Make Solid Perfume

Because it's easy to make, solid perfume opens the door to experimentation, creativity and individuality. Whether you're looking to set yourself apart with a unique scent or you're not so fond of the alcoholic undertones in most liquid perfumes, these instructions will show you how to create an inexpensive alternative.

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon beeswax (available at most craft shops) or petroleum jelly
  • 1 tablespoon almond oil (or jojoba oil or vitamin E - available at natural foods/health stores)
  • 8-15 drops essential oil (available from most health food stores.)
  • 1 container (preferably glass, ceramic or stone but plastic is acceptable)
  • 1 straw (or similar object)
  • 1 small glass jar or Pyrex bowl for mixing
  • 1 saucepan

Example Scent Recipe #1

  • 6 drops orange essential oil
  • 4 drops ylang-ylang oil
  • 4 drops bergamot oil
  • 3 drops rosewood essential oil
  • 3 drops frankincense oil
  • 2 drops jasmine oil

Example Scent Recipe #2

  • 5 drops jasmine essential oil
  • 4 drops rose essential oil
  • 2 drops ylang-ylang essential oil
  • 2 drops cedar essential oil

Steps

  1. Gather your supplies and ingredients as listed in the "Things You'll Need" section.
  2. Measure out the wax and almond oil into the small glass jar or Pyrex bowl.
  3. Melt the wax. Put about an inch of water in a small saucepan, then rest the jar or bowl containing the wax in the water. Bring the water around it to a boil. The wax will melt gradually.
  4. Remove the wax from heat when the wax is 100% liquid.
  5. Stir in the essential oil with a thin stirring stick. A thin stirring stick is used because the wax will start to form a solid on whatever you do your stirring with — your goal should be to find something that has as little surface area as possible so you lose less of the end product, and also something disposable so you don't have to clean it off. Mix thoroughly.
  6. Pour the liquid wax into your final container. In about 30 minutes, it will be cooled, solid and ready to use. This will yield about one half ounce (by volume) of solid perfume.
  7. Apply perfume. To use the perfume, simply rub a finger around on the surface of the waxy perfume, then rub that finger on the area you want to smell good — the inside of your wrists and behind the ears works well. You can also use solid perfume in many other ways:
    • Make a simple cedarwood perfume to rub on dog collars. The scent of cedar repels ticks, and smells good too!
    • Make a cedar or cypress rub for feet — this prevents fungus and bacteria-related foot odour.
    • Make a calm and relaxing scent using chamomile or lavender essential oils.
    • Apply sparingly on Make Business Cards with Vista Print — this Japanese tradition makes your card unique and memorable.
    • Rub on the inside of your wallet to get rid of dirty money smells.



Tips

  • For an on-the-go applicator, clean out a Chapstick tube and fill it with the melted liquid wax.
  • Remember to mix it well, or the scent might not smell as strong.
  • Candle factories have scented oils that mimic brand name perfumes and work well in wax.
  • The only ingredient that can be expensive is the essential oil, especially if you make a complex scent blend requiring an initial investment in many different oils. Of course, there's nothing wrong with picking a single pleasant scent. One bottle of essential oil will make lots and lots of perfume as you use only drops of essential oil at a time.
  • Check out various aromatherapy sites for info on the psychological properties of various scents.
  • For a cool gift, find an appealing container at your thrift store to make it special. For fingers to access the solid perfume inside, the container must be bowl-like, not bottle-like.
  • Most stores that sell essential oils have sampler bottles that you can use to "preview" the different scents. Open two or three at a time to get a combined whiff to find a good combination. Pick a primary scent and use more of that one, then one or two "background" scents, using less of each. Some nice essentials for background scents are:
    • Clary sage, a slightly smoky herbal scent to help creativity and concentration
    • orange or ginger to provide a warming sensation
    • ylang-ylang - a floral that isn't too sweet or feminine for guys, but is a happy smell and subtle enough for a backdrop
    • cedar to repel insects

Related Articles

Sources and Citations

Retrieved from "https://kipkis.com/index.php?title=Make_Solid_Perfume&oldid=359009"