Welcome new-at-DIY-fragrance members! Read this first

[Irina]

Are you new to this board?

Welcome

Please read this first before opening a new thread, chances are you'll find the answers to most FAQ here.

First a kind reminder on Basenotes Community Code of Conduct for Members

And second: this forum has an awesome advanced search button that can help you to quickly find a thread on many DIY fragrance subjects, see pic below for its location
search.jpg

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Here is a compilation of links to threads that address the MFAQ (Most Frequently Asked Questions)

How do I go about smelling?

Smelling Techniques Guide

Where do I start?

Primer on How to Make Perfume

A collection of best practice tips

What materials do I need?

Top List of 100 Aromachemicals to get you started

Where do I buy perfumery raw materials?

DIY Suppliers List

DIY Suppliers with MSDS Certificate of analysis and Declaration of Allergens

Ingredients search via Perfumersearch.com

Where do I find more information on raw materials?

http://www.thegoodscentscompany.com/

http://www.perfumersearch.com/

Where do I buy perfumers alcohol and what kind can I use?

Food grade Alcohol, Ethanol, UNdenaturated Ethanol etc where to buy

Where to get perfumers alcohol online

Should I add water, oils and glycerin in my perfumes?

NO
Don't Add Water, Glycerin or Jojoba to Alcoholic Perfumes

I want to make something that smells like X, what raw materials do I need?

Type in the smell here:
http://www.perfumersearch.com/index....d=13&Itemid=14

Or click on the right column of this site:
http://aromachemicals.net/

What equipment do I need?

The DIY lab

Setting up a work space & odor prevention

http://www.perfumersearch.com/index....id=9&Itemid=12

Where can I buy a good cheap scale?

On Ebay. Look for 'jewelry scale 0.01 g', and find the best deal that can weigh at least 200 g

Favorite won't break the bank scale

I am looking to duplicate X perfume, do you have a formula?

NO
But there are some books that give hints, see books thread for more info.

Where do I find formulas?

Here you can find demo formula's:
http://www.perfumersearch.com/index....id=12&Itemid=9

How do I make my perfume last longer?

The perfume structure must be sound. You need to add raw materials with low volatility (vapor pressure) and/or materials high diffusion (like Hedione) that will last and project. Most of the times these are 'base notes' like musks, cedrambers (like Iso E Super), ambergris (like Ambroxan), woody (like sandalwood, vetiver), gourmand notes ( like vanilla, vanillin) and/or resins (like olibanum, benzoin). Or adding a fixative blend like Fixateur 505.

Here are a few threads on the subject that might help:

Can perfumers control sillage or longevity

Longevity

Extending natural perfumes

Fixatives and the fleeting scent

What books are useful?

Links to perfumery books

Are there schools that teach me how to become a perfumer?

Perfumers education

Home study courses for perfumery

How can I make safe perfumes?

Use the right materials in the right %, use the right equipment in the right space, look into local and global safety regulation and legislation (see threads on IFRA & EU)

Questions regrading safety guidelines for materials

What is IFRA and do I need to know more?

IFRA standards

IFRA standards & discussion

IFRA restrictions and EU regulations are NOT the same: some facts

I want to sell my products, what do I need to know?

It depends on your training, materials, good manufacturing practices, labeling, packaging, marketing, legislation, regulation, see above threads.

Perfume start-up help
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For more experienced DIY'ers:

Please feel free to add here other important questions, answers and links.

I'll compile it and edit this post regularly.

Thank you all for reading and participating!

[Chris Bartlett]

OK so I’ve put loads of information from questions I frequently answer here onto my blog and recently created a similar kind of ‘Index Page’ for it called How to Make Perfume.

Links within that article cover everything from equipment and ingredients suppliers to what criteria you need to consider when buying a scale and what all those confusing sounding terms that are used for natural extracts mean.

[dudeinthemoon]

Thank you Irina!

For all of you more experienced noses, it really is great to have your guidance. Yourself, Chris, Dave, Paul and Mumsy amongst many have already been a great help even though I've only been doing this for a week! My first fragrance is for my girlfriend this christmas, and is coming along nicely - it is starting to resemble her favourite smells (freshly baked cookies with milk, mothballs, hay) and although it needs top notes it's nice to wear, projecting fairly well for the first 2-3 hours and lasting six plus on the skin... I've got some fun ideas for the packaging, and will be sure to put up pictures when it starts to come together! It's not finished, but I think a lot of the advice I've received reading you guys & gals' posts, both on other peoples questions and on mine have helped me to develop in one week something that could easily have taken me several months or more of research & mistakes without this place. Thank you, I hope you all know how appreciated you are.

[Irina]

You're most welcome, dude

Chris, thank you for adding that.

