How to Make Perfume Oils

You can make your own flower-scented perfume oils.

Creating your own perfume oils is a wonderful way to personalize your beauty regimen. Not only can you create your personal aromatic blend, the perfume oils will be all-natural and chemical-free.

Things You'll Need

• Clean glass bottle with lid or stopper
• Clear oil such as sweet almond oil
• Flower or fruit parts
• Mortar and pestle
• Glass jar with lid
• Cotton gauze

Instructions

1. Chop up approximately 2 cups of flower or fruit parts that hold the scent you want to use in your perfume oils. Flowers such as lilac, rose, hyacinth and lavender are popular in women's perfume oils. Vanilla bean, cinnamon, ginger, rosemary and citrus peel can also be used. Choose a combination of scents that you enjoy.

2. Use a mortar and pestle to bruise or smash the flowers and other plant parts well. Do not create a mushy mess, since this will be harder to strain from the finished essential oil mixture. Chop up any citrus peels well and crush spices such as cinnamon and cloves.

3. Put the mashed plant parts into a clean glass jar, and cover with a clear oil such as sweet almond oil. Put the lid on tightly and place the jar in a dark, warm place such as a kitchen cabinet or closet. Allow this to sit for several weeks to give time for the plant essences to infuse the oil. Shake the jar regularly to hasten the process.

4. Lay a piece of cotton gauze or cheesecloth over a glass bowl or jar opening, and pour the flower-and-oil mixture through it to strain out the plant parts. Squeeze the cotton gauze to get the maximum amount of scent into the oil. The resultant fragrant oil is the essential oil used to scent the perfume oil.

5. Combine 1 part of this essential oil with 5 parts of an unscented, clear oil such as sweet almond, apricot kernel, safflower or grapeseed oil. Shake this mixture well to mix the scented and base oil, and pour it into the final glass bottle with stopper or cork. Your homemade perfume oil is complete and ready to use. It will keep for approximately 2 years.

Tips & Warnings

• Store-bought essential oils can be used for convenience.

• Never use plant parts treated with pesticides or fertilizers.