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Solid Perfume
by rapiertwit on September 25, 2006

Table of Contents
intro: Solid Perfume . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

step 1: Measure and Melt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

step 2: Apply Perfume . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Related Instructables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Advertisements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Customized Instructable T-shirts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Comments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

http://www.instructables.com/id/Solid-Perfume/

intro: Solid Perfume

This is an inexpensive and easy way to smell nice! I originally looked into this because I wanted to smell like pine trees, and nobody makes that scent (at least until Ralph
Lauren gets a whiff of me). Create a personalized scent for a nifty gift.
The only ingredient that can get expensive is the essential oils, especially if you make a complex scent blend requiring an initial investment of many different essentials.
Of course, there's nothing wrong with picking a single pleasant scent. One bottle of an essential oil will make lots and lots of perfume; you use only drops at a time!
You will need:
1 tablespoon Beeswax (available at craft shop)
1 tablespoon Almond Oil (or Jojoba Oil or Vitamin E - available at natural foods/health store)
8 - 15 drops Essential Oils (available at natural foods/health store)
1 container (preferably glass, ceramic or stone but plastic is acceptable)
For a cool gift, find an appealing container at your thrift store (it must be bowl-like, not bottle-like, to allow fingers to access the perfume) to make it special.

step 1: Measure and Melt

.Put about an inch of water in a small saucepan, then put a small glass jar or pyrex bowl in the water. Measure out the wax and almond oil into the jar/bowl and bring the
water around it to a boil.
The wax will melt gradually; when it is 100% liquid, remove from heat and stir in the other ingredients with a straw (the wax will start to form solid on whatever you do your
stirring with a straw has little surface area so you lose less of the end product, and it's disposable so you don't have to clean it off). When everything is thoroughly
mixed together, pour the liquid wax immediately into your final container. In about 30 minutes, it will be cooled, solid and ready to use.
Here, I'm making a cedarwood essence perfume to rub on my dogs' collars, so I just used a simple plastic container. The scent of cedar repels ticks, and smells good,
too!

http://www.instructables.com/id/Solid-Perfume/

step 2: Apply Perfume

To use the perfume, simply rub a finger around on the surface of the waxy perfume, then rub that finger on the area you want to smell good the inside of your wrists and
behind the ears works well.
Some tips for devising the ultimate scent recipe:
combine drops of various essentials, totalling 8 -15 drops in all
pick a primary scent and use more of that one, then one or two "background" scents, using less of each
check out various aromatherapy sites for info on the psychological properties of various scents
Most stores that sell essential oils have sampler bottles of each one that you can use to "preview" the different scents. Open two or three up at a time and try to get a
combined whiff, to find a good combination.
Some nice essentials for background scents are:
clary sage (a slightly smoky herbal scent that's supposed to help creativity and concentration)
orange or ginger provide a warming sensation (my wife, who is always cold, attests to this)
ylang-ylang is a floral that isn't too sweet or girly for guys, but it's a happy smell and subtle enough for a backdrop
cedar repels insects
Here's my personal scent recipe (and purported aromatherapy effects):
6 drops essential oil of pine (confidence)
4 drops essential oil of ylang-ylang (mood-elevating, energizing)
3 drops essential oil of clary sage (concentration and creativity)
Here's the recipe for my wife's personal scent (and purported aromatherapy effects):
5 drops essential oil of ginger (sweet and warming)
4 drops essential oil of orange (warming, mood-elevating)
2 drops essential oil of ylang-ylang (mood-elevating, energizing)
2 drops of clary sage (concentration and creativity)
Other uses:
rub some on the seats of your car
clean out a chapstick tube and fill for an on-the-go applicator
make a cedar or cypress rub for feet prevents fungus and bacteria-related foot funk
rub on the inside of dog collars for a pooch perfume
rub on the inside of your wallet to get rid of dirty money smell
apply sparingly on business cards this japanese tradition makes your card unique and memorable

http://www.instructables.com/id/Solid-Perfume/

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Comments
37 comments Add Comment

avengeymir says:

Nov 15, 2008. 12:49 PM REPLY

Check out www.thecreamperfumecompany.com

They do this.. cool nuts.

