How To Make Perfume – An Introduction

Making your own perfume at home is technically a very easy skill to learn but the art of creating a beautiful original fragrance is something that can take many years and a bit of talent to master. The old adage of 1% inspiration and 99% perspiration most definitely rings true in perfumery.

Once you have learned the basics it really is down to practice, experimentation and really getting to know your materials. Smell everything with intent as you go about your day and make a note of anything that strikes you or stands out in your environment.  It could be someone cutting their lawn or the fleeting smell in the air as spring turns to summer.  All of these things are inspiration, smells link to memories and all it takes is another whiff of that one thing and the precise moment will come flooding back into your consciousness.

Along with inspiration you need to learn the basic technical aspects of constructing a fragrance.  Most commercial perfumes are made with a percentage of aromatic materials both natural and synthetic blended with alcohol (Denatured Ethanol) and deionised water.  In the UK you need a licence to buy and store denatured ethanol and if you are making perfume at home as a hobby rather than a business it may be quite difficult (but not impossible) to get. If you cannot get perfume grade alcohol it is better to make either a solid perfume or an oil based perfume using fractioned coconut or jojoba oil as a base.  There are many recipes online that suggest using vodka instead of perfumery grade alcohol, but you will not be happy with the results.  Develop your skills using base oils first and if you want to pursue perfumery further then take the necessary steps required to get a proper alcohol license.