Many perfumes available commercially contain a number of chemicals, including chemical fragrance instead of actual natural fragrance. For instance, a perfume may contain a chemical combination that smells like rose rather than simply an extract from an actual rose.
Perfume oils to make your own scent creations can be purchased online or at some specialty retail shops.
Common Perfume Oils
Any essential oil can be used in perfume making, however there are few standout oils more specifically indicated in perfume making.
This list names a few:
- Amber
- Bergamot
- Cedarwood
- Freesia
- Jasmine
- Lavender
- Lime (leaf)
- Musk
- Petitgrain
- Rose
- Rosewood
- Sandalwood
- Vanilla
- Vetiver
- Ylang-ylang
Making Perfume Sprays
You can add your favourite perfume oil or combination of perfume oils to equal parts vodka and distilled water to make your own perfume sprays. Here are a few ideas for some lovely perfume sprays:
Orange Dream Perfume Spray
- 1/4 cup distilled water
- 1/4 cup vodka
- 8 drops neroli oil
- 5 drops mandarin oil
- 5 drops jasmine oil
- 5 drops sandalwood oil
Blissful Blooms Perfume Spray
- 1/4 cup distilled water
- 1/4 cup vodka
- 8 drops freesia oil
- 8 drops vanilla oil
- 5 drops musk oil
Fiery Heart Perfume Spray
- 1/4 cup distilled water
- 1/4 cup vodka
- 7 drops amber oil
- 7 drops myrrh oil
- 5 drops cedar oil
- 5 drops rosewood oil
Scented Waters
Scented waters are also an excellent way to perfume the body. You can make scented water at home by infusing distilled water with various ingredients. Below are a few ideas to get you started.
A scented water can simply be splashed on after a bath or shower, or you can put it in a diffuser bottle and spray it on your body.
Some people will suggest making scented waters with dried flowers or herbs, I’m prone to suggest using only fresh ingredients for scented waters.
Why? Because the juicier the better! Or in other words, we want there to be some juice or oil that can be pressed out of the scent-producer, and that’s just not as obviously present in most dried items.
Orange Water
Also try lemon water, substituting lemon peel for the orange peel in this recipe.
- 3 cups distilled water
- 1/2 cup vodka
- 1/2 cup orange peel chopped into pieces
Place the orange peel and vodka in a glass measuring cup and allow to sit one day.
Mash with a wooden spoon and add the distilled water.
Allow to sit one week, mashing and mixing once a day.
Strain the water into a bottle, use the water to perfume your body.
Rose Water
- 3 cups distilled water
- 1/2 cup vodka
- 1/2 cup fresh rose petals
Place the rose petals and vodka in a glass measuring cup and allow to sit one day.
Mash with a wooden spoon and add the distilled water.
Allow to sit one week, mashing and mixing once a day.
Strain the water into a bottle, use the water to perfume your body.
Lavender Water
- 3 cups distilled water
- 1/2 cup vodka
- 1/2 cup fresh lavender flowers
Place the lavender and vodka in a glass measuring cup and allow to sit one day.
Mash with a wooden spoon and add the distilled water.
Allow to sit one week, mashing and mixing once a day.
Strain the water into a bottle use, the water to perfume your body.
Rosemary Water
You may also like to try making rosemary lemon water. Mixing these two fragrances is very refreshing.
- 3 cups distilled water
- 1/2 cup vodka
- 1/2 cup chopped fresh rosemary
Place the rosemary and vodka in a glass measuring cup and allow to sit one day.
Mash with a wooden spoon and add the distilled water.
Allow to sit one week, mashing and mixing once a day.
Strain the water into a bottle, use the water to perfume your body.
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When you put the ingredients in the vodka does it need a lid?
Thanks for shgrina. What a pleasure to read!
If you are referring to the scented waters – yes I put a lid on it. Let me know if you have any more questions.
Thanks
Is ther a way to make the above perfumes without alcohol/vodka?
Yes just choose a carrier oil and add the essentials oils to it. Remember your 3.2.1 ratio
Which Carrier oils can be use if i want to make without alcohol/vodka? Can you pls. give proper ratio for that?
Thx,
Swaroop Acharya
Can you pls. give the name some carrier oil name & essentials oils? Will it spray the if we dont use alcohol or vodka? Pls reply
Yes it will work if you don’t use vodka, but this will reduce the shelf life. Just make smaller amounts more often. If you want to use a carrier oil, use something mild, that doesn’t have a strong smell such as almond oil. I have also made it in the past, just using water with no carrier oil. Let us know how you go. Cheers Annie
how i make with alcohol?
Love your recipes I’m going to try them. I have been looking got a way to make natural perfumes. I sell homemade natural products. The vodka in the recipes isit natural and what is the shelf life of the perfumes and scented water.
Hi Felica, Just wondering if you are interested in a guest post? Cheers Annie
What brand vodka do u use
100 proof is best to fully dissolve the essential oils, but all we can find at the liquor store is 80 proof, so I do have to shake it up before each use.
Hi Andrea, Good advice thanks! Cheers Annie
Hi Felicia, I just use any cheap brand I can find. I am actually located in Australia, so the brands might be different, but here is a good one to try if you can get a hold of it.- Karavan Premium Vodka. Cheers Annie
Would a scented water with freesia petals work? If so, what method would you use?
…and thanks, really helpful page!
Hi Clare, yes I am sure it would. I would simply use the same method as the rose water. Glad you like the page. Cheers Annie
I like the recipes and I like the idea of making my own perfume. It has always been my understanding that there is no such thing as “musk essential oil,” since actual musk is derived from glands of musk deer. If you buy something today labeled “musk oil” it is sure to be synthetic. The other option I’ve read about is essential oil from certain flowers that smell a bit similar to musk, such as ambrette seed. I’m wondering if there’s something in particular that you recommend to get the musk aroma for your blends, without using synthetics? Thanks for any advice!
Yes, musk “essential oil” does not exist. Immortelle and ambrette are used to mimic the scent if using EOs. Amber oil is not an essential oil by nature; it is a combination of various other oils. Either essential oils, synthetic or a combination of both. Freesia, while highly fragrant, does not produce an essential oil, concrete or absolute; it is a fragrance oil only.
To avoid using vodka/related, you can use jojoba oil or fractionated coconut oil. Both of which have 6 mos+ shelf life. Add some vitamin E for longevity as well.