How to Make a Natural Perfume

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Natural perfumes can be pretty expensive, but, luckily, it’s easy to make your own perfume at home using just a few ingredients. Gather some essential oils and a base to mix the with, like rubbing alcohol or jojoba and coconut oil, and a container to hold the perfume. Natural perfume makes a great gift for loved ones, or you can make your own unique scents that you can’t get in a store!

Ingredients

Alcohol-Based Perfume

  • Spray bottle
  • 20-25 drops of essential oils
  • 2 fluid ounces (59 mL) of rectified spirits
  • High-proof alcohol (such as vodka or grain alcohol)

Oil-Based Perfume

  • Rollerball jar
  • Jojoba oil
  • Fractionated coconut oil
  • 20-25 drops of essential oils
Method 1
Method 1 of 3:

Alcohol-Based Perfume

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  1. One of the best parts of making your own perfume is making a scent that you love. Decide if you’d prefer a floral, musky, or energizing scent. Then, pick 1-3 oils to blend together in your perfume to make the scent. [1]
    • If you’re interested in make a floral scent, try mixing lavender and peony, or just sticking with 1 floral scent.
    • For a more sensual scent, combine amber and vanilla.
    • If you want to create a refreshing scent, choose 1-2 citrus fruits, like lime, orange, or grapefruit.
  2. Watermark wikiHow to Make a Natural Perfume
    Get an alcohol that is over 180 proof, such as rectified spirits, and use a pipette or dropper to add 20-25 drops of your oils to a small bowl containing the "carrier" alcohol. Try to balance the scents so that the scent that you want to stand out has more drops. Then, stir the oil and alcohol mixture to combine everything thoroughly. [2]
    • This creates a 2% dilution of oils, which is safe for use on your skin.
    • For a sample mixture, if you’re making a lemongrass scent with peppermint, use 10 drops of peppermint and 15 drops of lemongrass in 2 fluid ounces (59 mL) of rectified spirits to make the lemongrass the dominant scent.
    • In general, the ratio of the oils will depend on your personal preference. You can always adjust the scent by adding more essential oils if it isn’t strong enough. If you add more than 2-3 extra drops, you should also add at least 0.5 fluid ounces (15 mL) of rectified spirits.
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  3. Watermark wikiHow to Make a Natural Perfume
    Carefully add the dilution to the bottom of the bottle, using a funnel or pipette to prevent spills. Leave the bottle open to prepare for adding the alcohol. [3]
    • If you do spill some of the dilution, don’t worry. The dilution will still be intact since you mixed it before adding it to the bottle.
  4. Watermark wikiHow to Make a Natural Perfume
    Once you’ve added your diluted oils, top off the bottle with a high-proof alcohol, like vodka or grain alcohol, leaving about 1 ⁄ 2 inch (1.3 cm) of head space in case you want to add more oil. It might be helpful to use a funnel to add the alcohol to the bottle to prevent spills. [4]
    • High-proof alcohol has little to no scent, and will combine with the oils to make your perfume.
    • If you can’t find a high-proof alcohol, use denatured alcohol, which you can buy at most home improvement stores, or perfumer’s alcohol, which you can order online.
  5. Watermark wikiHow to Make a Natural Perfume
    For an alcohol-based perfume, you should only need to shake it one time to mix the dilution with the alcohol. Make sure the cap is secured tightly before you shake the bottle! [5]
    • If you’re using a clear bottle, you should be able to see that the liquid is one uniform color when it’s completely combined.
  6. Test the perfume by spraying it into the air or onto a piece of paper. Let it dry for 10 seconds before smelling it, and then add 3-5 additional drops of oil to the bottle if the scent isn’t strong enough. [6]
    • If you’re happy with the scent, you can start using your perfume immediately!
  7. Since sunlight can break down essential oils, causing them to lose their pleasant scent, you should always store your perfume out of direct light. Place it on a shelf in the medicine cabinet, cupboard, or inside of a drawer to protect your new scent. [7]
    • If stored properly, your perfume will last indefinitely. If it starts to lose its smell, add a few more drops of oils to “refresh” to perfume.
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Method 2
Method 2 of 3:

Oil-Based Perfume

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  1. Oil-based perfumes can clog spray bottles, so it’s best to use a rollerball jar for easy application. Luckily, rollerballs allow you to target your scent in specific areas, like your wrists or neck area, making for a more muted and subtle scent. [8]
    • If you want a more pronounced scent, you can use the rollerball to apply the scent in multiple spots on your body.
  2. Watermark wikiHow to Make a Natural Perfume
    Use a funnel to pour 1 ⁄ 2 fluid ounce (15 mL) of jojoba oil and 1 ⁄ 2 fluid ounce (15 mL) of fractionated coconut oil into the bottom of the container. Be sure to measure your ingredients before adding them to the jar, as too much carrier oil can dilute the essential oils. [9]
    • You can find jojoba and fractionated coconut oil at most specialty grocery or health stores. It’s important to use the fractionated version of coconut oil because it stays in a liquid form, rather than solidifying.
  3. Watermark wikiHow to Make a Natural Perfume
    Use a dropper or pipette to carefully add the essential oils to the jar. Be sure to balance your oils carefully to prevent the perfume from becoming too strong. [10]
    • The essential oils will float on top of the other oils when you first put them in the jar.
  4. Watermark wikiHow to Make a Natural Perfume
    Screw the rollerball lid on tightly to prevent leaks. Then, shake the jar and invert it for about 30 seconds to combine the oils thoroughly. [11]
    • Depending on the types of essential oils that you use, your oils might separate after sitting for a bit. Be sure to shake your perfume each time before you use it.
  5. Roll the ball of the jar on your wrist and wait 10 seconds for it to dry. Then, smell the scent and add 3-5 more drops of oils if you want to make the scent stronger. [12]
    • Keep in mind that most people won’t be able to smell the perfume unless they’re close to your body. If you want people to be able to smell it, apply the perfume to more places on your body, like your arms, chest, and behind your ears.
    • If you want a more subtle scent, add 5-10 drops of jojoba or fractionated coconut oil.
  6. To keep your perfume smelling fresh, keep it in a medicine cabinet or drawer. If you’re carrying it around, be sure to keep it in a pocket of your bag out of the sunlight. [13]
    • If your rollerball is a dark color, like blue or brown, it’s safe to keep it on the counter for short periods of time.
    • Oil-based perfumes should last 6 months-1 year. If your perfume starts to lose its scent, pour it out and make a new batch.
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Method 3
Method 3 of 3:

