A standard perfume–the kind you’d purchase at your favorite department store–usually contains approximately 15-30 percent aromatic oils diluted with alcohol and dispersants. A perfume oil uses a carrier oil rather than alcohol. The carrier oil slows the evaporation process and the resulting mixture holds its fragrance longer than an average perfume.
Jojoba oil is an excellent carrier oil because it is actually a liquid wax. It does not go rancid as quickly as other oils. Jojoba oil has little or no fragrance of its own and is readily adsorbed into the skin. Sweet almond oil and apricot kernel oil are good choices for the same reasons, but they have a shelf life of only three to five months. If you use one of these two oils, make small batches that can be used within that time frame.
Garden Delight Perfume Oil
MAKES 1 TEASPOON
• 18 drops grapefruit essential oil
• 12 drops lavender essential oil
• 4 drops vanilla absolute
• 60 drops jojoba or sweet almond oil
1. In a 1/8-oz. glass container, combine grapefruit and lavender essential oils and vanilla absolute.
2. Shake well and let the mixture sit for at least one week before adding the jojoba or sweet almond oil.
3. Dab the oil on your pulse points to release scent.
4. Store in a glass container (plastic will absorb some of the fragrance).
5. Orange Delight Variation: Use 8 drops of sweet orange essential oil and 16 drops of bergamot essential oil instead of the grapefruit, lavender, and vanilla.
Click here for the main article, Capture Plant Essences From the Garden For Long-Lasting Enjoyment.
Theresa Loe tends an herbal cottage garden in southern California with her husband and two young children. She is the author of The Herbal Home Companion (Kensington Publishing, 1996
