Use Your Favorite Scents to Make Your Own Solid Perfume

Some women feel naked without lipstick, but me, I feel naked without perfume. And while I’d like to keep perfume with me at all times when I’m on the go (in my purse, in my car, when I travel), I’ve had enough disasters to know this isn’t practical. You haven’t seen a mess until you spill the entire 5-ounce bottle of your favorite perfume in your favorite purse. And you haven’t seen hysterical until you’re late for your flight and a stern TSA agent at airport security tells you that you have to throw out the 3.5-ounce bottle of perfume in your carry-on before boarding the plane. Because your perfume was .1 ounce over the limit, it’s like you’re throwing away the $75 it cost to buy it. Fortunately, there’s a solution: you can quickly and inexpensively make your own solid (no spill!) perfume using your choice of essential oils.

Option 1: Make your own solid perfume using your favorite scent

What You’ll Need:

• 1/4 tsp cocoa butter (Queen Helene Cocoa Butter Solid Body Butters, $4.29 for 6 oz. at Amazon.com); (Cost per use = $0.03 for each 1/4 tsp.) Note: If you don’t want to buy cocoa butter, you can use 1/4 tsp of unscented, colorless lip balm
• 1/4 tsp beeswax (you can use solid beeswax or beeswax pastilles such as Beeswax Organic Pastilles, White, 100% Pure, $5.49 for 4 oz. at Amazon.com); (Cost per use = $0.06 for each 1/4 tsp.)
• small, microwave-safe bowl
• fork for mixing
• microwave
• oven mitt or potholder
• eyedropper
• liquid perfume of your choice (you will only need to use 1 ml of this perfume)
• small container with a lid: empty, round lip balm containers work well. Any container that is round in shape, not too deep and has a lid that seals shut will work well.

Instructions:

1. Add cocoa butter and beeswax to a small, microwave-safe bowl.
2. Microwave in 25 second increments until the mixture is fully melted. Be careful: the bowl may be hot to the touch—make sure to use a pot holder or oven mitt to carefully remove the bowl from the microwave.
3. Take the top off your liquid perfume. Insert an eyedropper into the perfume and retract 1 ml of perfume from the bottle. Recap your perfume bottle to avoid spills.
4. Add the 1 ml of liquid perfume to your bowl containing the melted cocoa butter and beeswax.
5. Pour the mixture into your container. Let it cool for at least 30 minutes before putting the cap on the container.
6. To use: With your pointer finger, apply a small amount of the solid perfume to your neck, the inside of your wrists or wherever you like to wear perfume.

Total Cost: $0.10

 

Option 2: Make your own solid perfume using essential oils

Things You’ll Need:

• 2 small, microwave-safe bowls
• 1 tsp jojoba oil (Jojaba Oil, $2.99 for 4 oz. at Amazon.com); (Cost per use = $0.13 for 1 tsp.)
• 20 drops essential oil of your choice—for example, lavender, eucalyptus or peppermint (Lavender 100% Pure Therapeutic Grade Essential Oil; $6.25 for .33 oz at Amazon.com); (Cost per use = $0.50 for 20 drops.)
• 1/2 tsp beeswax (you can use solid beeswax or beeswax pastilles such as Beeswax Organic Pastilles, White, 100% Pure, $5.49 for 4 oz. at Amazon.com); (Cost per use = $0.12 for each 1/2 tsp.)
• microwave
• oven mitt or pot holder
• fork for mixing
• small container with a lid: empty, round lip balm containers work well. Any container that is round in shape, not too deep and has a lid that seals shut will work well.

Instructions:

• Combine jojaba oil and essential oil in a small bowl. If desired, you can use more than one essential oil. For example, you could mix 10 drops of clary sage and 10 drops of rosewood; 10 drops of patchulli with either 10 drops of rose or ylang ylang; or 10 drops of grapefruit with 10 drops of ylang ylang. Experiment until you find your signature scent! Note: the cheapest place to buy essential oil is usually your local health food store or Whole Foods.
• In a separate, microwave-safe bowl, add beeswax.
• Microwave in 25 second increments until the mixture is fully melted. Be careful: the bowl may be hot to the touch—make sure to use a pot holder or oven mitt to carefully remove the bowl from the microwave.
• Pour the melted beeswax into the bowl containing the jojoba oil and essential oil drops. Mix the ingredients together with a fork.
• Pour the mixture into your container. Let it cool for at least 30 minutes before putting the cap on the container.
• To use: Rub your clean pointer finger into the solid perfume and apply it by rubbing it into your desired locations—for example, the inside of your wrist, your neck, behind your ears, behind your knees or on your decolletage.

Total Cost: $0.75