How to Make Perfume with Essential Oils: A Complete Step By Step Guide [2024]

Smelling good is good business, you know. How you smell, most times determines how people appreciate and address you. Imagine if you dress so beautifully, hoping to get complimentary smiles and nods but instead, you received the opposite. This can tell you that something is out of place and I can bet you it’s not your dressing. Maybe you should check your perfume if you’re wearing one.

The truth is, perfumes attract reactions to the persons wearing them. If you wear perfumes with fragrances that people love, you will receive tons of compliments, irrespective of the clothes you wear. This is why investing in perfumes is a good business strategy. If you smell good, you will be at a better advantage to impress your clients, business associates, colleagues, prospects, and superiors. At home, your partner, children, friends, neighbours, and so on, will also love your perfume.

Apart from impressing others, wearing a good perfume will make you happy. The sweet smell coming from your perfume is therapeutic, which means it will influence you to be in a good mood all the time. Wearing good perfumes can also boost your self-confidence and add a spring to your steps. So, no matter what you do, you should endeavour to get yourself a good perfume.

But then, good perfumes don’t come cheap. I know how a lot of people complain about the prices of perfumes and how uneasy it is to buy one.

Fortunately, you don’t have to break the bank to own a good perfume. You may not have noticed it by now but some of the things in your home can be used for making perfumes. This is why we are here to let you know that you have a perfume hidden on your shelf. In this article, you will find out how to make a DIY perfume with your essential oils.

What are essential oils?

Essential oils are highly concentrated oils that contain the essence and scents of plants they are made from. They are not made in laboratories with synthetic substances but processed in such a way that they can absorb the scents and essence of the plant part in it. So, every essential oil you see smells like the plant or the part of the plant it originated from. If it is made from the roots, it will smell like the roots. If it came from the flowers, it will also smell like the flowers. This can help you to detect the pure essential oils from the adulterated ones.

What do you do with your essential oils?

You would have guessed by now that essential oils are used for perfume making. But that is not all the oils are used for. Essential oils are also used for aromatherapy. This is because the scent of the oil can reduce stress and anxiety as well as improve people’s physical, mental, and emotional wellbeing.

Some people inhale essential oils to cure their sleeping disorders and insomnia. You can also use sweet-smelling oil to handle migraines and headaches. Essential oils equally have anti-inflammatory effects. Now you can imagine having these oils as the chief ingredients in your perfumes. This means you will not only smell good but also feel good.

Finding the right essential oil

Some people prepare their essential oils by themselves. If you know how to make yours, that will be great. But if you don’t, you can buy them from a good shop. The thing you should worry about when buying essential oil is how to get the good one. You need to be careful out there so you don’t buy oil made from synthetic materials and bottled as an essential oil. You have to be careful to avoid buying fake ones.

To make sure what you want to pick up from that shelf is genuine, here are a few tips you should bear in mind.

• Go for a reputable brand. If the essential oil you want to buy is from a reputable company, be sure you are about to buy a good one. You can search the internet for reviews on the brand from other users of the oil before going for it. If the positive reviews outweigh the negative ones, you should go for the oil.
• Pure essential oils don’t come cheap. A little ounce of this oil is made from a lot of plant materials. As a result, if you come across a cheap essential oil, query it immediately. Or, better, you should stay away from it. However, if the users’ reviews are good, you may give it a trial.
• The scent will tell you the truth. Natural scents can always be distinguished from synthetic ones. If the oil does not smell like the original plant or part of the plant it was made from, it is not a pure essential oil. If the scent feels too powerful to be true, it may not be the real thing. If it has a smell that you don’t recognise from the original plant material, it could be that it is adulterated, the carrier oil was not well processed, or the producer went for the carrier oil that is perfumed already. However, it is better to go for an essential oil that smells exactly like the plant it is made from, unless you wanted otherwise.
• Look for the botanical name. Usually, the bottle’s label contains the botanical or scientific name (that is the Latin name) of the extracted plant. If the bottle displays the English name of the plant, be at alert because you may be buying a fake ones.

Most Popular Essential Oils for Perfumes

 You know there are many essential oils in the market but it is not all of them that can give you what you need in a perfume. The reason for this is simple: not all essential oils have noticeable and catchy scents. So, whatever essential oil you are going for, make sure its scent is strong enough to be noticed in a perfume. Apart from that, you should go for essential oils with appealing scents. Remember, it is not every scent that is found pleasant. So, don’t buy every essential oil that has a strong smell.

