I’ve never been a great fan of commercially available perfume. It’s very challenging to find a scent I actually like enough to wear and I find a strong scent is overpowering and sickly.
I do love essential oils though, so when I made my first roll on perfume, I was hooked!
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I think roll on is an awesome alternative to shop bought perfume for several reasons:
- There are so many essential oils available so it’s not hard to find scents you enjoy.
2. It’s cost effective. Yes, good quality essential oil can be expensive, but you only use 20 drops per 10ml roller bottle.
3. A bottle lasts a long time and the scent lasts well on your skin.
4. The ingredients are all natural.
5. The scent is less “cloying” and more subtle than many commercial perfumes.
6. You can custom make your own scent combinations.
I know a lot of people talk about the health benefits of essential oils and I’ll be completely up front about the way I personally use them. I have never discerned any physical health benefits from my use of essential oils. I just like the scents, both on my skin and diffused into the air. Nice scents make me happy, and that is why I use them!
You don’t need to be daunted by the idea of making your own perfume, it’s really so simple you won’t believe it!
You will need a few key ingredients though, and you may not have these already.
For Australian readers, these products can all be purchased from an Australian based company:
- Essential oils You can purchase these as either single oils (eg. lavender) or blended (will usually have a name eg. “harmony blend”.)
- Fractionated Coconut oil (This oil is formulated to not solidify at room temperature. This is important, as we need a liquid carrier).
Or, for my international visitors, these products can be purchased on Amazon.
- Essential oils. You can purchase these as either single oils (eg. lavender) or blended (will usually have a name eg. “harmony blend”.)
Safety warning:
Not all essential oils are recommended for use on the skin. Many can be used safely when mixed with a carrier (as we do to make the perfume roller bottles) but you should always spot test before you start using them routinely, just to ensure there is no reaction. There are some oils that should not be used during pregnancy.
There is a really good article here that lists the potential dangers of oils if not used correctly, and this page lists oils that are either safe or not safe during pregnancy.
Let me show you how easy it is to make these!
The recipe for the bottle I’m making here is my absolutely favourite. It’s like candy floss without the sickliness! This is for one 10ml roller bottle:
- A little less than 10ml of fractionated coconut oil
- 14 drops lavender essential oil
- 3 drops geranium essential oil
- 3 drops rose 3% essential oil
Firstly, gather all your ingredients together, including the essential oils (if using more than one) you will need. Remove the lid and the roller seal from the top of your bottle so that it’s open at the top.
Pour in the coconut oil until the bottle is around halfway full.
Now drip in your chosen essential oils. If you have a larger bottle of essential oil without a stopper, you may want to use a drip tool for better precision.
Continue to fill the bottle with your coconut oil, but don’t fill to the very top, as this leaves no room for shaking and could overflow when you put your roller top back on.
Place the roller top back on, pushing it down so that it seals. Replace the lid.
Give the bottle a light shake and you’re good to go!
I like to roll my scents onto my wrists and on my neck, below my ear lobes.
I also love to diffuse scents in my studio while I’m working or in my bedroom, it feels so luxurious. I use a diffuser similar to this one, which is great for someone as forgetful as me, as it shuts off automatically if the water dries out. I hope you enjoy making your own perfumes! If you make some of these, I would love to hear what you think of them, so be sure to come back and leave me a comment š
Until next time…
Happy Weaving!