How to Make Perfume from Essential Oils – Step-by-Step
Making your own perfume from essential oils can be creative, personal, and fun! Whether you want to go fully DIY or just learn how essential oil perfume is made, this guide walks you through the basics, from choosing materials to blending tips, so you know what to expect before you start.
What You’ll Need
- Essential oils and/or absolutes
- Carrier oil (like jojoba) or high-proof alcohol (like Everclear)
- Glass rollerball bottles, or perfume spray bottles
- Pipettes for precise measuring
- Optional: small funnel, labels, notebook for tracking blends
Choose Your Carrier
Your carrier dilutes the essential oils and helps them apply safely to skin.
- Jojoba oil: long shelf life, closest to skin’s sebum
- Fractionated coconut oil: lightweight and odorless
- Alcohol (Everclear): gives a more traditional “perfume” feel and sprays well
Understand Scent Notes
Great perfumes are usually a blend of:
- Top notes: first thing you smell (e.g., citrus, mint)
- Middle notes: the heart of the blend (e.g., florals, herbs)
- Base notes: what lingers (e.g., woods, resins, vanilla)
Start Blending – A Simple Ratio
A common starting structure for a balanced scent blend is:
- 30% top notes
- 50% middle notes
- 20% base notes
Important: Rather than adding essential oils directly to your carrier right away, it’s best to blend your oils first, without dilution.
- Blend the oils: Add your essential oils/absolutes to a small glass bottle using the ratio above.
- Rest the blend: Let the undiluted blend sit, age, and meld together for at least 1–2 weeks, shaking gently every few days.
- Smell and adjust: After resting, evaluate and tweak if needed (one small change at a time).
- Then dilute: Once you love the scent, dilute it into jojoba (roller perfume) or alcohol (spray perfume).
How strong should it be? A strong, long-lasting essential oil perfume is often made at about 20% essential oils to 80% carrier oil (like jojoba) or 80% high-proof alcohol (like Everclear). *Always do a patch test first, avoid applying near eyes, and use extra caution with “hot” oils (like cinnamon, clove, oregano) and phototoxic citrus oils.
Let It Rest
Once diluted, allow your perfume to rest for at least 48–72 hours before judging it. Many blends continue to improve over the next couple of weeks as the notes settle together.
Why DIY Perfume Might Disappoint (and What to Do About It)
If your DIY blend fades quickly or doesn’t smell quite how you imagined, you’re not alone. Pure essential oils don’t always behave like commercial fragrances, especially when it comes to longevity and projection.
Blending for performance takes experience, patience, and a lot of trial and error. That’s exactly why we created our own line of essential oil perfumes, so you can enjoy a beautifully balanced, long-lasting scent without having to reinvent the wheel.
Want to Try Before You DIY?
Explore our ready-to-wear essential oil perfumes, formulated with a high concentration of oils in jojoba for better balance and staying power than most DIY blends.
More DIY Perfume Help
- Top 10 Essential Oils for DIY Perfume
- Why Essential Oils Can’t Replace Perfume
- Not Happy With Your DIY Perfume?
FAQ: DIY Perfume with Essential Oils
Should I blend essential oils first, or add them straight into the carrier?
Blend your oils first, let that undiluted blend rest for 1–2 weeks, then dilute into your carrier. This helps the notes meld so you can judge the true scent before committing.
How do I make a roller perfume vs. a spray perfume?
For a roller perfume, use a carrier oil like jojoba. For a spray perfume, use a high-proof alcohol like Everclear.
How much essential oil should I use?
A common “perfume strength” essential oil blend is about 20% essential oils to 80% carrier oil (like jojoba) or 80% high-proof alcohol (like Everclear). Always patch test first and avoid applying near eyes. Use extra caution with hot oils and phototoxic citrus oils.
Why does my DIY perfume fade so fast?
Some essential oils evaporate quickly, especially many citrus oils and lighter herbal top notes. Adding more base notes can help, but honestly, it’s hard to compete with the staying power of synthetics used in conventional perfumes.
Can I use water to make perfume?
Water and essential oils don’t mix well, and water-based products can raise preservation concerns. For beginner DIY perfume, stick to jojoba (roller) or alcohol (spray).
Do I need to worry about skin irritation?
Yes. Essential oils are potent. Always patch test, avoid applying on irritated skin, and be especially cautious with hot oils (like cinnamon and clove). Some citrus oils can also be phototoxic in sunlight.
What’s the best way to store DIY perfume?
Store your perfume in a tightly closed glass bottle, away from heat and direct sunlight.