How can I make lavender perfume at home?

Linda S

It's not difficult to make fragrances at home with flowers such as roses, lavender, lily of the valley, sweet violets and more. The easiest method is to simply soak fresh flowers in de-ionized or distilled water. Tap water won't work because of the mineral content so you do need to use distilled water. Gently heat the water but don't boil it: you don't want to smell the scent because that means the volatile scent compounds are escaping into the air. Next method is an oil soak. Use a flavor and scent free oil -canola works well as does processed olive oil. Save the extra virgin cold press for bruschetta and a nice Caesar salad and use the flavorless cheap stuff. Again, soak the flower in warm oil to extract the scent. The best and more effective method for making fragrance at home -and the one I recommend -is to use alcohol. You need to use Un-Denatured Alcohol from the pharmacy -not rubbing alcohol because it's denatured - or use a good odorless tasteless vodka. I use vodka because it's easy to find at any liquor store. If you go the pharmacy route then explain that you need only about a cups worth because you are making flower perfume at home. Soak the flowers in the vodka (or oil or water) for several days. Use you nose -when the alcohol (or oil or water) is fragrant like lavender then dispense it into a bottle that can be tightly closed. A dark color bottle is best and store away from heat and light. One good thing about alcohol is that it extracts more scent from flowers that aren't 100% fresh -such as dry lavender. Home made fragrance is never as strong as professionally distilled fragrance but you can be sure that you are getting the real deal and not a chemical imitation scent. I have successfully made my own Lily of the Valley, Lilac, Hesperus and lavender fragrances from flowers I grow in my own garden. I use dried lavender bunches for scenting the clothes in my closet and to discourage moths in my woolen sweaters. If you look up how to make flower perfumes at home through google you will find lots of instructions similar to this. Some use hot water, some use cold, some prefer oil, other alcohol, all agree water infusing is the easiest. It's a fun hobby and even if doesn't work out it's still fun to try something new.

Anonymous

Unless you have some vats, professional equipment, and mountains of lavender - you cannot.