How to Make Scented Aroma Oil
Show-Offz based in Hutto TX, holds an aroma products line known as So-Mojo. This line consists of six primary scents - all unique blends of aroma's and all very enticing. The blends are a product of picky owners and finicky noses coming together to determine what true aroma quality was worthy of the name So-Mojo
Things You'll Need
- Various scented oils - fragrance oils, not essential.
- Grapeseed Oil
- Amber or Cobalt blue bottles with caps and droppers
- plastic pipettes
- cork tiles
- isopropyl alcohol
- lots of papertowels
- Oil burner/warmer
- T-lite candles
- If you have any questions about the items on this list, please contact the author. Assume all items are flammable and are irritants - to be safe.
Instructions
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CAUTION - SAFETY FIRST:
In their pure states, essential and fragrance oils alike should be considered flammable, volatile and irritants. Many oils are different in degree of hazard, but it is best to handle all as if they are the worst. For example, essential pure cinnamon oil will blister and irritate the skin of most people. Eyes and other membranes are particularly in danger when oils are not handled properly. Also, furniture surfaces should be carefully considered. A harmless amount of oil can ruin the surface of a wood table.
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WORKSTATION SET-UP:
This doesn't have to be extreme. In fact, the more diposable your set-up, the better. After all, anything you use will have a scent after the project is done, and you are not going to want to smell all those scents together in your home beyond the length of the project.
KEEP PIPETTES SEPARATE! . Lay out your workstation as follows: place cork tiles against each other on the table. Choose the oils you ant to 'play' with, and lay them out with several inches in front of them available on the cork. Assign a pipette to each oil, and do not mix them up. (see tips)
Have plenty of paper towels handy and clean up any spill or mess immediately. Isopropyl alcohol is a good clean-up tool to have around in case of accidents. It will help dissolve oils enough to make them managable. -
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TESTING AND MATCHING:
It depends on the oils you have. If you have the luxury of buying from a wholesaler, and I have recommended the best in "tips" below, you will be able to get smaller and even free samples in some cases. This is great since you will have more to experiment with.
My experience is that it is better to avoid going into it with a scent in mind that you want to create, although I am sure this will work out as well. Some of the best creations are accidents.
SMELL ALL YOUR OILS (don't touch your nose with them though!)
Get an idea of what your inventory is, and sort them accordingly (sweet versus bitter versus clean, etc.)
USE A NOTEBOOK to jot down what you do so that if you come up with a scent you want to re-create, you will have all the details. Most pipettes have measurements on them, so make an effort to write down the measurement of each drop you contribute (for example: 30ml essential cinnamon from SFHerb)
Use any bottle you want to mix and test. (see warnings)
Go ahead and try your first blend. Here is a good one if you are not the type to jump in feet first. Combine orange fragrance oil and cinnamon fragrance oil. Even substitute the orange for apple. Your blend is up to you, but don't forget to write it down so that when you get it where you want it, it is reproducable!
ONCE YOU FIND THE RIGHT SCENT, cut the oil with grapeseed oil. You will also want to note how much you have added. This oil will not add another scent, but will simply alter the potency of the oil you are creating. In addition, it extends your recipe by a mile, allowing you to create much more than the initial recipe. Grapeseed oil makes the blend more user-friendly. Cutting oils calms the blend down so that it is not quite as flammable, volatile or irritating. You can practically rub this oil on your skin for perfume, unless you have sensitive skin, and feel no side affects. It is also ideal for creating lotions and bath salts with. (future article) -
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BLENDING AND BOTTLING:
Use any bottle you want to mix and test. (see warnings)
ONCE YOU FIND THE RIGHT SCENT, cut the oil with grapeseed oil. You will also want to note how much of this you have added. This oil will not add another scent (unless it is a poor quality grapeseed oil), but will simply alter the potency of the oil you are creating. In addition, it extends your recipe by a mile, allowing you to create much more than the initial recipe. Grapeseed oil makes the blend more user-friendly. Cutting oils calms the blend down so that it is not quite as volatile or irritating. You can practically rub this oil on your skin, unless you have sensitive skin, and feel no affect. It is also ideal for creating lotions and bath salts with. -
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PACKAGING AND SEALING: Once the oil is in the bottles, you should wipe the bottles down and put the caps on. Hold a papertowel over each while tightening the caps as an opportunity to remove other oil residue. Tighten caps well so that oil does not leak.
Labels can be printed on any label stock or even printer paper. I have used printer paper, then used gulf wax to 'seal' the paper so oil would not affect it if spilled (front and back of label) and a glue gun to attach it to the bottle. It looked extremely handmade and nice. -
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IMPORTANT CLEAN-UP:
WASH HANDS with soap. Use your regular cleaning supplies to clean table surfaces. In any case where oil escapes the cork tiles and makes a mess, I recommend a hot soapy washcloth followed by a dry towel, then followed by usual furniture polish.
WASH HANDS with soap.For "tools" used, most items will clean up in the dishwasher (see warnings) or with isopropyl alcohol. Trash should be disposed of right away. Volatility may be a bigger concern in the trash than on the table, since the likelihood of combining oils and chemicals is greater in the trash bag.
and when you're done, WASH HANDS with soap.
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Tips & Warnings
If you are not a "neat freak" it may be more difficult for you to set-up and clean-up. Just remember, the oils and anything oils have been in and on should never touch any surface that is not completely cleanable or disposable.
Never use pipettes in different oils. Always use the same pipette in the same oil. Any oil coming into contact with another will instantly and permenantly contaminate it. Unless it is part of your blend, do not allow oils to become mixed even by use of a tool.
"Cutting" oils refers to the process of diluting them. Not with water, since water and oil do not mix, but with another, non-scented and non-volatile oil, such as grapeseed or almond.
It is important to write the manufacturer of the oil. Trust me when I say, one manufacturers sage is not the same as another's. Even in essential oils, the scent varies, so your blend will also vary if you mix it up a bit, making it hard to reproduce.
Beautiful suppliers: Wellington Fragrance, San Francisco Herb Co., Majestic Mountain Sage, Jody's Soap & Creations
Here is a good one if you are not the type to jump in feet first. Combine orange fragrance oil and cinnamon fragrance oil. Even substitute the orange for apple. Your blend is up to you, but don't forget to write it down so that when you get it where you want it, it is reproducable!
You can double or triple the recipe to mix in a large bottle and pour into the smaller ones, or just use your small recipe to create one bottle at a time. This is much like preparing food recipes. You can even use your purex measuring cups to pour the oils into the smaller bottles (with care of course).
THIS HOBBY CAN BE VERY DANGEROUS ALBEIT VERY REWARDING. IT WOULD BE PREFERABLE FOR US ALL TO HAVE CHEMISTRY DEGREES AND UNDERSTAND THE VOLATILITY OF THESE INGREDIENTS. JUST DON'T GET TOO COMFORTABLE, AND DON'T FORGET THE FOLLOWING WORDS: FLAMMABLE, IRRITANT, VOLATILE!
Follow all directions for safety, as well as any additional instructions from the oil manufacturer.
Always use a surface that is meant for destruction through projects, or cover the surface with something pourous and reliable, such as cork tiles that can be bought at most local hardware or department stores.
If these bottles will be washed in the dishwasher later, please keep them separate from other dishes. Run a load just for these items, and be sure they come out clean before running another load.
