DIY Solid Perfume - Individual, Chemical Free, and Frugal

Making your own solid perfume has many benefits.  As someone whose goal is to eliminate harsh chemicals from my body, one benefit is that it only contains what you put into it.  I like that.  It is also very frugal, but the people who make perfumes or other smelly things aren't going to tell you that.  The most personal reason is that you can create YOUR unique fragrance.  You are not likely to run across anyone else who has created their own perfume anyway, let alone combine the exact same fragrances in the exact same proportions.

First a note on perfumes.  The first rule is that there are no rules, but of course some traditional guidelines.  You can make a single note fragrance, or two, but the most common is three.  When choosing three, a top note is the initial scent, quickly blending into the middle, or heart note, and gradually fading into the base note.  Choose what appeals to you;  floral, citrus, earthy, grassy, or woody from either essential oils or you can make your own from whatever is in your pantry.  Seriously, you can steep spices, flowers, or fruit peels in a carrier oil to make your own.  Again, completely individual and personal.

To make your signature scent into a solid, melt beeswax and an equal amount of carrier oil together either in a double boiler or in a glass/ceramic bowl in the microwave.  Don't use plastic unless you want it to smell like your perfume forever.  A toothpick works great to stir.  The carrier oil I use is sweet almond oil, but you can use jojoba, olive, or coconut oil too.  The most common ratio of essential oils is 30% top note, 50% middle, and 20% base note.  When using a tablespoon each of beeswax and oil, try about 7 drops of top note, 12 of middle, and 5 of the base.  But find what works for you.  Working  in small batches helps as well as labeling your creation.  If you get something just right you want to be able to make it again!

You can store these in metal or plastic tins, or something more inventive like a pocket watch or locket.  Alternatively, you can pour it into a lip balm container and apply without touching it.  Brilliant!  If you make your own using these tips please let me know how it worked for you.  Enjoy!