Do you have trouble choosing perfumes when you're in a store? Do you find them too strong? For some of us justSmelling Lavender a little dab is still too much. Are looking for a scent that will smell like the real name (rose, for example)? Or one where you can actually pick the ingredients?

If you would like to learn how to make your own perfume at home using essential oils, then read on.

Ingredients of Perfume

When you buy perfume from a store, some ingredients in there you don't know about. The Environmental Working Group reveals that there are "3,163 ingredients hiding behind the word "fragrance". Some of these ingredients are chemicals with unpronounceable names that can cause allergic reactions and have an adverse effect on asthma sufferers.

Have you ever walked by someone and "tasted" their perfume because it was so strong? Don't you hate that?

Making Your Own Perfume

If you are the kind of person who wants to go a little more natural, and avoid all those chemicals, you can make your own perfume at home. How? By mixing essential oils. You can use a single oil or mix and match to get the fragrance you want.

Either one you choose, you will at least have the peace of mind that you are using something that is good for your body (well, body and mind-did you know that essential oils have a lot of emotional benefits, too?) while you are smellin' sweet at the same time.

Next time you have a "girl's night", have one where everyone could make their own custom perfume blend!

The Basics of Perfumery

OK, so how does all this work? Here are some basic tips to help you get started:

Scent Notes:

Top Note: A top note is the first scent you will smell when you apply a fragrance. It is usually a lighter scent that will fade quickly.

Essential oil top notes are: basil, bergamot, cinnamon, clary sage, coriander, eucalyptus, grapefruit, lemon, lemongrass, lime, wild orange, peppermint, melaleuca (tea tree), and thyme.

Middle Note: Middle notes are sometimes called "heart notes". They make up most of the fragrance blend. You can smell them when they are first applied but they usually take 10-30 minutes to fully develop. The middle note usually classifies the fragrance, i.e., floral, musky, etc.

Essential oil middle notes are: black pepper, cypress, fennel, geranium, lavender, marjoram, melissa, rosemary, and white fir.

Base Note: Base notes are the scents that last the longest and help slow the evaporation rates of the top and middle note fragrances.

Essential oil base notes are: cassia, cinnamon, clove, frankincense, ginger, patchouli, sandalwood, vetiver, and ylang ylang.

Making Your Own Fragrance

To start, you will need:

• The essential oil or oils you have chosen.

• A glass bottle to put your perfume in.

• A carrier oil (try doTerra's fractionated coconut oil)

• An eye dropper

• A pen and paper to write your recipe down

Starting with your base note oil, put a few drops in the glass number and record how many you used.

Next, put a few drops of your middle note choice into the glass bottle. Be sure to smell your mixture as you go along, adding more if you want your middle note to be stronger. Don't forget to write it down!

Drop in your chosen top note essential oil. Smell it and adjust to your desired fragrance-add more base or middle notes if you need to.

Once you have the blend smelling the way you want, multiply all the drops in the glass bottle by 4 to calculate the total number of drops of carrier oil you will need. Confusing?

Example: Say you have 10 drops of top note, 10 drops of middle note, and 10 drops of base note=30 drops total.

Multiply those 30 drops by 4 to get the total drops of carrier oil you will need:

30 X 4 = 120 drops of carrier oil

Let your blend mature in a cool, dry place for 2-4 days before you use it. Don't worry-you can still add oils to your blend even after the maturing process if it's not quite where you want it.

Which essential oils are your favorites for perfume?

Creative Perfume Ideas:

Mix #1: peppermint, lavender, sandalwood. This scent is fresh, refreshing, clean, and has a hint of musk

Mix #2: Citrus Bliss, fennel, vetiver. This scent is woodsy, sweet, and citrusy.

Mix #3: cassia, cypress, vetiver. This is a very sweet and spicy scent.

Mix #4: basil, lavender, ylang ylang. This is a fresh and floral scent.

FYI-The top 5 favorite doTerra oils for perfumes are:

• (10% off in February)

• Citrus Bliss • Balance

• Serenity

• Lavender

For best results, apply to your skin (preferably your wrists) instead of your clothes. Have fun-there is no exact recipe when you're doing this, just pick whatever you like or experiment until you discover your perfect fragrance!

Let me know which oils you tried and how you liked them-I can't wait to hear from you!

Your Friend,

Victoria

P.S.-I am looking for a few people to review essential oils. The results of the reviews will be put in my newsletter. If you would like to participate, please contact me to choose an to review and you will receive a Scentball plug in diffuser with 5 scent pads at no charge. Talk to you soon!

Questions? Comments? Email: vicrizer (at) joyfulessentialoils (dot) com

About the Author: Victoria has been using doTerra essential oils since 2010 to improve her overall health and wellness. She will teach you how to use essential oils to relieve specific symptoms and illnesses and how to maintain your physical and emotional health. Victoria is also a Reiki II practitioner with Royal Reiki in Virginia. She has been practicing Reiki for 4 years.

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