How to Use Essential Oil in Perfume Making
- 1). Learn the character of the various oils. They are commonly divided into three categories: the top notes, the middle notes and the base notes.
- 2). Select an oil(s) to use as the base note. Oils used as base notes are usually darker, earthy scents, as they tend to remain on the skin for a long time. Some common base-note essential oils are clove, sandalwood, vanilla and patchouli.
- 3). Understand that the second part of the perfume is composed of the middle notes. The oils used in the middle notes will also linger on the skin, but not quite as long as the base-note oils. As the name implies, the middle notes help pull together the essential oils that are used in the base and top notes. These oils often make up the largest part of the perfume. Oils that are commonly used as middle notes include lavender, rose, thyme, ylang-ylang and sage.
- 4). Know that the final part of the perfume is composed of the top notes. The top note gives the perfume its initial smell. Typically, the oils used in the top note tend to be represented in the smallest quantities, so as not to be too overpowering. Essential oils commonly used as top notes include bay, peppermint, lemongrass and orange.
- 5). Mixing the base, middle and top notes and place them in a carrier solution. This is usually some type of vegetable oil. Jojoba oil is commonly used because of its neutral and skin-conditioning properties. The essential oils will comprise approximately 20 percent of your mixture, followed by the carrier and an ounce or two of alcohol (pure grain alcohol or vodka) if you are using an average-sized, 4-oz. perfume bottle. The complete mixture will need to sit anywhere from a few days to several months, depending on how powerful and lingering you want the end product to be.
Source...