Why does essential oil perfume smell great when you add a little patchouli?
Patchouli oil is a favorite aroma used in perfumery. In addition to providing a deep earthy warm smoky sensual undertone, it is also a base note, making a collective perfume blend’s aroma strong and last for a longer time. Patchouli has been used in some of the world’s finest perfumes, including: Dior, Opium, Angel. Patchouli can also be used in body care product recipes such as soaps and lotions, as well as home cleaning products such as laundry detergents and air fresheners.
Here is how to make an essential oil perfume using patchouli.
First, pick your carrier oil: jojoba, sweet almond, or fractionated coconut. These three oils are very light and will last at least a year before going rancid. Heavier carrier oils tend to have a shorter shelf life.
Second, pick the essential oils to include in your blend with patchouli. In the fragrance industry, fragrant ingredients are classified in certain ways.
- There are top, middle and base notes based on molecular weight and thus evaporation rate.
- There are light, medium, or strong aromas. Some essential notes can be light in molecular weight, but have a powerful aroma, such as lemon.
- Essential oils are classified by their type: tree, citrus, flower, etc. Some essential oils blend very nicely together, and others do not.
Top, Middle, and Base Notes in an Essential Oil Perfume
In a perfume blend, you want to have some top notes to introduce the aroma, some middle notes to provide aromatic pleasure and complexity, and some base notes to fix the whole blend together and help it hold strong. Often, base aromas can smell overpowering and even unpleasant alone, but mixed in a blend, this can create a fragrant masterpiece.
Here is a list of top, middle, and base notes to choose from:
Top Notes
- Basil
- Bergamot
- Eucalyptus
- Geranium
- Grapefruit
- Lemon
- Lime
- Neroli
- Orange
- Peppermint
- Spearmint
- Ylang Ylang
Middle Notes
- Anise
- Black Pepper
- Cardamom
- Chamomile
- Clary Sage
- Fennel
- Ginger
- Juniper
- Lavender
- Lemongrass
- Petitgrain
- Pine
- Rose
- Rosemary
- Tea Tree
Base Notes and Fixatives
- Cedarwood
- Cinnamon
- Clary Sage
- Clove
- Fir
- Jasmine
- Myrrh
- Patchouli
- Vanilla
- Vetiver
When making a blend, start with about 30% top notes, 50% middle notes, and 20% base notes. Try to pick about 3-6 essential oils to start. Make a very small sample of the blend using about 10 drops of essential oil in one teaspoon of the carrier oil.
Then, modify the smell with additional drops, recording amounts of each essential oil until you get what you like. Finally, once you have it where you want it, you can make a larger recipe of the blend to use to make perfumes and other products. Mix the blend of essential oils separately in its own amber bottle. Do not add the carrier oil in with your master perfume blend. Label the bottle with the date and amount of each essential oil so you can make it again in the future. You can use this master blend to add aroma to a variety of recipes.
When making an essential oil perfume or body product, choose your dilution ratio of carrier oil.
- For use all over the body, use a 2% dilution of carrier oil to essential oil. This would be about 10 drops of essential oil per ounce of carrier oil.
- For a perfume to just spray in one local area such as the neck or wrist, you can go up to a 5% -10% dilution. For a 5% dilution, this would be about 25 drops per ounce.
- Do not make a perfume stronger than a 10% dilution. Skin irritation and reactions can occur with the use of essential oils that are not safely diluted.
- Skin patch test with sensitive skin and discontinue use if any irritations occur. With those who are pregnant, small children, or who have medical conditions, seek the advice of your medical practitioner before using essential oils. Many essential oils have contraindications for certain conditions.
Here are a few more things to think about when making an essential oil perfume.
- How strong is the aroma of the essential oil? Some aromas are very strong like jasmine and cinnamon, and can overpower a whole blend. A very small amount goes a long way.
- How will my essential oil single notes blend together? Oils can be classified into families, and some families or individual essential oils just don’t intermix well together. Here are the families:
- Tree: Cedarwood, Cypress, Eucalyptus, Juniper
- Citrus: Grapefruit, Lemon, Lime, Orange
- Flowers: Chamomile, Geranium, Jasmine, Lavender, Rose
- Exotics: Patchouli, Vetiver, Ylang Ylang
- Resins: Myrrh, Vanilla
- Spices: Cardamom, Cinnamon, Clove, Ginger, Pepper
- Herbs: Basil, Clary Sage, Peppermint, Rosemary
Finally, here area few patchouli essential oil perfume recipes to try.
Zen Out with Patchouli Essential Oil Perfume
- 30 drops of lavender essential oil
- 25 drops of clary sage essential oil
- 20 drops of lemongrass essential oil
- 20 drops of patchouli essential oil
- 5 ounces of carrier oil such as sweet almond
Mix the essential oils together. Then mix them with the carrier oil and pour into a perfume spray bottle.
Back to Nature with Patchouli Essential Oil Perfume
- 10 drops of basil essential oil
- 12 drops of lemon essential oil
- 10 drops of cypress essential oil
- 5 drops of black pepper essential oil
- 10 drops of ginger essential oil
- 15 drops of pine essential oil
- 10 drops of clary sage essential oil
- 15 drops of patchouli essential oil
- 5 ounces of carrier oil such as sweet almond
Mix the essential oils together. Then mix them with the carrier oil and pour into a perfume spray bottle.
Hippie Peace and Patchouli Essential Oil Perfume Blend
- 10 drops of lavender essential oil
- 8 drops of rosemary essential oil
- 10 drops of spearmint essential oil
- 20 drops of clary sage essential oil
- 10 drops of pine essential oil
- 15 drops of black pepper essential oil
- 10 drops of basil essential oil
- 5 drops of vetiver essential oil
- 15 drops of patchouli essential oil
Mix the essential oils together. Then mix them with the carrier oil and pour into a perfume spray bottle.
By: Kathy Sadowski, MS in Aromatherapy, Registered Aromatherapist, LMT
4/11/18