My idea with the OP is to keep it as a reference guide to threads within basenotes, with a very few exceptions like TGSC. Please do add your excellent contribution/blog to the sticky 'how to make perfume', making sure people can find it easily

[Chris Bartlett]

You're most welcome, dude

Chris, thank you for adding that.

My idea with the OP is to keep it as a reference guide to threads within basenotes, with a very few exceptions like TGSC. Please do add your excellent contribution/blog to the sticky 'how to make perfume', making sure people can find it easily

I understand, but there’s no point me adding it to that thread: it’s already 3 pages long, no-one will ever find it.

[Bullonaio]

Thanx Irina... Great resume....

[Irina]

You're most welcome, glad you find it of use

[Irina]

Added another thread on 'perfumers alcohol'.

[Irina]

For Angelique and all new members

[Bill Roberts]

Hi Irina, if I might suggest an addition, perhaps threads on "How do I make my perfume last longer?"

That seems perhaps the most frequently asked question of all.

[Irina]

Hi Irina, if I might suggest an addition, perhaps threads on "How do I make my perfume last longer?"

That seems perhaps the most frequently asked question of all.

Thanks, Bill, that's a very good idea. I'll look and see if I can find the best or most relevant threads on that topic and add them tomorrow.
Thanks again!

[Bill Roberts]

Much appreciated, Irina, I think your thread is going to help a lot of people, and very efficiently.

[angelick]

Hi Irina and everyone,

Thanks very much for this thread. I've already read a lot of the threads mentioned, but it's a very steep learning curve, so to have them all in one place is very helful.
I'll introduce myself here as I'm not sure where to do this, and my profile doesn't seem tto give any information about me.
I'm 32, originally from South Africa, but living in NZ. I had type 1 dibetes as a child, and due to diabetic complications I lost my vision and had kidney failure at the age f 20.
I am thus totally blind, but received a kidney and pancreas transplant, so am diabetes free and in better health.
Due to my blindness I realize I'll face some hurdles in my fragrance explorations, but as I love perfumes and am terribly curious by nature, I only see it as another challenge I can overcome with the right tools and guidance.
Pears has already suggested a talkin scale, and Paul has been kind enough to provide some ebooks for me to read on my laptop.
If any of you kind and terribly brilliant people want to advise, give tips or advice, I'll be eternally greatful as I've been wanting to mak perfumes for years.
Apologies for the long post *blush*

[FollyFlick]

Sharing a tip for newbies: I did a two day course last weekend and a key message was think about the purpose of each material before you include it. Sounds obvious, but it made me really think about what and why I include things, rather than just thinking 'i like that smell'.

[Irina]

A warm welcome, Angelick! And chapeau to you, perfumery is such a challenging endeavor on its own!

I know of another perfumer that due to illness was temporarily blind: David Falsberg of Phoenicia Perfumes http://www.phoeniciaperfumes.com/. Maybe you can get in touch with him?

[Irina]

Sharing a tip for newbies: I did a two day course last weekend and a key message was think about the purpose of each material before you include it. Sounds obvious, but it made me really think about what and why I include things, rather than just thinking 'i like that smell'.

Thank you for adding this, great tip

I've added Bill's question to the OP, a very short answer and a few threads.

hth

[David Ruskin]

Sharing a tip for newbies: I did a two day course last weekend and a key message was think about the purpose of each material before you include it. Sounds obvious, but it made me really think about what and why I include things, rather than just thinking 'i like that smell'.

I agree with Irina, indeed a great tip. May I just add one tiny comment? Before you can think about why you are using a specific ingredient, you have to know as much about it as possible. Strength, longevity, your odour description. The very first thing that you should do, when receiving a new material is to dip it and learn about it, then you can work out why you want to use it.

Sorry, not such a tiny comment after all.

[Irina]

I agree with Irina, indeed a great tip. May I just add one tiny comment? Before you can think about why you are using a specific ingredient, you have to know as much about it as possible. Strength, longevity, your odour description. The very first thing that you should do, when receiving a new material is to dip it and learn about it, then you can work out why you want to use it.

Sorry, not such a tiny comment after all.

Great addition, David Priceless comment, very very important for all beginners!

[angelick]

Thanks again for your help and warm welcome Irina. I shalltry too contact him for sure.

[Irina]

You're most welcome, Angelick

[Irina]

Thank you, Bill
Added http://aromachemicals.net/

[Irina]

I see new members

[Dravcas]

Hi everyone,

Thank you for the great stickies on this forum - BN has been a great source of information for me as I collect notes on perfumery DIY prior to starting, and I have to say I keep coming back to refresh concepts. The How-to primer and list of 100 aroma chemicals has been particularly useful, so thank you again.

