How To Make Fragrance Oils

Fragrance oils are great for layering with perfume or even as an alternative to perfume. Making your own fragrance oils also gives you the option of making your own fragrance if you can't find a scent you like. It is also a more economical way to enjoy single-note fragrances, or even make your own "designer imposter" fragrance. Here are the steps for making your own fragrance oil.

1. Find a base oil. There are a lot of choices here. Many of the choices have other benefits, so you may want to compare.
   • Jojoba, for example, is an amazing conditioner for both skin and hair.
   • Arnica oil is great for massage - it reduces inflammation, helps aching joints, and helps heal bruises.
   • Another good choice is grapeseed oil, frequently used in moisturizers because of its antioxidant properties. It works on a cellular level to repair damaged and stressed tissues - including stretch marks - and restructures the skin by controlling the levels of moisture in the skin. It even keeps the nerve cells in the skin healthy.
   • If you are looking for a more economical base, vegetable oils such as canola oil, peanut oil, almond oil, and safflower oil, sesame oil, and soybean oil are all readily available in large quantities at the supermarket, and are great moisturizers as well. Rice bran oil is also an economical choice, and it contains a lot of antioxidants that will make your skin glow.
   • Depending on how strong a fragrance you are adding, you can make a very cheap version by using olive oil, and you will still have incredibly smooth skin.
2. Pick the concentrated scented oils you are going to use in your fragrance. This is where you'll use your imagination. You can use a single-note scent, like peach or vanilla, or mix together scents to create your own signature scent. It's easy to find scented oils. The Body Shop has a great selection of popular fragrances, including several variations of musk. You can also find an endless selection at any health food or alternative health store relatively inexpensively. You might think that the bottles are expensive for their small size, but you'll be surprised how much power a single drop has. That little bottle will last you a long time! There are endless choices - even bubble gum!
   
3. Find a good container. A dark-colored glass container will preserve your fragrance better than a clear plastic or clear glass container. Light affects many oils and changes fragrances, so once you have the scent the way you want it, be sure to keep it away from light as well.
4. Protect your surfaces. This process can get messy, so put down a protective layer on the surface where you're working, especially if it's a wood surface. A thick plastic sheet would be fine.
5. Add the base oil to the bottle. Using a funnel is a good idea unless you have a very steady hand.
6. Drop your fragrance in the oil one drop at a time with an eyedropper. This allows you to gauge the strength of the fragrance in the oil, lest you add too much. How do you gauge the strength of your fragrance? Remember, a little goes a long way. A good rule of thumb is 3 drops of scent for each 1 ounce of oil - more if you like a stronger fragrance, or 1-2 drops if you want a light scent. If you want a strong fragrance, add one drop at a time, and leave the mixture for a few hours, then go back and try a little on your skin. Do this every few hours until you have an intensity you like.
7. Start the "infusing" process. Once you are satisfied with the strength and scent of your fragrance oil, make sure the cap is on tight and set it aside in a dark place for a few days for it to "infuse". This allows the scented mixture to "mature" and reach its final strength. When you are mixing the fragrance, the scent is still concentrated, so before you can use it, it needs times to combine with the whole container of oil. Then it will be ready for use.

Enjoy!