Scent is a powerful thing. Just one whiff of certain smells can immediately transport us back to a special memory or remind us of a loved one in a way that no other sense can. I know for me the smell of boxwood bushes immediately makes me think of all the happy summers we spent visiting a bed and breakfast farm with my family and the loads and loads of barn kittens that were born each summer (heaven!!). While I have a few perfumes that I love, I’m trying to replace all my regular beauty products with nontoxic options so that the majority of the time I’m not adding junk into my system. I’ve been wanting to get create a light, summery perfume with essential oils that I could put in a rollerball container and take in my makeup bag with me. I think I found the perfect mixture for a summer scent. There are two ways you can make it, and it only takes seconds to make either way, which is a big plus for me!
Alcohol Base Version:
vodka or gin (get organic if you can)
grapefruit essential oil
peppermint essential oil
vanilla essential oil
Oil Base Version:
jojoba oil
fractionated coconut oil (it always stays liquid no matter what the temperature is)
grapefruit essential oil
peppermint essential oil
Add either the alcohol or oils to your rollerball jar. Use a pipette to drop in the essential oils, put the cap back on, and give the jar a shake to combine. For the alcohol base, I would use 1 oz of alcohol and start with 15 drops of grapefruit, 10 of peppermint, and two of vanilla (the vanilla is a lot stronger per drop). For the oil base, add .5 oz of each oil, then 15 drops of grapefruit and 10 of peppermint.
Try the perfume and see how you like the combination. Add more essential oils to make it stronger or more of the alcohol or oil to dilute the scent. The one that just uses oils as a base will be ready for use right away, but you may want to set aside your alcohol base one for a week or two to let the alcohol smell fade some while the fragrance profile blends a bit more. As a side note, if you use vanilla oil in your perfume, apply the perfume to the skin only and let it soak in a second before touching your clothing. The vanilla is a rather dark color, so it may stain if directly applied to light-colored clothing, but nothing should rub off once it soaks into the skin.
The oil based perfume is light and fresh, but I also love the note that the vanilla adds to the alcohol based version. If you are keeping your perfume in a dark place like your purse or makeup drawer, then you can use a clear or light colored rollerball jar. If you prefer to keep the perfume out on a counter, then I would get a dark or amber colored glass one instead since light can affect essential oils over time. I’ll still keep my favorite perfumes around for special occasions since I have a lot of great memories tied to those scents over the years, but I can’t wait to mix and match lots of new options and make a few new scent memories as well!! xo. Laura
Credits // Author and Photography: Laura Gummerman.
I have a real pretty old perfume glass bottle that I would love to use it’s 2 oz so how much of the grapefruit and how much of the peppermint oil should I add and also how much of the vodka infractionated coconut oil thank you
I’ve seen somewhere that citrus oils and peppermint oil are top notes, meaning their scents don’t last that long. What has your experience been with frequency of application?
Hi! Can you use Argan oil instead of Coconut oil for the oil based version of this perfume?
Yes! Either one is great 🙂
Creative idea..
Thanks for sharing..
Great colors! Sounds really good 🙂
I love this idea, it’s pretty original and simple. Thanks!
Thanks Laura, I’m so excited to give this a try. I’ve been searching everywhere for a rosemary based perfume and it had never occurred to me to make my own, and now I can!
Ooooh this sounds like it’d be amazing smell! I’m going to have to try this one!
Thanks for sharing!
Nice!
Laura
You can totally use just jojoba! And the fractionated coconut doesn’t smell like coconut at all to me 🙂
Laura
Good tip, thanks Sarah!
Laura
YES!
Laura 🙂
Good thought! Thanks Laura!
Laura 🙂
I would use 1 oz of alcohol and start with 15 drops of grapefruit, 10 of peppermint, and two of vanilla (the vanilla is a lot stronger per drop). For the oil base, add .5 oz of each oil, then 15 drops of grapefruit and 10 of peppermint. Keep adding more of what you like to find the right level of scent!
Laura 🙂
You should check out Candy Ass by Hiya Tootsie! It doesn’t have any of the fillers like a lot of perfumes and smells like chocolate and peppermint. 🙂
very smart recipe. Its a must to try! Thanks for sharing.
I was wondering this as I’ve heard citrus oils and sunlight do not mix well! Thanks for the information!
This sounds like it’s such a beautiful scent! I love grapefruit and I love peppermint, so together they’re probably wonderful! Plus, I’ve never thought about making my own perfume; such a great concept!
Do you have to use the blend of oils? I’ve got jojoba but none of the liquid coconut and don’t like the smell of coconut, does it retain its scent?
Thanks!
I love making my own scents! Your blend would be a very refreshing one! Something to note when using citrus is to avoid sunlight on the area (or at least monitoring the area), because citrus oils cause photosensitivity and that could result in mild skin irritations or even burns.
A blend that I like is orange and lavender – it’s so lovely!