It is no secret that commercial fragrances are made almost exclusively of synthetic petrochemicals, which can cause allergies and irritation, and can be too overpowering. Personal perfumes made with essential oils are emotionally and physically therapeutic: they are completely natural, they smell lovely, and they can enhance your physical and emotional well-being. Besides, natural perfumes are easy to make and they cost way cheaper than the commercial products.

A classic perfume is made of the harmonious blending of the three so called “perfumery notes”: top, middle and base. The classification of odors by notes was first outlined by the French perfumer named Septimus Piesse, who in the mid 19th century wrote in his book “The Art of Perfumery”: “As an artist would blend his colours, so must a perfumer blend his scents”. The principle behind the classification by notes is the speed with which a particular component evaporates, or its volatility: if it’s fast, it is generally called a top note; those with a slower evaporation rate, a middle note; and those that evaporate much slower, a base note. When you smell a perfume, it is the top note that comes out first, and the base note that stays the longest. The mid note is what usually holds the whole aromatic composition together.

All essential oils are classified into groups by perfumery notes, and that is how you start selecting them for your synergy: ideally, there should be all three notes present, but not necessarily at equal proportions. Note however, that some of the oils fall under two perfumery notes at the same time, like lavender (top to middle), jasmine and patchouli (middle to base), for example. The most commonly used essential oils as top notes are: lemon, orange, grapefruit and bergamot. Among the middle notes some of the most popular are: lavender, jasmine, cinnamon, geranium, patchouli. And finally, these oils are often included as base notes: benzoin, frankincense and cedarwood.

Natural perfumes can be made in the solid form (wax-base), roll-on oil (carrier oil base, like jojoba or fractionated coconut oil) or spray (alcohol-base). The easiest to make and to use, most effective and less expensive would be the roll-on perfume oil. All you need is to create your essential oil composition and add it to the carrier oil of your choice. This way you can not only use it as a roll-on perfume, but can also add it to your sea salt for a luxurious and unforgettable bath experience.

Ready to go chemical-free and to create your own unique natural perfume that does not only smells good, but benefits your physical and emotional health? Come and join me for a natural perfume creation session! All details can be found here.