DIY PERFUME
I have attended a 4 h workshop to learn how to make perfume by myself and using natural ingredients.
I will share with you a learning which might be useful to know even if we prefer to buy perfumes.
Perfume fragrance contains 3 types of so-called ”notes”. Imagine a pyramid divided into 3 parts. I will start from the top of pyramid and then go down.
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HEAD NOTES
Head or top notes (« tête » on the picture): they will create our first impression once we scent a perfume. Their fragrance will stay only 5-15 minutes. Usually as head notes are used citric like mandarin, lemon, pineapple, yuzu, bergamot or aquatic aroma.
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HEART NOTES
Heart notes (« cœur »on the picture) : we will feel them once top notes evaporate. The heart notes will stay 20-60 minutes. They will give the perfume identity. Usually they are represented by floral scents like Jasmine, rose, ylang-ylang, fruits like cherries, apricot, coconut, spices like ginger, cinnamon, pepper, aromatic herbs like lavender, rosemary, sage.
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BASE NOTES
Base notes (« fond » on the picture) they are the perfume foundation and represent the perfume olfactory signature. Their scent will be revealed once the heart notes evaporate. Base notes will stay for several hours and this is what we will mainly feel during the day. Base notes are created by oak, vanilla, musk scents: vanilla, oak moss, patchouli, sandalwood, vetiver, cedar wood, etc.
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Some of the aromas can play in a perfume the role of head and in others the role of heart like for example melon, blueberries, pineapple etc. Other aromas like sage, sandalwood can play the role of base or heart.
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RESULT
In essence as you can see on the picture, we have created each note formula, then we decided the amount of each note in final perfume composition. When I mixed the 3 notes, I have got my perfume. I enjoyed the process. A magical experience. Now I have to wait 3-4 weeks before revealing the final created scent and using the perfume.
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WHY DIY?
Why DIY perfume when there are so many ready to use perfumes. Indeed, I have my favourite ones. I have started to look for other options once I have realized about the potential negative health impact they have.
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HEALTH IMPACT
When I scanned the perfumes I had with a health app scoring, they have got the score ”zero” out of maximum 100 possible. They have a negative health impact because they contain at least one and even more endocrine disruptors.
In a home made perfume you can use a base that is obtained from organic vegetable alcohol that does not contain doubtful for health substances and is made from biodegradable ingredients. We can do and then enjoy a perfume that is respecting ourselves and nature.
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NATURAL VS SYNTHETIC AROMA
Commercial perfumes are manufactured by using synthetic aromas. On one side it is a question of price, on other side it is necessary to reproduce exactly the same scent for millions of bottles and for many years in a row. When we have a favourite perfume, we want to find exactly the same scent each time we buy a new one.
In a homemade perfume, we use natural fragrance. Why to use industrial chemical perfumes, when nature is so generous with us. It has as well consequences. Natural fragrances are like wines: year and place matters. Nature is giving us different scenes each year even from the same plants. Then there is an impact of the place where they growth etc. Beautiful, isn’t it?
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WAY FORWARD
My initial triggers were linked to health and envious impacts. After attending the homemade perfume workshop, I can also add why I plan to continue discovering the world of scents:
– It is, in fact, a self-discovery journey
– Authenticity
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In harmony with ourselves and nature!