Nevertheless, here are some of the most popular essential oils people use to make DIY perfumes. These oils listed below are found pleasant by many people, so you can begin with one or more of them. Note that the botanical name mentioned against each essential oil is what you may find on the bottle of the original essential oil.

1. Peppermint Essential Oil: This is made from the leaves of the peppermint plant, which is botanically known as Mentha x Piperita. The essential oil has a sharp but cool and refreshing scent.

2. Sandalwood Essential Oil: This comes from the stem of the sandalwood plant, botanically known as Santalum Album. The essential oil has a pleasant woody scent.

3. Lavender Essential Oil: This comes from the buds or flowers of the lavender plant, scientifically known as Lavandula. The scent of the essential oil is sweet and soothing.

4. Rose Essential Oil: It is made from the flowers of the rose plant, botanically called Rosa. The oil possesses the sweet floral smell of the rose flower.

5. Bergamot Essential Oil: This comes from the rinds of bergamot. A bergamot plant is scientifically called Citrus Aurantium. The oil has fruity, spicy, citrusy, and floral scents.

6. Ylang-Ylang Essential Oil: The ylang-ylang plant is scientifically known as Cananga Odorata. Like the flower, its original source, this essential oil has spicy, heady, fruity, floral, and sweet scents.

7. Chamomile Essential Oil: The source of this essential oil is the flowers of the chamomile plant (Chamaemelum Nobile). The scent you will receive from the oil is animalic, herbaceous, warm, apple-like, and sweet.

8. Jasmine Essential Oil: The oil is made from the flowers of jasmine plant. The plant is scientifically known as Jasminum. The oil smells floral, sweet, and animalic.

9. Tea Tree Essential Oil: The tea tree, from where this oil is derived, is scientifically called Melaleuca Alternifolia. The oil lends a camphor-like earthy scent to your perfume.

10. Lemon Essential Oil: This is made from lemon peels. In case you want to use this, the scientific name of the lemon plant is Citrus Limon. This essential oil will add a sharp citrus scent to your perfume.

11. Blood Orange Essential Oil: The blood orange plant is scientifically known as Citrus x Sinensis. The essential oil is made from the fruit’s peel and it adds a warm tang citrusy scent to the perfume.

12. Gardenia Essential Oil: This is made from the gardenia flower. The gardenia plant is scientifically called Gardenia Jasminoides. This essential oil adds a spicy green scent to your perfumes.

13. Honeysuckle Essential Oil: This is made from the flowers of honeysuckle plants, scientifically called Lonicera. The honeysuckle essential oil has fruity, citrusy, warm, and honey scents.

14. Cedarwood Essential Oil: This oil is made from the chips and dust of the cedar tree, scientifically referred to as Cedrus. The scent is balsamic and woody. You may also get a waft of pine-like scent from it.

15. Peony Essential Oil: The peony essential oil is made from the flowers of the peony plant. Its botanical name is Paeonia. Like the flower, the essential oil has a citrusy, sweet, and spicy scent.

16. Rosemary Essential Oil: This is made from the flowers and leaves of the rosemary plant. The botanical name you will see on the bottle of this oil is Salvia Rosmarinus. The scent is both unique and exotic, unlike no other. It is spicy, warm, woody, and minty.

17. Orange Blossom Essential Oil: This comes from the blossoms of the bitter orange tree, scientifically called Citrus x Aurantium. The scent of this essential oil gives a heady, baby-like, floral, fresh, and soapy fragrance. Sometimes, this oil is referred to as Neroli Essential oil.

18. Vetiver Essential Oil: This oil is derived from the roots of the vetiver plant, which is scientifically known as Chrysopogon Zizanioides. The scent here is heady, earthy, smoky, woody, dry, and leathery.

19. Grapefruit Essential Oil: This is made from the rind of grapefruits. The plant here is scientifically identified as Citrus x Paradis. The scent of the oil is woody, bitter, and herbaceous.

20. Arborvitae Essential Oil: This comes from arborvitae plants, known as Thuja. The scent is woody.

21. Helichrysum Essential Oil: Helichrysum Italicum is the scientific name for Curry Plant. The essential oil made from its flower has a buttery and honey scent.

23. Cassia Essential Oil: The botanical name for this plant is also Cassia. The essential oil is made from its flowers and it smells spicy and sweet.

24. Wintergreen Essential Oil: This oil is made from the leaves of the wintergreen plant (Gaultheria Procumbens). The scent of the oil is minty.