Draighean says:

Jan 21, 2007. 9:19 PM REPLY

Solid perfumes are so much nicer than commercial fragrances.
A couple words of caution: when dealing with essential oils be careful. Research to ensure the dilution you intend to use is skin safe. I've heard a lot of good
information about Martin Watt's knowledge of essential oil safety. For example "Oils such as expressed bergamot can cause a lifelong condition known as
photosensitisation. Oils like peppermint and cinnamon bark can actually burn the skin if they come in contact for too long."
If you intend to use them on pets be cautious. Cats are especially sensitive to essential oils and even inhalation can cause liver problems (google lavender
cat for more information).
Have fun, but be safe.

Shut Up Now says:

Nov 12, 2008. 5:35 PM REPLY

*whips up batch of cinnamon for enemy*

Shut Up Now says:

Nov 12, 2008. 5:32 PM REPLY

ADDITION! you should combine this idea with this: http://www.instructables.com/id/butter-pen/

it would be a custom deodorant-style perfume! lol

Shut Up Now says:

Nov 12, 2008. 5:28 PM REPLY

i didnt read the comments below, but essential oils are volitile which means they evaporate into the air. this also means that they (and their scents)
evaporate into the air very quickly when exposed to heat such as melted wax and oil. you should maybe add the essences after the wax begins to cool to get
a better scent.

lachapa says:
Thank you soooo much for this instructable! I'm allergic to traditional perfumes and colognes, so I will definitely make this!!

http://www.instructables.com/id/Solid-Perfume/

Oct 23, 2008. 8:35 AM REPLY

misa212 says:

Oct 6, 2008. 12:22 PM REPLY

This is a great Instructable - thank you very much for adding! I'm going to experiment with black pepper and geranium. I love the Cedarwood idea for my
dog's collars.

slayer_x911 says:

Aug 14, 2008. 3:44 PM REPLY

freakin AWESOME, gotta make it

thnx 4 the nice 'ible :D

collington says:

Jul 7, 2008. 4:05 PM REPLY

This is fantastic!! Any idea if it would work with an existing store-bought perfume in place of the essential oils? Thanks!

=SMART= says:

Jun 30, 2008. 1:13 PM REPLY

sorry i had to lol

strawberry says:

May 2, 2008. 7:52 AM REPLY

Wow, this is a great way to make my BPAL go further! Thanks, and awesome job!

Up_in_Snow says:

Apr 2, 2008. 2:41 AM REPLY

I love body butters. This will be very nice to try out. I heard when picking oil scents it is best two pick oils with similar colors to compliment one another. Such
as yellow sunflower and lemon: purple, lavender and jasmine: brown, cocoa bean and sandalwood

Donna64 says:

Mar 28, 2008. 5:10 PM REPLY

Hi girl good job i wil try it Thanks

daveylocky says:

Feb 29, 2008. 8:10 AM REPLY

works well but mind how many oils you smell i have a big headache but a great mothers day present cheers :D

Lightness Of Being says:

Feb 19, 2008. 9:44 AM REPLY

I loved this project! I was saddened that my favorite solid was almost gone... and that it is no longer available for purchase. I had already decided to make
my own, using oils I already had as well as the remnants of the old scent, and came upon this Instructable. The instructions were ridiculously easy to follow,
and I now have a beautiful custom scent!

shutterbugbug says:
is there something other than beeswax that will bind this???

http://www.instructables.com/id/Solid-Perfume/

Feb 15, 2008. 10:41 AM REPLY

conadia says:

Feb 13, 2008. 3:11 PM REPLY

you can probly make it into a small candle to put in a drawing room as one of those fancy sented candles.

abssinth says:

Jan 21, 2008. 7:38 PM REPLY

I know this soulds a little kooky, but I'll ask anyway. I have a sandalwood candle that I absolutely love! I've had no luck in finding an essential oil that matches
the scent - is there anyway to use the candle as the wax and not add an oil, but still get the scent? THANKS!

daellio says:

Feb 13, 2008. 2:02 PM REPLY

Try looking at a novelty store or a "hippie" store, the kinds you can get things such as incense, tie dyed shirts and "tobacco smoking accessories" in.
They usually sell "hippie dirt" or the roll-on scented oils. The sandalwood is to DIE for. You can search amazon for "sandalwood roll on oil" and it comes
up there too. It's the most delicious scented sandalwood I have ever smelled!

holtster says:

Sep 22, 2007. 11:08 PM REPLY

Hi: I just want to know if anyone has ever tried to take perfume that they had and turned it into solid form? I have a fragrance which is in the pure perfume
form and eau de perfume and I would like to know if it would be possible for me to turn it into a solid form which would be much easier for me to use without
drastically changing the fragrance. Thanks.

