Some secrets about home-made perfumes!

There are some things I have come up while studying the process of making perfume at home. These depend mostly on incoming knowledge, and do not come up easily on their own -exept after long time-consuming trials and experienced observation, so I have called them secrets. They are not so secret ofcourse, as one can find a lot of related information in the internet, but it took me quite a while to put all of these together! One of the things that I found very helpful but a bit difficult to embed -to be honest, is the so-called bouquet of the perfume, that is the making of a full-scale aroma that fullfils the sense of smelling (it is said to resemble a rainbow-like ladder scaling from the stronger to the less strong smells, as well as the pallette of sweet, bitter, salty, etc scents, much like what happens with the other senses of taste, hearing, or vision imagine colours in a prism. Note: there are also scents out of our conscious knowing, let aside perceiving them! For instance, a smoker may not be able to notice some scents, or his/her perception of scents might be altered due to the effects of the smoke on the nose!). This knowledge of the bouquet of the perfume or of the properties of the human smelling perception, has some secrets following it: @S1-...'Secret' One: The bouquet refers to including essential oils in the perfume that come from all the range of scents so-called base, middle, and top notes. Top, middle, base notes analysed: Top notes tend to be really impressive (they make the first impression of the perfume) but also evaporate quite soon: from a few minutes to about 2 hours, while middle notes stay longer (2-4 hours). Base notes arefor many- some not so nice scents, but they stay the longest (in some cases for days), and the right combination with middle notes secures a good harmony. There are essential oils that belong to two close sorts, such as rose (both top and middle note). Nevertheless, I find it useful to present here a limited example-list of Top, Middle, and Base notes: I) examples of Top notes: Anise, Basil, Chamomile, Citronella, Eycalyptus, Grapefruit, Red Rose, Lavender, Lemongrass, Lime, Mandarine, Mint, Orchid, Orange, Bergamont, Spearmint etc. [citrusy essential oils (look below) make the main general idea of this notes]. II) Middle notes: Apple, Bay, Rosewood, Carrot, Honeysuckle, Clovebud, Cypress, Clarysage, Carnation, Cedarwood, Dill, Jasmine, Opium, Pine, Rosemary etc. [here are included most essential oils] III) Base notes: these are, in general, the hardest to find and the most unexpectedly- not so nice to put in my perfume. Base essential oils are for instance Fernn, Garlic, Cardamon, Myrinth, Patchouli, which have proven very strong and persistant. There are also some quite nicer like Vanilla, Cinnamon, Nutmeg, Coconut, Violet, Sandalwood etc in this category, which on the one side are easier to find, but for some reason do not act like base notes so much as the previous ones (they evaporate soon). ...!Some tips here: -Base Oils: These are odourless and colourless oils that are used to dissolve the essential oils into (pure essential oils are too strong, even dangerous to put on the skin directly!). I have tried almond oil (better for massage, as is too 'greasy' - absorbs slowly) and jojoba oil (good for oil perfume, look below in the analogies-section). -Order of adding the essential oils: One should add in the alcohol or base oil (jojoba or almond oil) first the top notes , then the middle, and last but not least the base notes. Or she/he could make an essential oil blend to have ready to use in other solutions. -Men and womens perfumes: a special observation refers to the fact that due to differences on the skin of men and women, what are top notes for women, generally are middle notes for men. The ladder goes down one step. Therefore, what are mibble notes for women are in general base notes for men and so on. This observation is ofter made when a man and a woman wear the same perfume: the impression differs -in some cases it seems like a different perfume! One could look

into this matter more, as I rather prefer and why not, advise!- experimenting creatively rather than imitate taken-for-granted recipes! @S2...-Apart from including all range of essential oils (base, middle, top), harmony also means that the combination of essence oils is balanced to a degree that it makes a nice-to-smell bouquet. There are no absolute laws to manage this, but generally speaking, the categorisation of essence oils in groups of the same kind of basic element or scent, helps us have a general guide-map. Therefore, the Second Secret of making perfume at home is to choose essential oils that go well toghether such as florals and/or spicy and/or citrusy and/or woodsy. In order to present in more detail the generally approved combinations, I have noted below a list of essential oils that belong to each of the categories thus used. Categories of essential oils analysed:

A full floral 'bouquet' a) floral: essential oils belonging to this category come from flowers, eg. Lavender, Jasmine, Rose. b) woodsy : here we have trees such as Pine, Cedar. c) earthy: Oakmoss, Vetiner belong to this category. d) herbaceous: here we have Rosemary, Basil, Marjoram, that is essential oils that come from herbs found in kitchens for instance. e) spicy: Nutmeg, Clove, Cinnamon are a few examples of this category. f) minty: here are the Peppermint and Spearmint essential oils. g)camphorous is the next category, including Eycalyptus, Cajuput, TeaTree essential oils. h) oriental include Ginger, Patchouli essential oils. i) citrusy: in this category we have Lemon, Orange, Lime. According to the above example of what makes a good comination in general, that is 'florals and/or spicy and/or citrusy and/or woodsy' go well toghether, there are also some ideas: 1. spicy+/oriental+/citrus+/floral, 2. Minty+/woodsy+/herbaceous+/earthy +/citrusy. In other words, for instance, minty essential oils do not tend to blend so good toghether with florals. Also, essential oils belonging to one category blend together well with each other. Experience though plays the most important role, as well as to what is the final goal of the creation of a perfume: distinctiveness, salience, could overule these laws, so as to come up with something original and unique, and in this way memorable! @S3...-'Secret' Three: For the perfume to stay longer on the skin you can use a small quantity of liquid glycerine -I have found that in drug stores. This depents also from the analogies of essential oils / alcohol and distilled water, that is the more essential oils => the stronger the power of the perfume. Therefore, I use the following quantities (including glycerine): Analogies of liquids analysed: a) For Oil Perfume (the strongest): eg. 2 tsp (15 ml) jojoba or almond oil with 20-30 drops of essential oils and 1-2 drops of glycerine (not so much needed here). b) For Perfume (very strong too): 30% essential oils + 70% solution (of which 95% alchol and 5% distilled water) eg. 13 ml alcohol, 70 drops of essential oils, 1 ml distilled water, 1 ml glycerine (makes 20 ml of Perfume). c) For Eau de Perfume (less, but also strong): 15% essential oils + 85% solution (of which 90% alchol and 10% distilled water) eg. 13 ml alcohol, 30 drops of essential oils, 1.5 ml distilled water, 1 ml glycerine (makes 20 ml of Eau de perfume).

