Monday, August 15, 2005

Essential Oil Perfume Concentrations (Aromatherapy)

I've only been making natural cosmetics for 5 years, but it's only been recently that I've gotten into making perfumes. All natural perfumes are made of essential oils and carrier (vegetable or nut) oil or alcohol. In an oil based perfume, jojoba oil is preferred due to its long shelf life, because it will not go rancid. In an alcohol based perfume, vodka is recommended since it is scentless and easier to attain than perfumer's alcohol (if I am not mistaken, you need a lisense to purchase it). Whether natural or synthetic, all alcohol based perfumes also contain distilled water.

For a summary of perfume strength concentrations, see below. (From Valerie Ann Worwood's The Complete Book of Essential Oils and Aromatherapy) .
If you are making an oil based perfume, just ignore the information about alcohol and water.

Perfume is the strongest concentration, comprising of 15-30% essential oils (or in most commercial brands they use synthetic fragrances plus essential oils). The remaining 85 to 70% of the blend contains 90 to 95% alcohol and 10 to 5% water.

Eau de Perfume: 8-15% essential oils (or synthetic fragrances), 80-90% alcohol.

Eau de Toilette: 4-8% e.oils, and 80-90% alcohol

Eau de Cologne: 3-5% e.oils, and 70% alcohol

Splash Cologne: 1-3% e.oils, and 80% alcohol.

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