The Pleasure of Your Own Perfume

Have you ever thought of making your own perfumes? It is not as hard as you think. Everyone likes things that smell good, and our tastes in what smells good are very individual.

I got started making my own oils and aftershaves because the manufacturers quit making some of my favorites. I tried other flavors, but they can get pretty expensive and if you do not get lots of compliments on them and are not entirely happy with them, it can be an expensive experiment.

The essential secret to making your own oil is simple. You start with a simple carrier like jojoba or almond oil. These do not have much of a scent of their own, and that is what you want, something neutral to start. Then you need something with a bass note, something heavy, but just a little bit of it. Then you add something in the midrange, and finally a top note, something lighter, brighter to round it out.

For aftershave, I use a base of witch hazel. It's great for the skin. It is one of the things that they used in old time barber shops after they shaved you. When I was a kid, they still had those kinds of barber shops where you could get a shave and a haircut (although I was too young to shave at the time).

Anyway, follow the same formula for adding the scent you want. Witch hazel does have a scent of its own, and I like it. Generally the scent I will add to it has the same elements as what I use for a perfume oil.

It is satisfying when people compliment me and ask what I am wearing. They are usually surprised when I tell them that I make it myself. You also have the added factor that it is very economical to blend your own. Bottles of essential oil can be purchased at any health food store or herb shop and even though a little bottle can cost a good bit, they will last quite a while and make quite a few batches.

Use whatever flavors you find appealing. I find it very joyful to experiment with different scents to see which combinations really work well together. Even if you somehow made a mistake and make a batch that you didn't like, you can just throw it away and start over and you still are way ahead of the cost of buying already made perfumes and aftershaves.

The other thing is that they are more natural. There is nothing in my oils except the oils. I never worry about them spoiling because I make small batches and use them up within a couple months and then make a new batch. When you look at the ingredients on most commercially manufactured perfumes, there usually is a long list of things you can't pronounce. Making your own is simple, natural and the end result can be exactly how you like it.