HOME MADE PERFUME

The sense of smell is linked to the brain's limbic system - which affects sexual behavior, emotion and even memory - and that scents can trigger different responses in different people. Creating your own homemade personal perfume is easy. Find out which fragrance family, or category of aroma, most of your favorite scents belong to by testing different oils. Floral fragrance tends to be popular among women, but Oriental, fruity, spicy, green and citrus are other aromatic options. Fresh scent often appeal to energetic, youthful temperament. A woodsy or citrusy aroma also retains its scent for hours without becoming too powerful, and make them suitable for men to use as a cologne. Fresh, citrus-based perfumes are the lightest in aroma and they linger for the least amount of time. Create your own homemade perfume by selecting from a wide array of essential oils - delicate floral scents or spicy resins or a host of fruity, fresh citrus oil.

Take Care Tip: Since citrus oils are stimulating, they shouldn't be used by pregnant women or epileptics. The oils may also cause some irritation in those with allergies or sensitive skin. If you experience redness, burning or itching, wash off the perfume immediately with soap, water and rubbing alcohol; then apply a cool compress and aloe-vera gel.

Extra Tip: Enhance your body lotions and bath oils with homemade perfume. Add 1-1 3/4 tsp. of perfume to 1/2 cup of lotion or oil. As fragrance evaporates, it rises, so be sure to apply lotion behind your knees and ankles so you can fully enjoy the scent.

Perfume Recipe Make Your Own Perfume "Floriental" nights 2 tbsp. jojoba oil 3 drops bergamot oil 2 drops neroli oil 8 drops jasmine oil 12 drops geranium oil 8 drops ylang-ylang oil 4 drops patchouli oil Pour the jojoba oil into a dark glass bottle with a glass rod applicator. Add the essential oils drop by drop, and shake thoroughly. You can vary the proportions of the essential oils in accordance to personal preference, but note the geranium oil is what gives this blend its floral flavor. Be careful-too much patchouli oil will easily overwhelm the scent; too much bergamot oil will often irritate skin that's sensitive. Caution: Bergamot essential oil should not be used by pregnant women or epileptics. Components of Perfume Every perfume consists of 3 scent levels, or "notes" which support each other and create the overall scent. Essential oils, classified as either top, middle or base notes, give each perfume its own special character. Her are a few of the basic terms: Top note: This is the scent you notice first, but it doesn't last long because it evaporates quickest. Top notes are a small portion of the final blend and include fresh, light citrus scents using such oils as bergamot, neroli, lemon, lime, rosemary, orange or mint. Middle note: This links the base and top scents and determines the fragrance family. Middle notes include flowery essential oils, such as jasmine, rose germanium and ylang-ylang. Base note or fixative: This scent lasts the longest, adds fullness and carries the other scents. Derived from balsams, roots, resins and wood, bases include such oils as sandalwood, vetiver and patchouli and tend to be dark, heavy and sweet.	Citrus grove This is a fully fruity perfume that has a very light, crusty scent. 5 tsp. 80-proof vodka 1/2 tsp distilled water 15 drops lemon oil 10 drops bergamot oil 10 drops bitter-orange oil 5 drops grapefruit oil 5 drops lemongrass oil 4 drops benzoin oil 2 drops cedarwood oil Fruitwood Fruitwood is a round, fully citrusy perfume with a distinct woodsy scent. This fragrance is also well suited for use as an appealing cologne for men. 5 tsp. 80-proof vodka 1/2 tsp distilled water 15 drops lemon oil 10 drops grapefruit oil 10 drops lemongrass oil 2 drops benzoin oil 3 drops cedarwood oil 5 drops neroli oil 5 drops cypress oil 10 drops verbena oil Place all of the ingredients in a dark glass bottle and shake well. Store the perfume in a cool, dark place for 2-3 weeks to allow it to develop. Turn the bottle upside down occasionally as the perfume steeps. Maintaining Pure Scent Spray bottles, which will not come into contact with the skin, are the best choice for applying perfume. Direct skin contact may cause dead skin cells to slough off and be deposited in the bottle, which can can have effect on the perfume's scent over the long term. Caution! Do not use perfume before going out in the sun. The essential oils, when exposed to UV light, may result in brown skin discoloration (pigment spots) that is difficult or impossible to remove.
Application: The skin must be clean and dry when using perfume, so the scent doesn't mix with other odors. Such areas as the neck, sternum, elbow and inside of the knee or wrist are the best places to apply perfume; the increased body temperature at these pulse points improves a scent's development and longevity.
Ingredient Benefits: Vodka as a carrier oil: High quality 80- or 100-proof vodka is virtually odorless, making it a good choice for an essential-oil carrier in natural perfume. Don't substitute other types of alcohol, such as rubbing alcohol, which has a powerful odor and quickly evaporates as well. For freshness: Oils from the skins of a variety of citrus fruits provide the perfumes fruity, fresh note. Lemon, grapefruit, bergamot and bitter orange oils are used as light scent oils. They give a refreshing top note and also provide the perfume with its delicate, invigorating scent. For warmth and spice: The addition of lemongrass, cypress, neroli and verbena oils gives the perfume a mild spicy, slightly woodsy scent. For fullness and harmony: Benzoin and cedarwood oils give the perfume a lasting fullness. They bind the mixture of essential oils together and harmonize well with the fresh citrus oils. Jojoba oil for a perfume base: This medium weight, golden oil is a liquid plant wax. Produced from cold-pressed jojoba seeds, it makes an excellent carrier for natural perfumes since it has a very long shelf life, is easily absorbed by the skin and is non-greasy. Citrus oil for refreshment: Gently uplifting and soothing citrus oils, such as neroli and bergamot, provide a fruity, floral freshness to a perfume's fragrance. Jasmine oil for intense richness: Used to make fine perfumes, jasmine flowers are picked before dawn to prevent any of the soft and sensuous oil from evaporating. Geranium oil for harmony and balance: This delicate, rosy fragrance is very effective in treating stress, fatigue and anxiety, and it is an inexpensive alternative to genuine rose oil. Ylang-ylang oil for relaxation: Possibly the most erotic aroma on earth, this sweet, tropical scent is a reported aphrodisiac. It calms the senses and relaxes the muscles. Patchouli oil for prolonging a fragrance: This warm, earthy fragrance acts as a fixative, slowing evaporation and prolonging the scent.