Essential Oils are used for practical, therapeutic purposes all the time, but from time to time it is nice to be able to use them to make us feel good and smell good too!
We’ve got three simple, easy perfume DIY’s for you that are perfect for gifting (Christmas gifts, anyone?) or whipping up your own batch of personalized scent.
Vanilla Orange Blossoms
What you’ll need:
- 3 drops Orange Blood Citrus sinensis
- 2 drops Vanilla Oleoresin Vanilla planifolia
- 1 drop Ylang Ylang Complete Cananga odorata
- 6 drops Polysorbate 20
What you’ll do:
Blend with 10 ml (1/3 oz) of witch hazel or alcohol such as vodka or rum.
Woodland Blooms
What you’ll need;
- 3 drops Mandarin Citrus reticulata
- 2 drops Cedarwood Himalayan Cedrus deodara
- 1 drop Jasmine Absolute Jasminum sambac
- 6 drops Polysorbate 20
What you’ll do:
Blend with 10 mL (1/3 oz) of witch hazel or alcohol such as vodka or rum.
Peaceful Fields
What you’ll need:
- 2 drops Sandalwood Australian Santalum spicatum
- 2 drops Neroli Citrus x aurantium
- 2 drops Bergamot Citrus bergamia
- 6 drops Polysorbate 20
What you’ll do:
Blend with 10 mL (1/3 oz) of witch hazel or alcohol such as vodka or rum.
How wood I make the wood spice blend plus vanilla into a cologne?
There are a couple ways to make a DIY cologne. One of the easiest is to use a 10 mL roll-on with a base of carrier oil or Everclear. And then you would use between 6-9 total drops of essential oils. The ratio would depend on how prominent you want the Vanilla to be. You could start with 2 drops Vanilla and 4 drops Woodspice and then add a drop or two more of each to get the blend that you want!
Will polysorbate 80 work? Also can I just use rose EO?
You can definitely use just Rose in your perfume. However, we recommend sticking with Polysorbate 20 as 80 is best used for heavier oils. You could also use a carrier oil or Everclear and avoid the need for polysorbate altogether.
I can’t wait to try all of these recipes, they sound like they’ll be amazing!
I am very excited to try making perfume. I have a step sensitivity to fragrances so our household has been basically unscented for years. I’m loving getting into diffusing and really can’t wait to try some perfume for myself. 🙂
I didn’t know what Polysorbate 20 is, so I did a search and saw an article on how Polysorbate 20 is on an ingredient watch list? Says it could be contaminated with carcinogenic 1/4 Dioxane? True or false? Thanks.
I never realized how easy it is to make EO perfumes. I used this recipe and made my favorite (Ylang Ylang) at the proper dilution. I also added the proper Poly Sorbate. This will go great with my Body Wash and Body Butter. Thank you for posing such an easy recipe. I just love it!!
I have been searching for a way to make spray cologne without alcohol for my husband and this has been soooo helpful!!! Thank you PT!!!
I don’t have Orange Blood. Wood one of the other orange oils work?
Absolutely!
So glad I came across a link to this post on the SEOR fb page! What great recipes, can’t washout to try them out!
One of my New Years resolutions is to use my oils for more than diffusing, thank you for all the ideas
So excited to read these posts! I am trying to learn more about how to make EO perfumes to replace synthetic perfumes.
I would like to try the peaceful fields but do not have Neroli Citrus x aurantium in hand. Do have some other citrus oil.
Would you recommend a few good substitutes if there is any?
Thanks!
Neroli is such a unique essential oil that it’s pretty challenging to find an appropriate substitute. Palmarosa or Lavender Fine have a similar floral-fresh aroma that you may want to try if you don’t have Neroli, but overall it will still be a very different scent than the recipe 🙂 But probably still a really wonderful one!
Appreciate the follow up and suggestion! 🙂
I’m so excited to try these!
Thank you for all the ideas. I spend so much time reading everyones ideas. So inspiring. Thanks
I am so glad that I just found this blog. I cant wait to try these recipes. I really like floral scents.
can vegetable glycerin be used in place of the Polysorbate?
Can I just mix the oils in to a carrier oil like FCO and apply with a roller ball? It does the emulsifier help the scent to stay on the skin longer? Sorry I’m a bit cluless.
You could mix with a carrier oil of your choice instead. The emulsifier helps blend the oils with the liquid in the original recipes.
My daughter has been asking to make a perfume mix with the essential oils., Thank You PT for sharing these!!
I want to try this!
Has Plant Therapy ever considered carrying Polysorbate 20?
Kathi, at this time we do not have any information about carrying that product. I would be happy to pass it along as a suggestion for you though 🙂
I saw polysorbate 20 on Walmart.com Also on Amazon
Wholesale Supplies Plus has a great selection of preservatives, labels etc. I seldom use chemicals in my mixtures, but once in a while they are helpful, for items like room sprays.
Peaceful Fields is ahhh-mazing!! I used a carrier oil, 10 ml bottle, to avoid the alcohol and polysorbate, still fantastic, my new favorite! Thank you for the suggestions, I’ve been wanting to make some personal scents but thought ‘what if it doesn’t turn out well?’ Would hate to waste the oils! Thanks again!
Does the scent last long using this method?
A lot of customers have said it’s lasted most of the work day!
Definitely going to try these!!!! Thanks PT!
Which would retain the scent longer throughout the day… this or the solid perfume recipes on the blog?
Niki, I would say the solid perfume as it absorbs into the skin slower
Thank you for these lovely perfume recipes !!! I love Plant Therapy’s blog. I have spent hours looking through all of your useful information.
