decide on your oil blend. Do this by testing out blends on your cotton pad or scrap fabric until you get a combination you love.
You can choose three different essential oils, focusing on top, middle and base notes. Here is a chart to help work out which particular oils are top, middle and base types. You can weight the different oils accordingly (base notes = 20%, middle notes = 50%, top notes = 30%) if you like, but I don't think it matters too much.
~~ Blend ideas ~~
For headaches: peppermint, lavender, lemongrass
To promote relaxation/calm: bergamot, lavender, ylang ylang
For clarity and focus: rosemary, peppermint, sweet orange
Earthy floral blend: lavender, geranium, rose, patchouli
My favourite blend for happiness: rose, geranium, sweet orange, lavender
2. Remove the roller ball from the bottle and drop in your essential oils. For a 10ml bottle, you will need to use about 40 drops altogether. For my favourite blend (as listed above) I used 20 drops of lavender, 10 drops of rose, 5 drops of sweet orange and 5 drops of geranium oil. Swirl the bottle to mix.
3. Using the eye-dropper, add your carrier oil until the bottle is half full. Replace the lid and shake to combine. Then remove the lid again and add more carrier oil until the bottle is nearly full.
4. Replace the ball roller and lid, and add a label so you remember which blend is inside. Enjoy!
Solid perfume
This is a nice way to carry a little perfume with you wherever you go! You can collect little lolly tins or lip balm containers for this. I've found it lasts a little longer on the skin than the roll-on scent.
You'll need:
Two small pottles or tins (I used old lip balm tins, washed and dried, but you could also use lip balm tubes if you can find them)
42 grams of neutral carrier oil (I used organic sweet almond oil)
7 grams of grated or chopped beeswax
Approx. 15 drops of essential oils you love (you could use one or a blend - see above for ideas)
Digital scale
Small glass jug and a wooden iceblock stick or similar
1. Decide on your oil or blend. You can use a cotton pad or fabric to test out blends before mixing them together.
2. Place the oil and beeswax in the jug (I used a digital scale to get the quantities exact) then melt together in the microwave for 10 seconds at a time, stirring with the popsicle stick in between. If you don't have a microwave, sit the jug on a pot of boiling water and stir until melted and smooth. Add in your essential oils and stir again.
3. Carefully pour the mixture into your little pots and add lids and labels when cooled and set.