Enhancing Sandalwood Scent in Spray Perfume

Question

I want to make a spray perfume for personal use. I'd like to take a favorite finished perfume and add a woody scent like Sandalwood to make the woody note more prominent. Could you recommend a carrier oil and a rough formula for a spray perfume?

MySkinRecipes Expert · Accepted Answer

Enhancing Sandalwood in Your Perfume

Directly modifying a finished perfume can potentially alter its scent or quality. A better approach is to create a separate Sandalwood spray to layer with your existing perfume, or to create a new fragrance blend with Sandalwood as a prominent note.

To make a Sandalwood spray for layering, you can use a concentrated fragrance oil or chemical compound that provides a Sandalwood scent, mixed with Perfumer's Alcohol. Alcohol acts as a solvent and helps disperse the scent into the air, which is different from Carrier Oil, typically used for rollerball or solid perfumes.

Based on our search, there are several interesting components that provide a Sandalwood scent, such as:

Santaliff, Sandaxol, Sandalmysore: A group of synthetic chemicals that provide a Sandalwood scent.
Sandal Pentenol (Ebanol): Another synthetic chemical with a Sandalwood scent.
Sandela 803 (Givaudan) (Synthetic Sandalwood): A synthetic Sandalwood chemical from Givaudan.
Sensual of Spices and Sandalwood: This appears to be a finished fragrance blend featuring Sandalwood and spices.

Basic Formula for a Spray Perfume (Eau de Parfum Concentration):

Fragrance Oil/Sandalwood Scent Component: 15-30%
Perfumer's Alcohol: 70-85%
Distilled Water: 0-5% (Optional, to slightly reduce alcohol concentration)
Fixative: Small amount (approx. 0.1-1%) (Optional, helps the scent last longer)

Basic Steps:

Slowly add the fragrance oil/Sandalwood scent component to the Perfumer's Alcohol. Stir well until fully dissolved.
If desired, add distilled water and fixative. Stir to combine.
Pour the mixture into a spray bottle.
It is recommended to let the perfume age in a cool, dark place for at least 1-2 weeks (or longer) to allow the ingredients to meld and the scent to fully develop before use.

The choice of which Sandalwood scent component to use depends on your preference for the different Sandalwood scent profiles each offers. It's advisable to experiment with small quantities first to adjust the ratio to achieve your desired scent.