Perfume making with Vodka

After abandoning my blog for weeks, I finally got myself in front of the computer thanks to the constant reminder of Annie.. haha.. thank you for reading dear!!

Anyway, this perfume making project was done a month ago but never gotten a chance to write about it. It is super simple.
1) Pick out the blend you like as your signature perfume. Here I picked out Neroli, Orange, Juniper berry, Grapefruit, Clary Sage and Sandalwood. Fine a glass bottle that can hold at least 40ml of mixture.2) Put your E.O. into the bottle. Here I am using a 1:20 ratio (E.O : Vodka), it is relatively low but I find it quite sufficient for my experiment. That is, 30 drops of E.O. (total of the six e.o.) with up to 30ml(g) of vodka. Remember, first E.O. and than Vodka.
3) Now in with the vodka. You can obviously use any types of vodka. The purpose of using vodka is that it doesn't have any type of smell, it is clear like water, meaning it won't interfere with the coloring of the mixture and it helps to dissolve the E.O. Oil cannot dissolve in water but will dissolve in alcohol. However, since vodka only has about 40% of the alcohol, we will still need to shake before using the perfume.4) Now place them into the fridge for at least 7 days.5) This is what it will look like after 7 days. However, you will still need to shake the mixture before use as the oil will not be fully dissolved. (I changed the bottle before realizing that I forgot to take a picture =_=.) Place the mixture in a spray bottle like such and enjoy!!
The scent is quite rich in fact so I suggest you use the E.O. you really like for the blend. It is best to store them in the fridge in order to retain the freshness of the smell. However, I usually need to keep them in front of me in order to remember to use perfume before going out though... XD

Have fun~

Just a little project to amuse myself....

In honor of my very recent emotional trauma (yes, I use the word "honor"), I am going to do a little project for myself and see how essential oil would "help" me.

Well, before I could calm myself down and think clearly, the first thing I did was to call my mom ;p and let myself out...completely. After used up a half of box of clinex drying up my tears, I took a hot comforting bath. I am actually pretty proud of myself up to this point since I haven't reached for the box of sweets I store in the fridge (craving for it though...HELP!).

Now that I am calmer :D, I decided to sample some of the e.o. and see if they can help me to "embrace" my little broken heart. I will be using a few drops of Juniper Berry and Clary Sage for the candle diffuser I placed in the living room. They are both great in calming the nerves and in providing the "euphoric" effects. The results......will be revealed.

I know it sounds pretty insane to believe scents in helping with situation like this, but I am positive and hopeful. However, lets never underestimate the importance of family and friends as well. Thank you mom!

What is essential oil?

As you already guessed from the word itself, essential oil is the essence of the plants containing aroma essence of the plants. The essence can come from the petals, leaves or the wooden part of the plant. Each type of e.o. has its own unique chemical composition similar to the medicine . Therefore, each type of e.o. has its own characteristic in the healing process. HOWEVER, it is important to note that e.o. will ONLY work if its scent is accepted by the user. For example, if you dislike the smell of lavender, you will never find it relaxing and soothing.

Depending on the dosage/amount of the e.o., each essential oil may provide different results! For example, as everyone knows, Lavender has been depicted as something that is for relaxation solely by the general market. However, it can actually act as a Pick me up if you use a high amount of the e.o.. Therefore, it is advised to understand the nature of the oil before you apply them. Another thing though, do not smell more than 5 scent in a two-hour period. Depending on your physical condition, you may feel a little nauseated and sick afterwards. Hence, the worse shape you are in, the sicker you may feel. Imagine consuming 5 different pills at once! When that does happen, just drink plenty of water and it will come out of your system within hours. So don't worry!!

The cream I experiment in the last posting was mainly for people that are suffering from insomnia, nervous tension and stress (Neroli and Benzoin). As for the carrier oil I used, I picked Jojoba, Apricot, Borrage seed and Aloe Vera mainly because they are very light and easy to blend (great for massages by the way), Wheatgerm and Vitamin E for its richness in vitamin. Lastly, I used Chamomile Hydrosoles for its calming effect on the skin. The finished product has a fresh scent to it with a just a tiny hint of wood note (Benzoin).

You can certainly use the burner or vaporizer in order to reach even better result of the calming effect by using Neroli and Benzoin only.

Anyway, there are actually so much to talk about when it comes to essential oil! It isn't just about lotion or perfume. It could be very scientific (chemical composition, medicinal usage...etc) or unscientific (energy of each essential oil). Essential oil can also be part of the study of psychology (personal counseling) or part of the agricultural industry (it comes from plant after all). Anyway, I am looking forward sharing the information with you all in the coming future!

Making your own scented lotion

Yes, and it is quite easy! What you need are:

• Beakers (Jars with green lid)
  
• Glass muddler
• Thermometer
• Empty containers for finished product (Jars with white lid)
• Alcohol swaps
• Paper towels
• Weight measurement device (Behind the beakers)
• Good music to listen to while you are making the lotion
  

The ingredients you will need are:

• Carrier oils
• Hydrosoles
• Essential oils
• Emulsifier
  

There are some key points to follow for the process. First of all, we need to decide on the "proportion" of the water (hydrosoles) vs. oils (carrier oils) in our lotion. If you reside in the tropical region and live with the humidity all year long, you would need to make something less heavy and easy to absorb, hence a higher percentage of hydrosoles and lower percentage of the carrier oils. If what you need is to protect your skin from harsh winter and extreme dry air, you would need to lower your concentration of the hydrosoles and increase the concentration of the carrier oils. You get the idea. I like lotion that is not too heavy and easier to absorb. Therefore, I am using the 80% hydrosoles, 6% emulsifier, 13% carrier oils and 1% for the essential oils.

Neroli night lotion 100%

Hydrosoles (Chamomile), Carrier oil (Aloe Vera, Jojoba, Apricot, Borrage Seed, Wheatgerm, Vitamin E), Essential oil (Benzoin, Neroli, Rose geranium, Geranium)

1) Measure your C.O. and Hydosoles according to your weight distribution. For examples, I have 80g of Hydrosoles in one beaker, 13g PLUS 6g of Emulsifier in another like such.

2) On your clean stove, boil water in two (or one larger pot) clean pots. Turn on the heat to the minimum. Put in the beakers SLOWLY and CAREFULLY. Make sure you do this right after you turn on the heat because if you wait too long, the water in the pot will be extremely hot and the beaker might break when you place them in the water. I broke 4 already.....=_=

3) Use the thermometer to measure the beakers and make sure you use one for the oil base and another for the water base throughout the process. When they read 65C to 70C, take them out slowly and place them on a clean towel.

4) Pour the water base into the oil base and stir with your muddler thoroughly. Continue for another 5 to 10 min until the mixture cools down to 40C. You will start to notice the change in texture when it cools, it will turn from watery phase to cream like.

5) Once it read 40C, put your E.O. in within 30 seconds. Stir them continously untill you count to 60. You do not want any E.O. that is left undissolved in the mixture for it might harm your skin.

6) Distribute them in your empty containers and put them in the refrigerator for at least 10 min.

7) You are done! Enjoy.

I will explain why I use the ingredients I used in the next posting!
Stay tuned~

S.f.