We all know by now that synthetic fragrances are majorly icky. The FDA doesnt require manufacturers to include the contents of fragrance on ingredient labels, so theres really no telling whats in there (all evidence points to nothing good). However, some of us scent-lovers enjoy wearing a little perfume every once in awhile.

Its no secret that scents can boost our mood, calm us down, get us hyped andeven turn us on. And with this strong human connection to scents comes a desire to smell like the emotions we want to embody. If you want to don a signature scent but are wary of conventional perfumes, heres what you need to know to DIY your own personal fragrance.

Fragrance Notes

The first thing you need to know about perfume is that it contains at least one top note, middle note and bottom note. Your top note will probably stand out the most, but it will fade the most quickly. The middle note is considered the true essence of your perfume, while the bottom note anchors everything down and lasts the longest.

Now you need to pick out your three notes. Essential oils are the best course of action, though you can also use essences (diluted essential oils)these, however, will fade more quickly and won’t be as potent.

Essential Oil Families

To select your top, middle and base notes, youll probably want to pick essential oils that are in the same scent family. Aroma Web categorizes essential oils as floral, woodsy, earthy, herbaceous, minty, medicinal, spicy, oriental and citrusy.

Sticking to the same family will guarantee some pleasant blends, but crossing between categories is where it really gets interesting. You have to be careful, though. Your best bet is to either stick to the same family or mix the following:

A floral scent with a citrusy, spicy or woodsy scent.
An oriental or spicy scent with a floral or citrus scent.
An earthy scent with a minty or woodsy scent.

Popular Combinations

To give you some inspiration, here are some tried and tested essential oil combinations from the lifestyle blog Overthrow Martha that may work for you:

Jasmine with orange and sandalwood
Lavender with orange and ylang ylang
Lemongrass with vetiver, lavender and lime
Rose with vetiver and lime
Orange with cedarwood and peppermint
Bergamont with lemongrass and sandalwood

Mixing it All Together

Once youve experimented with scents and determined which combination you like best, its time to mix everything together. Wellness Mama recommends the following recipe/ratio for your DIY fragrance concoction:

12-20 drops of your base note scent
25-30 drops of your middle note scent
12-15 drops of your top note scent
4 ounces of alcohol to preserve your mixture (Wellness Mamas genius idea was to use spiced rum, which smells WAY better than other kinds of alcohol.)

Youll start by adding your base notes first and moving up the list. After all of your ingredients have been added, cap the bottle and shake well. Let it sit for as long as possible (ideally up to a month) to let the scent of the alcohol fade and the combination of essential oils mature. Then its ready to wear!

Disclaimer: The views expressed above are solely those of the author and may not reflect those of Care2, Inc., its employees or advertisers.

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How To Make Your Own All-Natural Perfume