25. Orange Essential Oil: This is made from the peel of the orange fruit. The botanical name for orange, which you will see on the bottle of the essential oil, is Citrus x Sinensis. This oil will add a warm, calming, joyful, and sweet citrus scent to your perfume.

26. Spearmint Essential Oil: This essential oil, made from the leaves of the spearmint plant (Mentha Spicata), has the same cool, hot, spicy, and refreshing scent as the peppermint essential oil.

27. Lemongrass Essential Oil: Lemongrass essential oil is made from the stalks of lemongrass plants, which are scientifically called Cymbopogon. This essential oil has a sweet, earthy, citrusy (lemon), grassy, and fresh scent.

28. Cinnamon Essential Oil: This essential oil is made from the sticks of a cinnamon tree (Cinnamomum). The scent has a unique spicy and sweet flavour.

29. Eucalyptus Essential Oil: This camphor and minty scented essential oil is made from the leaves of the eucalyptus plant (Eucalyptus Cinerea).

30. Patchouli Essential Oil: The patchouli essential oil is made from its leaves. The botanical name of the plant, as you may find on the bottle label, is Pogostemon Cablinor its family name, Lamiaceae. The scent of the oil is musky, earthy, woody, and sweet.

31. Juniper Essential Oil: The juniper plant has about 70 species but they are all aromatic. The family name for this plant is Cupressaceae. The essential oil is made from the fruits, woods, and needles of the plant. Their scents are spicy, clean, bitter, and woody.

32. Pine Essential Oil: The family name of the different species of pine trees is Pinaceae. The oil is made from the needles and/or woods of the trees. Some pine essential oils have citrusy and woody fragrances. You should go for the one you love the most.

33. Vanilla Essential Oil: The vanilla essential oil comes from the vanilla orchids plants, commonly referred to as Orchidaceae. The oil is extracted from the bean pods of the climbing plants. Adding this essential oil to your perfume will introduce its unique creamy and sugary scent.

Kindly note there are many other essential oils not captured here. If you find them, don’t hesitate to use them.

The Art and Science of Perfumery

Perfume-making requires the acquisition and mastery of both art and science skills. It requires art skills because you have to combine different scents to arrive at an exotic result. The more creative you are with making your perfume, the better the outcome of the job.

But then, you don’t just add all the desired aromatic substances together at the same time. You have to consider the timing as well as the quantity of each fragrance that will go into the mix. You will not obtain a good result if you just pour everything into the container without considering the suitable quantity that will give you what you wanted and the time to add them. Perfumes aren’t made that way.

Usually, every perfume has a story to tell. To get that story, you must blend the fragrances in such a way that the theme of the perfume will be revealed. First of all, you have to consider the quantity of each aromatic substance that will project the main theme of the perfume.

For instance, if you desire to create an invigorating sunny perfume, you may consider increasing the quantity of citrusy aromatic substance and reducing that of musk.

 Another reason you have to consider the quantity of the aromatic substance to add to your perfume is that some scents are stronger than others. If you pour in the aromatic substances, say the essential oils, without bringing this into consideration, the subtle notes will be swallowed up by the strong sharp ones. So, you have to give the subtle ones a chance to surface too.

Remember to take notes of the number of substances you add to your perfume so you can detect the experiment that yielded a good result. One more thing, if you are making perfumes with essential oils, you have to count the number of drops of the oil you add to the mix. So, get a dropper before you conduct the experiment.

Now we move over to the time for adding each aromatic substance. The time you add an aromatic substance to the perfume mix will determine the time it will be activated.

If you pour everything in at once, even if the quantities were right, the result will not be good. You will understand this very in the section that discusses the three notes of perfumes.

The science of perfume making made it so that if you want to smell a particular scent when you open your perfume bottle or spray it, you have to add the scent into the mix last. If you want the scent to come shortly after you sprayed the perfume, you have to add it before adding the last set of scents.

But, if you want the scent to stay on your clothes for days or even weeks, you must add it first, before adding any other one. What I just described above tells you how top notes, middle notes, and base notes are added to a perfume mix. You will understand this more as you continue.

ALSO READ: How to Make Perfumes Last Longer – An In-depth Guide

Understanding the Perfume Notes

Before going into the notes, let’s first look into the main accords, that is, the theme of the perfume. As stated earlier, every perfume has stories to tell.

The story of a perfume is its theme (central idea) and that is known as the main accord. When you smell a perfume, the imagination the fragrance creates in your senses is the perfume’s main accord. If you think of orange, guava, rose, the beach, winter, nature, or even a storm when you smell a perfume, it is so because the main accords made it that way.

