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.
"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."
Make Your Own Organic Perfume
Creating a fragrance that is unique to your personality - and organic - is relatively easy. First, explore the range of essential oils, from sandalwood and chamomile to lavender and jasmine to find a fragrance that matches your needs. Don't be afraid to combine scents to compose an original fragrance.
Once you have settled on a fragrance, create a mixture of approximately 85% organic vodka and 15% essential oil in a decorative glass jar. Cover the jar and let the miture stand for several days.
Finally, pour in a tablespoon of filtered water for each ounce of vodka, stir, and allow the completed formula to sit for a few more days.
Resources
'Aromatherapy Pocketbook' profiles 17 essential oils, from basil to ylang ylang, detailing their characteristics and therapeutic properties. Practical applications and recipes for use in cosmetics, medicine, emotional therapy and even magic are included in the compact paperback volume. An excellent reference, as well as an interesting introduction to the art of aromatherapy, this book will inspire those who are sensitive to the power of scent.
Consider The Art of Aromatherapy an introduction into the world of essential oils. This attractive, easy-to-read reference contains many of the basics you'll need to start incorporating aromatherapy into your daily routine. After a brief but informative introduction to the medicinal and therapeutic uses of plant essences, this little book gets down to business. Thirty of the most popular essential oils are presented, first with a brief description and place in history, then moving into the practical and medicinal realm.
Just one whiff of the simple aromatherapy recipes in Aromatherapy: Recipes for Beauty, Health, and Well-Being can raise your spirit and refocus your energy. Recipes in this little booklet include Sleepytime Balm, Exotic Oil, Aging-Skin Lotion, Cucumber Toner, Velleda, Body Tonic, Nourishing Oil.
In the first section of this The Good Herb, author Judith Benn Hurley profiles 45 herbs and how to use their nourishing and rejuvenating properties in the kitchen, the garden, and the medicine cabinet. In the second section, she shares remedies from herbal masters to beautify, fortify, and heal many common problems. Also includes growing tips and aromatherapy ideas.