Where to Design Our Own Perfume
You can design your own perfume at home or contact one of several specialty perfume manufacturers that will custom-blend a perfume for you. To make your own at home, use an alcohol base or a carrier oil, such as almond oil, and use actual herbs, plants and flowers as well as essential oils extracted from the same. Does this Spark an idea?
-
Make an Herbal Infusion
-
Decide what herbs, dried flowers or dried plants you want to include in your perfume. Consider dried lavender, lemon rind, rose petals, dried rosemary or dried white sage. Use one or several.
Place at least one cup of fresh herbs or one-half cup of dried herbs into a medium-size stainless steel pot. Add one cup of filtered water. Cover, bring to a boil and lower to simmer for 10 minutes. Then steep it for 10 minutes. Drain the liquid in a paper coffee filter set in a clean glass jar. Let it cool.
Pick an Alcohol or Oil Base
-
For a perfume that you can dab or spritz, pour one-half cup of grain alcohol (bought online or in a specialty store) in a dark-colored glass container. Add half a cup of the herbal infusion (created above).
Add several drops of any essential oils you like, such as clary, sage, geranium or chamomile. Cover the mixture with a tight-fitting lid and let it sit in a dark, cool place for two weeks.
If you want to use this perfume as a body oil, pour half a cup of almond oil in a dark-colored glass container. Add half a cup of the herbal infusion (created previously). Add additional dried herbs, if you like, and essential oils. Cover tightly and allow to "cure" for two weeks.
Use the alcohol-based perfume by pouring it into several small spray bottles or decorated bottles and dabbing or spritzing it onto your body.
Use the oil based-perfumes by smoothing them onto your skin sparingly.
-
Safeguards
-
Be aware that certain essential oils can lead to a photochemical reaction. For example, if you make a strong rosemary and lemon infusion and place jt in an alcohol base, it may react with strong sun exposure, creating a rash on your skin.
Use herbs, plants and flowers that you know you are not allergic to. Or, do a skin-patch test to be sure: Dab a small amount of the essential oils on your inner elbow and cover the area with a bandage overnight. If you have any skin irritation in the morning, discontinue use.
-