fhaider says:

Feb 13, 2008. 11:55 AM REPLY

There's a lot of original and clone perfumes available in oil form (mostly preferred in Islamic countries where alcohol usage even in perfumes is not
acceptable for many)....But I'm sure they might even be available online...
So you have a pre-made mix of essential oils / fragrances, which is easier to mix into the wax.

bcr8ve says:

Oct 9, 2007. 3:09 PM REPLY

I suspect that the alcohol and water in perfume would sabotage your efforts to make a solid perfume. You might try to find out what scents are combined
to make your favorite perfume and then work with essential oils to create a knock-off that would be close enough to please you.

Mr. Rig It says:

Aug 29, 2007. 9:31 PM REPLY

I like this a lot. It's a great idea to post and you explained it very well. Great job!
This is going on my to do list, I can see some Christmas presents in the future.

skullaria says:

Aug 8, 2007. 3:49 PM REPLY

My son and I made this today. I didn't have a thing to put it in, so I used an empty contact case and we made 2 different fragrances - one in each 'pot'
It worked out well! We used macadamia nut oil b/c that is what we had. Works wonderfully! Set very nicely.

copycatfilms says:

Aug 1, 2007. 11:57 AM REPLY

This is so great. My fav. perfume ever is Burts Bee's baby bee solid perfume and I bought one and never saw it for sale in stores again. it smells so good like
honey almond or something. I'm gonna make a vat of it so I never run out again!

TheWomanMonster says:
very nice. I think I'll be making some very soon. :)

http://www.instructables.com/id/Solid-Perfume/

May 19, 2007. 1:00 PM REPLY

casgrandelady says:

Apr 13, 2007. 3:07 AM REPLY

My grandmother use to make a simular solid perfume. I remember it well, she always smelled like fresh flowers. Lavender and honeysuckle or orange
blossoms and lemon grass. Thanks for reminding me of such a fond memory and for giving me a way to bring those enjoyable smells to my nieces and
nephews.

shadus says:

Mar 29, 2007. 8:30 AM REPLY

Actually a straw has far more surface area that say a coffee stirring stick or a toothpick shaped item. The straw has more because it has both outside and
inside surface area.

shinyglass says:

Feb 16, 2007. 12:44 AM REPLY

This works very nicely in a lip balm tube, especially if you have long nails. You can stroke on your scent wherever you'd like, with no residue on your
fingertips! My favorite blend is rose/sandalwood/cedar. Very sexy and deep woods mysterious!

chenkerchops says:

Feb 8, 2007. 12:20 AM REPLY

I've placed this on my to build list.

Geba says:

Jan 15, 2007. 7:24 PM REPLY

This is awsome! I don't like to wear perfume(too strong), but working at a foundry, I need something cheep and nice for when I'm around humans. :P

ElectricJ says:

Sep 25, 2006. 11:34 PM REPLY

you could always douse yourself in gin or pinsol for that 'piney' smell

rapiertwit says:

Sep 26, 2006. 5:56 AM REPLY

The gin smell would probably get me fired, and PineSol doesn't use real pine anymore. Pine oil used to be the active ingredient (it has antiseptic
properties) but now they use the stronger artificial microbe killas ... which only breeds tougher bacteriums.

RosesAreRed says:

Dec 29, 2006. 12:24 PM REPLY

plus, pinesol smells like chemicals anyway.
This is a very cool idea! I will add this to my list of awesome things to do. I always like smells that they don't make into perfumes.
There is also a company called demeter that makes "pick-me-up" scents that smells like pine (and other very interesting, true scents) I got a pine
scented perfume in a package with two others that I wanted, and I just use it in my car, because I don't personally want to smell like pine.

danie peace says:

Dec 20, 2006. 6:05 PM REPLY

This is also a super lipgloss or chap-stick recipe depending on how much oil you use. Wintergreen or spearmint with orange are so yummy. And since
wintergreen has salicylic acid (super good for painful cold sores).

bigtoe says:

Dec 15, 2006. 8:02 PM REPLY

Dirty money...this will be great for those politicians in your life!

mr2monster says:
I like this.. It's creative and seems like it would work well...

http://www.instructables.com/id/Solid-Perfume/

Sep 26, 2006. 10:17 AM REPLY