make your own perfume

In the human brain, the same area that stores memories and emotions also processes olfactory sensations, or smells. It's little wonder, then, that some memories bring back recollections of a specific odor and that certain odors can evoke a vivid memory.

Store-bought perfumes are aromatic fast foods, crafted for appeal to a broad-based olfactory constituency, whereas personal perfumes are like a home-cooked meal, prepared with all your favorite flavors and start to make your own perfume.

"I have the firm belief that people can access emotional healing and mental harmony by using a personalized perfume, one that contains all their favorite memories with favorable emotional content," writes Kendra Grace in her 'Aromatherapy Pocketbook.'

When making personal perfumes for clients, Grace has her "patient" respond to a couple dozen different essential oils (lavender, lemon, jasmine, etc.), grading them on their appeal. Then, taking those that are most pleasing, she blends a personal perfume carefully balance between "base, middle and top notes."

Base notes (jasmine, rose, etc) are the "fixers" of botanical perfumery, providing a steady base upon which to create a blend. Middle notes (lemon, rosemary, etc) are mild smells that help mediate the more flamboyant top notes (lavender, chamomile) that make the strongest aromatic presence.

Vegetable oil is used as a carrier for the essential oils, which make up just 10 to 35 percent of the finished perfume.

"Intuition is very important in blending, and I believe intuition can be invoked if the right state of mind is exercised," Grace points out. "We all have the same potential, but this potential needs to be activated in order to function."

posted by kanee @ 10:47 PM