How to Make Perfume from Flowers - What are the Tips?

Making perfume from flowers can be achieved thoughtfully with a few careful steps. The process involves soaking your flower petals overnight in a cheesecloth, squeezing the excess liquid into a bowl, and heating the flower-scented liquid. Making your own perfume is also a great way to save money than buying them from a store.

So, what are the steps to make perfume from flowers? What are some tips for harvesting flowers for perfumes? Which flower is best for making homemade fragrances, and which are primarily used in the perfume industry? What flowers should you not use to create your own fragrance?

Here is the complete guide on how to make perfume from flowers.

Table of Contents

What are the Steps to Make Perfume from Flowers?

Essentially, making perfume from flowers comes down to the personal taste of the individual making it. Here are the steps to consider when creating your own fragrance from flowers.

Step 1:

The first step is determining what flowers you want for your perfume. You can combine your flower of choice with essential oils to enhance the scent or forgo the oils and use the flower petals. Once you determine what flowers you want, wash the petals thoroughly to remove any sediment.

Step 2:

For the next step, you will need a cheesecloth and a bowl of about two cups of distilled water. Place your petals in the cheesecloth and soak them in your water bowl for about 24 hours. Other recipes may call for soaking your petals in alcohol, like vodka, for 24 hours, crushing the flowers, then adding distilled water to soak them for another week.

Step 3:

For the third and final step, gently remove the pouch from the water and squeeze the soaked petals into a saucepan. Simmer the mixture on low heat. Some recipes that call for your flower mixture to rest for over a week typically do not require you to simmer your mixture over heat.

How Do Notes Play a Factor in Perfume Making with Flowers?

Most perfumes comprise base notes, middle notes, and top notes. The top notes are usually the fragrances you notice first, then the middle and base notes. When choosing what flowers to use in your perfume, begin with the base note, which will help inform the rest of your concoction.

Typical base note flowers include vanilla, cedarwood, sandalwood, frankincense, and other heavier scents.

What are Some Tips for Harvesting Flowers for Perfumes?

Typically, harvesting your flower just before it matures is best to ensure you get the optimal scent. If your flower is already wilting, it may be too late. Some experts suggest that some flowers are best harvested early in the morning as the blossoms are the most fragrant.

After cutting your flowers, you can also place them on an oven-safe cooling rack, placing parchment paper on a baking sheet. Bake the flowers for about 2 hours at around 200 degrees Fahrenheit. Dehydrating the flowers can help them retain their fragrance for perfume or potpourri.

Also, some flowers do not give off much fragrance and can still produce excellent ones once the perfume is made.

Which Flower is Best for Making a Homemade Perfume?

Some great flowers to consider using in perfumes include honeysuckles, violet roses, lavenders, and jasmine. However, it is essential to note that this is subjective as everyone has a different preference and tolerance.

If you prefer more floral scents, rose petals and lavender are a great place to start. If you like heavier fragrances, you can use cedarwood or bergamot.

Which Flowers Are Mostly Used in the Perfume Industry?

Some of the most commonly used flowers in the perfume industry include rose, plumeria, violet, lavender, and jasmine. Rose is one of the most used, as its romantic and mysterious scent compliments and enhances many perfumes.

Plumeria, another popular flower used in the industry, has one of the most potent scents and bears significant symbolism in South American culture. Plumeria also symbolizes beauty, charm, and grace for that individual, which can add a more profound meaning if you gift it to someone.

Can You Use Dead Flowers to Create a DIY Perfume?

When making perfume, it is always best to use fresh flowers as the scent is most potent when fresh. However, it is still possible to dry old flowers and use them in perfume if you notice a lingering smell. Once the flowers are entirely brown and wilted, your best bet is to use different flowers to create your fragrance.

What Flowers Should You Not Use to Create Perfume?

When choosing flowers for your perfume, you must ensure that the flowers you work with are not toxic. For example, the Nerium oleander gives off a sweet scent, but this flower is one of the most poisonous in the world. Ingesting or inhaling the burning plant can be incredibly detrimental to your health.

Unfortunately, some flowers that give a potent fragrance do not always hold their fragrance when made into perfume. Lily of the valley, lilac, sweat pea, wisteria, and hyacinth are all flowers that do not give off their natural fragrance when made into perfumes. These flowers must be paired with other, more pliable ones to create a unique scent.

Where to Store Your Perfume After You Create It?

After you create your perfume from flowers, you want to store it in an air-tight container. Keep the container in a cool and dark place as it settles.

Is Making Perfume Flower Flowers Safe?

While making your perfume is perfectly safe from flowers, ingesting the flower petals or water can be unsafe. Be sure to thoroughly sanitize any dishes before cooking with them again.

Conclusion: How to Make Perfume from Flowers?

In summary, making your own floral perfume using fragrant flowers in your garden is very simple. You can have your perfume with a cheesecloth, bowl, water, and flowers within days.

When choosing which flowers to put in your perfume, there are various factors to consider. Be aware that some flowers are poisonous and should never be used in perfumes, like the Nerium oleander. Though not poisonous, some flowers may not provide the fragrance you expect, like lily of the valley, sweat pea, and wisteria.

If you are starting as a first-time perfume maker, consider using roses or plumerias since they are two of the most commonly used flowers in the perfume industry. They also tend to have a great smell, which means making them into a fragrance can be a good idea. However, it all comes down to your preference, the scent you are trying to create, and more, so have fun experimenting!