What is needed to make perfumes

Decisions

Choosing a formulation
Perfumes are made up of a blend of different aromas that usually come
from essential oils. One may find some perfume formulations in books or in
the Web. Some sites that have a few of these formulas are given in the links
section. Look after a description that characterizes the perfume you want 
(not always given) and choose one or two of them. You are now ready to
buy its components.

Weight or volume
Perfume formulations can be expressed in volumetric or weight proportions of 
each of its components. For people who want to make perfumes at home, weight 
measures present a problem since the average kitchen balance does not have the 
required precision. Using them will lead to unpredictable and non-reproducible 
results. Buying a more precise balance represents an
added cost which is hard to justify for the present purpose. Volume 
measurements are easier to perform with less expensive hardware that meet the
level of 
accuracy needed for home made perfumes.

Which material
Appropriate hardware is required in order to measure, handle, mix and bottle 
the components that make up a perfume's formulation. Although it is possible 
to make use of improvised solutions like using kitchenware, disposable glass 
jelly jars and plastic spoons, one has to bear in mind that formulations are 
quite precise and that some materials, like plastics, may interact with
essential 
oils and solvents. Therefore, to get good and reproducible results, some care 
has to be taken when selecting your hardware.

Glass
Of the basic handling materials available, glass has many advantages over
metals and plastics. Glass is  transparent allowing to see what is being done 
and  the results achieved after each operation. All  volumeals and plastics. 
Glass is  transparent allowing to see what is being measurements can be 
performed with an acceptable degree of precision in graduated glass beakers, 
burettes and syringes, eliminating all need of external measuring devices.
Glass does 
not interact with any components of the perfume's formulation. Glass is 
easily washable and dried and can withstand high temperatures and thermal
shock, a 
handy feature when preparing cosmetics and balms. The additional costs 
incurred by using graduated glass will certainly be well paid for by the ease
in 
operation and constant quality of the perfumes you make.

Glassware For volume measurements
To measure volumes one can use three different  types   of graduated
glassware. Cylindrical vessels   with  a "lip" called beakers where the 
mixture   of  all  components of the formulation will be   made.  When making 
perfumes at home, it is   very  unlike  that  quantities will exceed 500 ml 
or  
16.91 US fluid ounces. A graduated beaker of this capacity is appropriate. 
The 
majority of the components of a formulation are required in smaller volumes, 
seldom exceeding 50 ml or 1.69 US fluid ounces. A burette, a tall graduated 
cylindrical vessels of this capacity is a good measuring device or this
purpose. 
Some of the components are required in smaller amounts. For these, it is 
convenient to have a small syringe of 2 ml or 0.0676 US fluid ounces.

Funnels and pipets
For transferring the perfumes to their bottles, a funnel with a long and
narrow neck should be used. Again glass is the choice material since you
can watch the operation and avoid waist. A long and narrow neck is
recommended because perfume bottles have narrow openings and the maximum 
perfume level is well below the bottle's top. For mixing one can use a glass
rod 
of the kind used to mix cocktails.

Very often formulations prescribe the addition of drops of a certain
component. Drop volumes vary for the same substance. However, the
formulas assume a constant volume generally obtained with a glass pipet like 
the ones that come with some household remedies. Therefore, using them will 
provide the quantities recommended by the formulations.

Aromas
Quality
The final quality achieved when making a perfume is tied to the quality of 
all components that are used. Of these, aromas are the most important ones
since 
they determine the perfume's intrinsic properties like personality and tone. 
It is therefore very important to buy the best essential oils that one can.
One should also be aware that some dealers offer ready made mixtures that 
supposedly have the same aroma of a well known high quality commercial perfume. 
The original products are the creation of skilled perfumers that have developed 
and perfected very complex formulations for years before they reach the 
market. Most of them use rare and very expensive natural essential oils. It is
easy 
to imagine what one gets when buying a cheap imitation of these perfumes.

Natural or synthetic
Essential oils may be natural or synthetic. The latter ones are mass produced 
to supply the demand of scents needed for various uses, from
perfumes to home cleaning products. There is a good deal of concern
about the effects of these substances in humans, mainly because natural
products have been in use for centuries and their adverse effects are better
known. This is a good reason to prefer natural essential oils. However, there 
is a long way between this choice and actually getting true natural products. 
The safest one is to find a supplier that has been in business for a long 
time and that will provide a certificate of origin and purity of the sold
products.

Quantity
Pure natural essential oils are expensive. Before  buying   any, one should 
download a list of the  usually   available oils supplied by a vendor, watch 
the   prices and select a formula taking also into   account how much one is 
prepared to spend. Start buying small quantities (usually 25 ml bottles) and
make 
some experiments before ordering more. Click on the thumbnail to see a pair 
of high quality bottles of Verbena and Ylang Ylang essential oils.

Storing
Oils have their properties changed with time due to oxidation and the effect 
of light. Good quality essential oils are sold in airtight amber bottles that 
decrease these effects. Some of them also have an internal and practical 
dropper. Keep your stock in a dry and dark place.

Solvent and fixative
Alcohol and Glycerin
The most widely used solvent for the oils employed in perfume making is
anhydrous pure Grain Ethanol which is a high purity Ethyl Alcohol obtained by 
fermentation and distillation of cereal grains. The physical
properties of this substance are given at:

http://www.distill.com/specs/US-2.html

Note that the amount of residual non-volatile substances left after 
evaporation is extremely small. This small amount has little interference with
the 
scent of the aromas that are added to the alcohol. Since it may be difficult or 
even impossible to get this type of alcohol in your country, the most widely 
alternative adopted is to employ a good quality distilled beverage obtained
from 
grains, like Vodka.

Fixatives
Fixatives are used to depress the evaporation rate of essential oils, the 
main cause of a perfume loosing its scent with time. These substances
traditionally where obtained from natural sources, either vegetable or
animal. Today synthetic substances are widely used. One of the most
popular family of fixatives are Phtalates, substances also present in car
interiors due to its use by the plastic industry. Glycerin is an alternative
substance often employed.

Precautions and regulations
Phtalates are know have carcinogenic effects and to provoke allergic 
reactions. Glycerin may cause allergic reactions in some people. If you intend
to use 
Glycerin, test your skin's reaction by deposing a very small quantity of the 
pure substance over your skin and watch for any effects in the next 24 hours. 
Considering that essential oils do not have a very fast evaporation rate at 
atmospheric pressure, you may, in doubt, leave
fixatives out of your formulations. Further reading on the adverse effects of 
substances that enter in cosmetics and perfume formulas can be found at:

http://www.ameliaww.com/fpin/fpin.htm

Information about regulations concerning these substances can be found
at:

http://www.supernet.net/~jackibar/fda.html.