This is exactly what I was looking for! Thank you so much!
I don’t know why I never thought about making a perfume. I am getting such good ideas from this blog!
The scent is a little faint to me. Should I add more drops or will the scents intensify over time?
Also, is vegetable glycerin a suitable alternative to polysorbate or alcohol as an emulsifier?
And a final question: can hydrosols be used as a base in place of witch hazel / alcohol?
Jas, please email one of our Certified Aromatherapists for additional information at [email protected]
Can peru balsam substitute the vanilla oleoresin in the orange blossom recipe? I have everything except vanilla.
Peru Balsam is my first choice as a substitution for Vanilla
As a perfume lover, i wil ldefinetely try this..
Can I use isopropyl alcohol?
Alex, that is not a product that we carry, so you would want to do some more research before trying.
Isopropyl alcohol is very harsh on the skin! It’s drying & damaging.
I definitely need to try these! They sound like they would smell amazing.
Thank you, thank you! I can’t wait to try these!!!!!!!! They sound wonderful!
I just made them ALL in roller bottles and they are AMAZING!!!!!!!!
That’s awesome! Did you use the poly 20? Or since they are in roller bottles did you use a differet base?
can’t wait to try all of them! 😀
Hi! I thought witch hazel would be considered mostly “water” and would need a preservative? The alcohol level in it wouldn’t be enough to preserve it. I know it was the first question asked but it was from 2017. Could you please clarify this?
I learn so much from this blog, and even more from the comments! Thank you PT for being so responsive to your customers by answering questions!
Can I use just 190 proof alcohol and leave out the poly?
If 20% or more of your recipe is the alcohol, yes.
I can’t wait to try these out! I’ve been looking for some good diys to use my newly acquired Jasmine.
I need to try these, ever since I started using oils, I cannot stand most perfumes and body sprays, even my favorite go to body spray now smells like chemicals to me. Thanks for the ideas, I am definitely going to try them! I love these blogs! Thanks Plant Therapy
You’re so welcome, Danielle! We are so glad you’re liking our blogs and getting some good ideas from them 🙂
Looking forward to trying these perfume recipes. Thanks for sharing!
Let us know which one is your favorite!
I infused vanilla oleoresin in jojoba oil and used that and put rose absolute in my perfume bottle from last year’s July sales. I love the way it smells.
I tried the recipe with Jasmine and LOVE IT!!!! I used a spray bottle.
Hey. What can I use instead of the poly? If there is nothing less chemical I can use, how long will last without anything?
Here is some more information about using alcohol as an emulsifier, maybe this will help you. 🙂
http://tisserandinstitute.org/effective-use-alcohol-aromatic-blending/
The Tisserand website is a godsend! It’s helping me to understand the science behind making formulations that work. Thanks for including the link.
Any suggestions for manly scents?
Here is a great cologne recipe for men:
3 drops Cedarwood Himalayan or Atlas
2 drops Frankincense Frereana
1 drop Sandalwood Australian or Indian
6 drops Polysorbate 20
Blend with 10 ml (1/3 oz) of witch hazel or alcohol such as vodka or rum.
I hope this helps!
Ooh. Thanks. I will be trying this one.
Any suggestions on sandalwood substitutions? I have Cedarwood and Frankincense, but would love to see if something else I already have would work well with these two.
My husband really likes wood spice synergy!
Hello, Can this recipe be used in a spray bottle?
You can 🙂
Hi, is it possible to use Polysorbate 80 instead of Polysorbate 20?
From our understanding Polysorbate 20 is best for use with this recipe. Polysorbate 80 is often the best choice when trying to emulsify heavier, fatty oils, like carrier oils. I hope this helps!
By when do you plan to have emulsifiers and witch hazel on your site?
Mani, these are not products we will be offering on our website. Plant Therapy’s focus is on providing 100% pure, high-quality essential oils and educating on safe usage. These products can be found on Amazon.
I’m so glad you guys aren’t expanding. I feel like too many companies try to do it all. Much better to have a niche.
Does it matter if the witch hazel is alcohol-free?
Elana, you can use alcohol-free witch hazel, but you may need to use a preservative as well.
what will happen if we don’t use emulsifier?
Putra, if you do not use an emulsifier the essential oils will not disburse properly into the liquid and could cause skin irritation.
What if you just shake well before applying?
We would not recommend it. The risks outweigh any benefits.
Thank you so much for posting these recipes! I’ve read some not good things about Polysorbate 20 – is there an alternative emulsifier you would recommend?
Hi Lily! Yes, Solubol is also good.
Can I use another emulsifier?
Lisa, you can use another emulsifier.
Where can I get the polysorbate 20 at?
I would like to know that also and what brand of Polysorbate 20 is good?
I haven’t seen any difference in different brands. I usually purchase from companies that have good customer service ratings.
Gail, we should have this available in the near future. In the meantime you can find it on Amazon.
Where can I find other perfume recipes to put in my bottle. I do not have any of these oils.
Hi Melissa. You can use almost any essential oil if there are certain oils or blends that you really like.
Would this work in a 10 ml roller bottle?
Yes, you could use a 10 ml roller bottle.
Is a preservative needed? Or should I use Everclear? Thank you for the suggestions. And the gift 🙂
Lisa, thank you for your question. It is not necessary to use a preservative but it is important to use an emulsifier. We have added the Polysorbate 20 to these recipes.
Wouldn’t Everclear emulsify the oils? Then you wouldn’t need the polysorbate 20?
Yes, Everclear would also be a great emulsifier
What is everclear?
It is a high proof grain alcohol that is used to disperse essential oils in many DIY perfume recipes, and it does not require a preservative.