d) For Eau de Toilette (medium strong): 10% essential oils + 90% solution (of which 80% alchol and 20% distilled water) eg. 14 ml alcohol, 23 drops of essential oils, 3.5 ml of distilled water, 1 ml glycerine (for 20 ml of Eau de toilette, too). e) For Eau de Cologne (mild, to just refreshing): 5% essential oils + 95% solution (of which 75% alchol and 25% distilled water) eg. 13 ml alcohol, 12 drops of essential oils, 4,5 ml distilled water, 1 ml glycerine (=20 ml eau de Cologne).

!Some tips here again:

-Carrier Liquids: alcohol, distilled water, base oils, are carrier-liquids of the perfume, that is they do not (or should not) have a scent of their own, and they are used to carry the essential oils so as to put them without danger on our skin. Alcohol has to be at least 95, so you can use vodka or tsikoudia (a cretan drink) instead! -Order of adding the liquids: Here I should note that in adding the liquids, I follow a rule: I pour the essential oils into the alcohol and leave to stand still for 48 hours (a day and a night). Then I pour the alcohol into the distilled water (in a different bottle) and leave for two weeks shaking kindly every day. When the two weeks are over, I pour in the glycerine as well as a drop of coloured water to give a special character. I shake well and I leave for some hours. Then my perfume is ready to put on, as well as to decorate the bottle however I like. -Making our own aromatic blend personal perfume: Also, I prefer to make a trial oil perfume at first, to wear on me, so as to know the scent on my skin, and then go into production! In this way, I can use it by adding alcohol, and other liquids so as to produce for instance eau de perfume or eau de toilette. It is of great importance to write down everything you put in (even one drop of essence oil) because then you can make it again without the base oils and have the same effect (do not use the aromatic blend directly on your skin!). -Different uses: Once you have reached your favorite blend of essential oils, you can make aromatic candles, soaps, wardrobe paper, and a lot more products to make your home and car filled with your special aroma. Also, you can make special gifts for beloved ones, or suites of personal aromatherapy, or enhance meditating experience, by selecting specific essential oils like for instance lavender, rosemary, peppermint, ylang-ylang, and lemon, that have been proven as stress-relievers. I have thought about selling perfumes too, in limited editions, just to cover the expences of the first materials and continue my hobby to reach personal fulfillment. Others make it a profitable business, such as aromatic soaps, aromatherapy massage oils etc.

..To sum up: after having gathered the needed liquids and bottles, one should decide about the kind of solution he/she intends to make. Pour into the base liquid (either base oil, or alcohol) first the top, then the middle, and lastly the base notes essetial oils. Shake the solution kindly and quickly and leave for 48h undisturbed. Into the distilled water, pour the above solution and shake from time to time leaving for two weeks. In the end, add in the glycerine and/or the colourings and decorate your bottle as you wish!

I hope I have contributed to your personal fullfilment by this article, as I have been helped by others before me!

Making Perfume at home ......some ideas!

Home-made perfume and hand-made necklace

Crystal Necklace

Hand-decorated bottle

Making my own perfume started as a hobby. Now is a passion. Making home-made perfume is not such an easy task, but it promises a lot of surprise. Especially if someone -like-me- combines the wish to make something practical and aesthetically special at the same time. On this product I have used my artistic spirit, my mathematical knowledge, as well as a series of materials that I found in local stores. PERFUME: For the perfume I used (in precise quantities): a) 73 ml pure alcohol b) 170 drops of essential oils in various quantities c) 8 ml distilled water d) 5 ml liquid glycerine e) a drop of blue coloured water The above liquids were used in the following order: -First, I poured the alcohol in a glass bottle, then added one-by-one the essential oils (White Musk, Miro, Palma Rose, Jasmine, Azahar), and left the solution to sit in a cool dark place for 48 hours.

-Then, I carried the alcohol and the essential oils in a spray bottle where I had added the distilled water first, and shook the bottle with care (I tend to think alcohol blends better with distilled water if it is poured into the water, not the other way around). I left the solution for two weeks, shaking now and then during the day. -When the two weeks were over, I added the liquid glycerin, as well as a drop of blue colored water. For the decoration of the bottle I used stickers that are resistant to water and marker pens. NECKLACE: The necklace consists of crystal beads with my favorite color for this period - veraman - and gold tubed beads, with no closer, as the two ends of the necklace are tied in a knot. I can wear it with many different ways! I hope you enjoyed my ideas and ...have fun!