Scented oils have many applications. General scents can be used to freshen up rooms, fill potpourri warmers or lightly scent fabrics and linens. Higher quality scented oils make custom, long-lasting personal fragrances. Scented oils also have many applications in health and healing. Aromatherapy is an art form which uses certain scented oils for health and healing. No matter what type of application you prefer, each type of oil is prepared in the same way.
Step 1
Choose a carrier oil with little to no scent of its own. Use a light oil like grape seed or sweet almond oil. Avoid oils like olive or coconut which have distinct smell, unless you want that scent to be part of your finished scented oil.
Step 2
Choose your fragrance. Select from concentrated fragrance oils, essential oils or fragrant herbs and flowers. Trim the stems away and keep only the flower blossoms or petals.
Step 3
Put your carrier oil in a jar with a tight-fitting lid. Fill the jar two-thirds of the way full with this oil. If you will be using herbs or flowers, go to Step 4. If you will be using fragrance or essential oils, skip to Step 5.
Step 4
Place the jar in a bowl. Fill the bowl with enough boiling water to cover at least the bottom half of your jar. Add 1 to 3 tbsp. herbs or flowers to the carrier oil and loosely screw on the lid. Let the jar sit in the oil until the water has cooled to room temperature. This slightly raises the temperature of the oil, which helps extract the fragrance from your herbs and flowers.
Step 5
Add 10 to 12 drops of essential oils or fragrance oils to the jar. Tightly screw the lid on and invert the jar to mix the oils. Do not shake the jar, just gently tip it back and forth.
Step 6
Store your jar in a cool, dark place for one week. This is optional, but it allows your fragrance to develop and to have its strongest scent.
Step 7
Strain your oil through a sieve to remove any herb or floral parts (if you used them). Pout your fragrance oils into decorative jars and store in a cool, dark place. Use within six months to prevent the oils from going rancid.
Things You'll Need
- 1 cup carrier oil
- Glass jar with tight-fitting lid
- Bowl
- Herbs or flowers (optional)
- Essential or fragrance oil
- Strainer or sieve
- Decorative containers (optional)
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