I thought I would quickly introduce myself and state my intentions! My name is Adrian, and my partner and I have been talking about making solid perfumes for a while. We researched solid perfumes from the simple single essential oil variety to those with bespoke fragrances. We decided that it would be much more fulfilling to produce our own perfumes rather than blend someone else's fragrance oils. The idea has now grown (as they are prone to do) to include traditional ethanol-based perfumes.

We are researching and researching but will soon begin ordering some gear. My plan is to make a purchase and produce a sort of lexicon on the properties of each item before making any blends.

I'll continue to lurk around, but will be popping my head up to say hello!

[mintle]

Dear all,

I just wanted to say hi since I am a reader not a contributor to this forum yet. And also thank you sooo much for gathering all this valuable information and sharing your knowledge!

I am mastering my patience skills now since it takes a lot of research, learning and reading to even get to know and explore raw materials.I have always had a sensitive nose and was able to identify scents and compositions worn for example by strangers passing me by on the street. I just want to create beautiful scents for me and my friends
I have built my mini lab and gathered supplies, even created one formula that is wearable with plasure (however please note I tend to be less judgmental and more forgiving towards my first creations in any field ).

Looking forward to this great journey!

[Graphite]

Welcome mintle!

[rrheaton]

Hello,

I am brand new to this. I have created a blend I LOVE, its approximately 2 ounces and 20% is my aromatic blend. I mixed this with 150 proof alcohol in a two ounce container to sit for a while. The fragrance is sitting at the bottom and completely separated from the alcohol. What can I do to fix this? I used a lot of jasmine sambac absolute so I really hope I didnt ruin it.

Please advise!!!!

[Bill Roberts]

I don't know if you have the means of separating the two layers, but if you can find a way to do so then I'd do the following:

Separate what you have now. If you get a little of your 150 proof layer in the separated-fragrance layer that's okay, or leave a little of your separated-fragrance layer in the 150 proof, that's okay.

You're not done, because the separated-fragrance layer probably will not smell the same as the concentrate originally did, because some materials within your blend will have had more tendency to separate, and others more tendency to stay in the 150 proof. So, neither will smell the same as the original.

(Give your separated-fragrance layer a smell though, it would be interesting to know!)

Next, to the 150 proof I'd add an amount of IPM (isopropyl myristate), perhaps equal to half original amount of fragrance concentrate. Add an amount of water at least equaling your amount of 150 proof: it can be more if that's convenient. Shake. Let separate.

Separate the IPM layer from the alcohol/water layer, give it a smell too for knowledge, and add to the separated material of the first step.

If being very particular, repeat that step.

This should recover practically all of your aroma materials. (Perhaps not phenethyl alcohol if present; perhaps a bit of other things, but most likely everything of importance unless that includes PEA. Even PEA will be at least partially recovered. Jasmine doesn't contain PEA.)

Then redilute back with proper (190 proof) alcohol. Everclear 190 proof is I think the best; perfumer's alcohol is also usable.

If separation just doesn't go well with the implements available to you, separatory funnels are available from Amazon.

[rrheaton]

Thank you! How can I separate the 2? Is this possible by using a pipette to remove the bottom layer?

[Bill Roberts]

I generally use a separatory funnel, or in rare cases (different than yours) have simply poured off. A pipette might work, particularly if you can find a glass that has a conical bottom, like a martini glass. As speculation, you might be able to plug the bottom of a glass funnel and use that as the container to pipet from, or if the layers are well separated, to drain the bottom layer using your finger to control the flow.

I don't know as I've always had the glassware that's designed for separation, and have only improvised when I've had gummy material, or too much material to fit into a funnel, or precision wasn't needed and I was in a rush.

[pussinboots]

Hello,

I am brand new to the DIY forum and just wanted to say thank you for all the wonderful resources gathered here! This sticky is a wonderful idea!

I have a question that I've been trying to answer searching the forum, but perhaps I don't know where to look. My hope is that if the thread already exists - that perhaps it could be added to the original sticky, as I suspect others may have this question.

My question is about smelling and learning the raw materials when you are first starting out. I have read that it's wise to dilute your raw materials before smelling them - because it's less wasteful and also easier to get a more accurate impression of the aroma. Ok! So how do I do that? I have a bunch of EOs and a handful of isolates that I've ordered. I'd like to beginning studying them using the Jean Carles method, and maybe get a few synthetics to sniff too. But how do I dilute them to begin sniffing? What do you dilute them in - perfume grade alcohol? Is a 10% dilution a good idea across the board? I've heard "it can vary depending on the material" - but since I'm new, I don't know how to determine what a good % dilution would be.

Once one has the proper dilution, then I'm assuming it's straightforward work with tester strips - and letting them sit, and smelling at intervals, to see how the scent evolves over time, and taking good notes. Right?

Thank you! I'm sorry if my questions are foolish or have been answered elsewhere. I've searched on "dilution" but did not find this exact question address for the very beginner.