Choosing Essential Oils

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  1. If you find yourself drawn to the smell of a particular flower, use essential oils from that flower! You can blend the oils with other complementary oils, like sandalwood, bergamot, or vanilla, to make a multi-note scent. [14]
    • Popular floral blends include lavender and bergamot, lilac and ylang ylang, or geranium and sandalwood.
    • For a perfume with a single scent, choose a strong floral oil, like rose, lavender, or jasmine.
  2. Lemon, lime, and orange are all very popular base scents for an energizing citrus perfume. These scents are versatile, and can be paired with floral scents, herbal scents, or other citrus scents. [15]
    • Popular citrus blends include lemon and ginger, orange and cardamom, or lime and basil.
    • Keep in mind that citrus oils tend to be very strong, so combining more than 2 can be overwhelming.
  3. Scents like chamomile, basil, mint, rosemary, and clove create a fresh, Earthy-smelling perfume. They’re great for mixing with florals, citrus, and musky scents to incorporate notes of the outdoors. [16]
    • Herbal oil blends of chamomile and vanilla, basil and mint, rosemary and bergamot, and sage pear are all very popular.
  4. Oils like ginger tuberose, neroli, patchouli, jasmine, and cedarwood are all considered musky scents, which are both strong and sweet. They can conjure up particular memories, or be very pungent. [17]
    • Vanilla and cedarwood, amber and patchouli, neroli and orange, and tuberose and gardenia are all popular oil blends for a musky perfume.
    • Musky scents are considered very sensual, so if you’re looking for a perfume for an upcoming date, make one using these oils!
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Community Q&A

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  • Question
    Where can I get these oils?
    Community Answer
    You can make your own from scratch, such as boiling roses in a closed container that has an outlet for the steam, then you collect that steam and cool it down. You will have some rose oil in that cooled down water, and use centrifuge method or other to extract that oil. Or, you can purchase organic, cold-pressed or steamed distilled oils from a health food store.
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    Not Helpful 5 Helpful 38
  • Question
    Is it possible to make perfume without alcohol?
    Community Answer
    Yes it is, but it takes a longer and the alcohol will help preserve the perfume.
    Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
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  • Question
    What can I do if jasmine is not available where I live?
    Community Answer
    You can purchase it online, or you can try a different scent.
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      • If you prefer a subtler scent, you can also put the alcohol-based perfume into a rollerball jar.
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      Warnings

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      Things You’ll Need

      Alcohol-Based Perfume

      • Essential oils
      • Rectified spirits
      • High-proof alcohol (vodka or grain alcohol)
      • Spray bottle or other container

      Oil-Based Perfume

      • Essential oils
      • Jojoba oil
      • Fractionated coconut oil
      • Rollerball jar

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      References

      1. ↑ http://www.glamourmagazine.co.uk/gallery/what-is-scent-layering
      2. ↑ https://momprepares.com/how-to-dilute-essential-oils/
      3. ↑ https://www.glueandglitter.com/2014/02/13/how-to-make-perfume/
      4. ↑ https://www.glueandglitter.com/2014/02/13/how-to-make-perfume/
      5. ↑ https://www.glueandglitter.com/2014/02/13/how-to-make-perfume/
      6. ↑ https://www.glueandglitter.com/2014/02/13/how-to-make-perfume/
      7. ↑ https://www.glueandglitter.com/2014/02/13/how-to-make-perfume/
      8. ↑ https://www.glamour.com/story/impulse-buy-portable-rollerbal
      9. ↑ https://abeautifulmess.com/2016/08/grapefruit-peppermint-perfume-diy.html
      1. ↑ https://abeautifulmess.com/2016/08/grapefruit-peppermint-perfume-diy.html
      2. ↑ https://abeautifulmess.com/2016/08/grapefruit-peppermint-perfume-diy.html
      3. ↑ https://abeautifulmess.com/2016/08/grapefruit-peppermint-perfume-diy.html
      4. ↑ https://www.glueandglitter.com/2014/02/13/how-to-make-perfume/
      5. ↑ https://achs.edu/blog/2018/03/09/blending-101-the-art-of-pairing/
      6. ↑ https://achs.edu/blog/2018/03/09/blending-101-the-art-of-pairing/
      7. ↑ https://achs.edu/blog/2018/03/09/blending-101-the-art-of-pairing/
      8. ↑ https://achs.edu/blog/2018/03/09/blending-101-the-art-of-pairing/

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