Perfumes have been around for centuries. People extract the oils from plants and animals the mix this with water and alcohol to create the right scent that people will enjoy.
There are various manufactures in the world market. Some use the same ingredients while others have certain secrets which helps differentiate one brand from the other.
The most important ingredient in making perfume are the essential oils. Each one has a different chemical composition so those who want to venture into perfume making have to know the difference between a base, middle, top and bridge notes.
There are books and other related information on the Internet as well as kits that come with an instructional manual. The kits will cost from $30 to $60 and has other things inside that will be needed in mixing and storing the finished product.
The first step in perfume making is the mixing of the oils. The individual will first mix a few drops each of the essential oils. It must always have a certain percentage of base, middle and top note.
It may not smell that good yet which is why the next type of essential oil is needed. This is better known as the bridge note that will blend everything together to create the perfect scent.
After the essential oils have been mixed, this is the time to pour vodka into the mixture. Some chemists have also used an Everclear beverage that is also known to work as an alcohol base.
The general rule when mixing essential oils with alcohol is that a maximum of 20 drops must be administered for every 4 ml. of alcohol.
The last step in perfume making is to add water. Once again, the tube containing all the ingredients should be shaken in order for everything to mix together.
The concoction must be stored in a colored bottle to prevent it from being exposed to light. After two days, the contents can then be placed in a sprayer bottle so that it can already be used.
The person has the option of storing it for a longer period of time. It is best to check on the scent from time to time to make sure nothing is wrong. Those who are not satisfied can add a little more oil into the concoction and wait for a few more days for it to settle in.
Those who do this properly will notice that the scent will stay longer on the skin since some will just disappear within a few minutes.
There are many ways of making perfumes and this will really depend on the taste of the one developing it. Those who want it to last longer can pour more of a base essential oil rather than the middle or top. The important thing is that the person should follow the proper steps in making this happen.
A useful tip when working with essential oils will be to keep notes on everything. There will be some mistakes along the way and reviewing each step will make it easy to narrow down where the error was committed.
Perfume making is a lot of fun. There are more than 30 different oils and the only way to get it right is through trial and error.
July 23, 2010, 06:19:31 AM