How to Make Base Oils for Perfume

With more and more chemically sensitive people in the world, alternatives to chemical cleaning products, body products and perfumes are increasingly important. This article will discuss oils that can be used as the basis of making your own perfumes as alternatives to synthetic products that give many people headaches and other symptoms.

Things You'll Need

• Vegetable oils Small glass jars

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Instructions

• 1

  Making your own perfumes is easy. In the industry the terms essential oils and carrier oils are commonly referred to. Essential oils, also known as volatile oils, are pure aromas extracted from plants such as rose oil from rose flowers or orange oil from orange peels. Carrier oils are more simple and inexpensive bases that serve as the carrier in which small amounts of the expensive aromatic essential oils are placed.

• 2

  Carrier oils are simply good pure vegetable oils, the same as what you might already have in your kitchen cupboard. You could get a few pounds of almonds and try to squeeze out the almond oil yourself, but it is much easier and cheaper to simply buy these carrier oils. All fatty oils can go rancid over time, so small quantities that are used quickly are best for keeping on hand. Unless you are in the business, making a large supply of gift perfumes or a massage therapist going through oils quickly, do not opt for the gallon size, even if it is a little cheaper. It could end up going rancid in your kitchen if not used within the year.

• 3

  Common base oils include olive oil, almond oil, safflower oil, canola oil and sesame oil. All of these are readily available in any grocery store. Some health food stores will even carry organic options of these common oils. Olive oil has a bit of an aroma on its own, so some perfumers prefer the other more odorless oils.

• 4

  If you have room, oils will keep best in the refrigerator, though this is more important when storing the oil for oral consumption and the concern is to get the best nutritional value out of the oil. Simply storing the oil in a cool cupboard, not directly above the oven or stovetop burnersm can help prolong the shelf life.

• 5

  To use your base oil for perfume, simply pour into a tiny bottle, leaving a little bit of room for the essential oils to scent your base oil. Typically only 30 to 100 drops of essential oil are needed to scent an ounce of your base or carrier oil, so only a little room is needed in your container.

  The creation of perfume blends is an art. Because essential oils, especially rose, sandalwood and orange blossom, are so expensive, it is best to purchase small quantities. Start with simple single ingredient formulas. Add your 30 drops, shake well and smell your creation. If it smells strong enough for you, you are done. If it smells weak, add 30 more drops and test the aroma again.