Many good fragrances have as many main accords as possible. The perfumers achieve this by blending different scents that have the capability of creating such imaginations. When you want to make your perfume, you have to decide the theme you want for the perfume. I am not talking about the unique smell of the perfume but what want you to imagine as you smell your fragrance.

When you decide on this, you can then consider the aromatic substance you will add to achieve that. For instance, if I want to remember the bakery or candies, I will go high on vanilla and honeysuckle.

Well, here are the commonest main accords you can easily create in your DIY perfumes and some of the aromatic substances you can use to achieve them. Remember, the essential oils are the aromatic substances in this case.

1. Floral Accord: As you can guess, this accord gives the imagination of flowers. You have to use aromatic substances that represent natural flowers to achieve this. For instance, you can use the following essential oils to give the floral accord to your perfume:

• Honeysuckle
• Rose
• Jasmine
• Ylang-ylang
• Lavender
• Gardenia
• Orange blossom

2. Citrus Accord: This reminds you of the citrus fruits as well as keeps you refreshed. You can achieve this accord by adding the following essential oils:

• Orange
• Grapefruit
• Bergamot
• Lime
• Lemon

3. Woody Accord: As the name suggests, the fragrance tells you about woods. You can use your woody essentials oils to achieve this accord. You can go for:

• Sandalwood
• Cedarwood
• Juniper
• Pine
• Patchouli
• Vetiver

4. Oriental Accord: Yes, it will remind you of the sweet exotic lives the orients are known for. For this accord, try the following essential oils:

• Vanilla
• Sandalwood
• Cedarwood
• Vetiver
• Amber

5. Spicy Accord: Well, you can as well want people to think of warmth and spices each time they come in contact with you. To achieve this, try using the following essential oils:

• Clove (go easy on this one if you find it. If you add too much of it, it will overpower the perfume)
• Patchouli
• Cinnamon
• Vanilla

6. Herbal Accord: This makes you feel fresh and invigorated each time you smell the perfume. The following essential oils can help you to achieve it:

• Peppermint
• Spearmint
• Rosemary
• Eucalyptus
• Tea tree

NB: These are not all the main accords you can find out there. But, since you are only starting to experiment with perfume-making, you can start with them. Many writers have published articles on exotic perfume accords and how to achieve them. But look for those articles after you must have mastered the arts and science of perfume making.

How about the perfume notes?

Like I tried to explain earlier, good perfumes have layers or depths of scents known as notes. The smells of each perfume are not released at once. They come in three stages. Each of these stages is known as notes – top notes, middle notes, and base notes.

1. The top notes are the blend of fragrances that are released each time you open a perfume bottle or spray it. This set of scents are usually appealing and enticing. Their duty is the same as that of a forerunner, who goes out to announce the coming of someone very important and, then, pave way for him. In this case, the top notes, also known as the headnotes, make perfume users and/or buyers believe the perfume is good. Its major function is to make people love the perfume. But then, it doesn’t last long. Some last for only fifteen minutes before it disappears.

While making your perfume, you have to add the top notes last. Remember, what you choose as your top notes depends on your taste. However, essential oils that belong to the citrus and herbal accord groups can give you a sweet sensation.

2. The middle notes also called the heart notes, are the set of fragrances that are activated after the top notes have dissipated. This set can last longer on you than the top notes so you may have to use the scents you love here. The middle notes are, actually, the fragrance people will smell when they come close to you, so don’t use anything offensively for them. Remember to add the chosen essential oils for this note before adding the top notes. What you choose for this note should be as you love it.

3. The base notes are like the residual fragrance from your perfume. They are the scents that stay on your clothes after the middle notes have gone. If the perfume is made very well, the base notes can last as long as days or even weeks. So, don’t go for fragrances you wouldn’t want to smell in your closet before you visit the laundry. However, in most cases, people use vanilla, rose, cedarwood, jasmine, cinnamon, and clove for their perfume’s base notes.

Making Your Perfume

Now that you have found out all you need to know about perfumes, let us look at how you can turn your essential oils into that sweet, exotic, and appealing fragrance that everybody loves. We will look at this process according to different methods. The recipe you choose will be up to you.

But, I want you to understand one thing: making a perfume with essential oil is very easy and fast. In fact, it’s the simplest form of DIY perfume-making. All if you have to do here is gather the materials you need together and off you go. One more thing, you may choose to add a fixative to the perfume or not; not everyone does that, anyway.

