Ask Kitty Magoo: Chemical-Free Perfumes
Dear Kitty,
I want to give my loved ones perfume this year, but most store-bought ones are too stinky! Any recipe ideas for me?
Signed, Fragrant in Franklin
Dear Fragrant,
Not only are store-bought perfumes super stinky, they’re also full of nasty chemicals. Because federal law allows manufacturers to claim fragrances as trade secrets, many ingredients in commercial perfume formulas have not been tested for safety. Scary, huh?
The good news is you can quite easily and cheaply mix up a special scent for that special somebody using essential oils, which are plant-derived and don’t cause the same problems as chemical perfumes. In fact, essential oils possess many beneficial properties. (You still need to use caution when working with them.) I asked Day Host-Jablonski, an accomplished aromatherapist, to suggest a gift-ready fragrance recipe.
Fireside Spice Perfume Oil
2 tsp. jojoba oil
4 drops vanilla essential oil
2 drops patchouli essential oil
5 drops sandalwood essential oil
6 drops clove essential oil
4 drops cinnamon leaf essential oil
5 drops sweet orange essential oil
10 drops bergamot essential oil
10 drops cedar essential oil
Combine essential oils, add jojoba oil and steep, tightly capped, for one week. Apply with a roller bottle or perfume wand. Makes approximately one ounce.
When it comes to making gifts with essential oils, the possibilities are truly endless. Experiment with different scent combinations and recipes for things like body oils, bath bombs, room sprays, facial toners, sugar scrubs … you get the idea!
Meow!