I was quite surprised when my 7-year-old requested some perfume for Christmas this past year. I thought that seemed far too old to be interested in fragrance! But as we talked about it a bit, she seemed to actually be interested in making homemade perfume, seeing it as one more neat thing to experiment with and create.

That I can handle! Since we are an essential oil loving family, I knew exactly where to start: with what we already have on hand! With just a few ingredients we were able to make a scent that is uplifting and very “happy” (according to my daughter) and that she is proud to wear because she made it. It took all of 2 minutes to make; so easy!

Here are the supplies you will need:

scent-free witch hazel

carrier oil (we used Vitamin E oil)

small glass refillable perfume bottle (we chose a 5 ml for this recipe)

essential oils of your choice (we used Orange, Stress Away and Bergamot from Young Living)

For a 5 ml bottle of perfume, you’ll need 15 total drops of the essential oils of your choice. We loved the combination of Orange, Bergamot and Stress Away, so we used 5 drops of each of those oils). We filled the rest of the bottle up with a combination of carrier oil and witch hazel. This would mean that the bottle contains around 15% essential oils and the rest is carrier oil and witch hazel, to give you an idea of ratios. You could certainly play around with a lower dose of essential oils and see if you like the result (I’m a big fan of going low and slow!).

You will find that the witch hazel and the oils separate from each other, which is perfectly fine. Simply give your bottle a shake just before applying. I recommend using a see-through bottle to help you remember to do this before you use it.

The smell is quite lovely, and I appreciate knowing that my daughter is wearing something that does not contain chemical fillers (and endocrine disrupters!) and that is actually quite good for her, instead. She loves the smell and will enjoy creating a new scent once this bottle runs out. Depending on the oils you use, the cost for a bottle of DIY perfume can be just a few dollars or even less, which works for me!

If you make perfumed with essential oils and have some suggestions for others to try, please leave a comment below! And if you don’t already use Young Living essential oils and would like to try 1-3 different bottles, I place an order once a month and would be happy to help you out!