But, if you want the shelf-life of the perfume to last, you can consider opting for a good and skin-friendly fixative. Some DIY perfumers recommend Vitamin-E capsules for this because it keeps the perfume fresh for a long time. And it’s good on the skin too. Maybe you can try it as well.

Method 1: Making an Oil-Base Perfume with Essential Oil

Equipment and Materials

1. The desired essential oils
2. A dropper (an eyedropper can do the job here)
3. A dark-coloured bottle with a lid (this will help to keep out the light)
4. The carrier oil (usually, coconut oil, jojoba oil, grape seed oil, or olive oil can do the job)

Procedure

• Wash the bottle and leave it to dry.
• Add the carrier oil into the bottle (since you are experimenting for the first time, use a little amount of oil. Apart from that, if the quantity of the carrier oil is much, the quantity of the aromatic oil/s will equally be much).
• Add the base notes (remember to use the dropper to do this. Add about ten to fifteen drops of each oil and check the result later. The math you will do here is determining the ratio of the aromatic and carrier oils so you will know how to increase their quantities if you want to increase the quantity of the perfume).
• Add the middle notes (this should come shortly after adding the base notes. Remember to use droppers for this job).
• Add the top notes (also follow the instructions for adding the middle and base notes. Remember to wait a while after adding the middle notes before adding the top notes).
• Add the fixative, if you desire.
• Cover and shake the bottle vigorously to mix.
• Your perfume is ready for use.

NB: You can keep this perfume in a cool dry place for two weeks before using the perfume. That will allow the oils to blend very well. If you do this, the longevity of the perfume will be stronger.

Method 2: Making a Water and Alcohol Based Perfume with Essential Oil

Equipment and Materials

• Water (distilled preferably).
• Alcohol (Everclear is the best here. But if you don’t have it, you can use vodka).
• The desired essential oils.
• A dropper.
• Jug or bowl
• Funnel
• A wooden spoon
• A dark bottle with a lid

Procedure

• Wash the bottle and keep it dry.
• Add the quantity of water you desire into the jug or bowl (I will recommend 100ml since this is your first trial).
• Add 1 tablespoon of alcohol (this will help the essential oils to blend very well with the water).
• Add your base notes (remember to use the dropper for this).
• Add the middle notes.
• Add the top notes.
• Add fixatives, if you desire
• Stir the mixture continuously for a minute. Use the wooden spoon.
• With the funnel, transfer the blend to the bottle and cover tightly.
• Your perfume is ready for use.

Method 3: Making an Alcohol-Based Perfume with Essential Oils

Materials and Equipment

1. Everclear alcohol (or vodka, if you don’t have Everclear).
2. The essential oils
3. A dark bottle with a top.
4. A dropper.

Procedure

1. Add the alcohol to the bottle (remember this is your first experiment, so start small).
2. Add the base notes.
3. Add the middle notes.
4. Add the top notes.
5. Cover the bottle tightly and shake vigorously to mix well.
6. The perfume is ready to be used.

Method 4: Making a Solid Perfume with Essential Oils

Equipment and Materials

1. Beeswax (1 tablespoon will be ok for now) or petroleum jelly.
2. Jojoba oil (you can try this with any other oil if jojoba oil is unavailable).
3. Small container with a lid.
4. The desired essential oils.
5. A stove or a microwave.
6. A double boiler or microwave plate (if you are using a stove, use the double boiler. You can also improvise in this case by adding water into a saucepan and placing your plastic plate on it. All you need here is to let the steam melt the wax)
7. A wooden spoon.

Procedure

1. Add the beeswax or petroleum jerry to the microwave or double-boiler container.
2. Add the jojoba oil to the wax.
3. Heat the mixture until it’s liquefied.
4. Remove it from the heat.
5. Drop in the essential oils. Stir the mixture with the wooden spoon while you are doing this.
6. Pour the liquid into the container with a lid but, to avoid condensation, don’t cover it yet. You can place the lid on it and leave it slightly open so the steam inside the bottle can escape freely while the content is secured from the intrusion of flies and microbes.
7. Cover the container when the content has cooled down and re-solidified.
8. Your perfume is ready for use.

ALSO READ: How to Make Perfume from Flowers – A Step By Step Guide

Conclusion

Like I promised you earlier, you don’t have to break the bank to have a good perfume. Some of the essential oils in your home can help you make different kinds of perfumes with different kinds of fragrances. All you need to do is research more on different notes and essential oils, and you’re good to go.