While most wouldn’t think of using fragrance oil directly (they are mostly used as primary ingredients for other home and cosmetic products), you can use fragrance oils for the body too.
So if you have a bottle of fragrance oil and want to know what to use it for, this article is for you. It describes what a fragrance oil is and for what purposes you can use the oil that’ll benefit the body.
What is fragrance oil?
Fragrance oil is a synthetic oil made by blending different aroma compounds. It is also called aroma or flavor oil. The oil can contain natural scents with a more concentrated aroma than synthesized ones.
The primary use of these oils is as ingredients in household products like soaps, perfumes, diffusers, hair oils, scent candles, cosmetic products, and others. Their primary purpose is to provide aroma, which means they are highly concentrated.
This concentration may often be irritating. And being synthesized, it can irritate the skin. Therefore, avoiding direct contact with the body. Nonetheless, some fragrance oils come diluted with carrier oils, so it is safe to apply on the body.
How to use fragrance oil
You can use fragrance oils for different purposes. Whether you are creating a soap or making perfume oil, the oil blends into any craft you are making. These are how to use the oil for the body.
1. Add fragrance oil to a diffuser
This does not directly affect the body, but it does put the body in a relaxed state.
A diffuser works to spread clean, scented air, and one way to get the air scented is to use fragrance oil. All you have to do is:
- Add one or two drops of fragrance oil to your diffuser
- Stir
- Then leave it to spread
- The aroma would fill the room in no time.
2. How to use fragrance oil as perfume
This will take a little bit of chemistry knowledge to make, but you can get a good result (after a little bit of trial) when you know what to do.
First things first, you must know that you cannot use the aroma oil alone because it is too concentrated and could irritate the skin. The best option is to mix it with a carrier oil without a scent like jojoba oil.
As we know, perfume has 3 major notes: the base, heart, and top/headnote. These notes are just to give the perfume a signature smell, with the base note being the strongest and long-lasting.
You can mix your aroma oil as you like based on your preference. The strongest smell you want should be your base.
To mix:
- Get carrier oil and fragrance oils at a ratio of 80:20 percent. The carrier oil is higher.
- Then split 3 fragrance oils as your base, heart, and top notes.
- In a bowl or bottle, mix your oils.
- The carrier oil comes first, then your base at 10%, then the 5% heart, and the 5% top note.
- Shake the bottle and store it.
To use:
- Get a roll-on applicator, a glass dropper, or a spray cap on the bottle and spray the pulse points of your body. That is your wrists, neck, collarbone, and behind the ear.
- Apply the fragrance oil perfume generously.
- Let the oil perfume seep into your skin to give you an alluring scent.
Note: How long the base note lasts depends on the strength of the oil. If it is a concentrated aroma, it would last about 2-5 hours.
3. How to use fragrance oil in shampoo
This is as simple as the rest. You can add fragrance oil to your shampoo to provide a sweet or intense aroma when you wash your hair.
However, the shampoo has to be unscented. This way, there wouldn’t be conflicting scents that would turn out off-putting.
To use:
- Apply 10 drops of fragrance oil to your new shampoo
- Shake very well
- Use the shampoo
Note: Test the shampoo to see if you would react to it. If you don’t, go ahead to use the shampoo.
4. How to use fragrance oil in bath bombs
Bath bombs are aromatic soaps that provide the needed relaxing therapy when you want to soak in the tub. When making your bath bomb, you can use the oil for scent.
Ingredients:
- 1 cup of baking soda
- ½ cup of Epsom salt
- ½ cup of cornstarch
- ½ cup of citric acid
- 10 drops of fragrance oil
- 1 tablespoon of carrier oil (preferably unscented)
- Color pigment
How to make:
- Mix your wet and dry ingredients in separate bowls
- Slowly add your wet ingredients with the dry ingredients (you can use a gloved hand to mix and remove lumps)
- When the mix turns into a thick paste, mold it to whatever shape you want using your bath bomb mold
How to use:
Simply drop the bath bomb in a warm water tub, let it fizz, and slip into the water to enjoy a relaxing time. You can top the tub water with fragrance oil when the smell wanes.
5. How to use fragrance oils as an air freshener
This is simple if you want a freshly scented home. All you have to do is mix fragrance oil and water in a spray bottle, shake, and spray. This will give your home and nose a pleasant smell.
6. Add to cotton balls
This is essentially for your home, but it also works to keep the body relaxed. You can soak cotton balls with the aroma oil and put them in corners, closets, drawers, and cabinets. This creates a uniform aroma around the house, keeping your mind at peace.
FAQs
Are fragrance oil and essential oil the same?
No, they are not.
Fragrance oil is created through a synthesized blend of aroma compounds. It could be a smell with different scents or a primary natural scent.
On the other hand, essential oils are naturally made through the distillation of plants, roots, and flowers. The oils are made from a particular source to provide a concentrated aroma of that one source. They should be used diluted.
Can fragrance oil expire?
Yes, it can.
Fragrance oil can expire. The time frame between production and expiration dates, however, is expansive. You can keep your oil for years and still be able to use it.
Nonetheless, the oil can oxidize if exposed to air and sun, so keep it in an opaque bottle in a cool, dry place.
What is fragrance oil good for?
Providing good aroma. It delivers a pleasant scent that permeates a room or your body for hours.
Is fragrance oil good for aromatherapy?
No, it is not.
Fragrance oil is not essential oil; it has no therapeutic value. It only provides good scents and should not be used for aroma therapy.
That’s because it is synthesized oil made with different aromatic compounds – which can include essential oils too – and carrier oil.
Conclusion
You can use fragrance oils for many things that help the body. It is a great oil with a strong aroma that provides a soothing or wild smell based on your use.
However, do not confuse it with essential oil. It does not have any therapeutic benefits. So while you want to use it for your bath bombs, you will only get a scented soap.
Regardless, fragrance oil does provide great smells in perfumes, diffusers, sprays, and shampoos. If you are looking for an oil to use on your skin, use this oil. But note the concentration of the oil; if it is too strong, mix it with an unscented carrier oil.
Thanks for reading.
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