How to Make a Longer-Lasting Room Spray

Question

Hello,

I would like to ask about making a room air freshener spray with a long-lasting scent.

I have purchased the following ingredients from the website:

Essential Oil (Lavender)
Iso Propyl Alcohol (IPA)
Reed Diffuser Base (Type 1)
Fractionated Coconut Oil
Flora Fix
10 ml spray bottle

I have tried mixing them in various ways, but no matter what, I encounter the problem that the scent disappears very quickly after spraying, lasting less than a minute.

I would like to ask:

What is the formula to make the scent last longer?
If I mix plain water in to increase the volume, should I or should I not?
Is there anything else I should buy to make a room spray that lasts a long time?

Thank you very much.

MySkinRecipes Expert · Accepted Answer

How to Make a Longer-Lasting Room Spray

Hello!

I understand you're looking to make a longer-lasting room spray with the ingredients you have. It sounds like the scent is disappearing quickly, which is a common issue when using fast-evaporating solvents like Iso Propyl Alcohol (IPA). The fragrance evaporates along with the alcohol.

Based on the ingredients you have, you can improve the longevity by reducing the amount of IPA and utilizing the Reed Diffuser Base (Type 1), which is designed for slower evaporation, and Flora Fix, a fragrance fixative.

Recommended Formula (for a 10 ml spray bottle):

Essential Oil (Lavender): 0.5 - 1 ml (approx. 5-10% of total volume)
Flora Fix: 0.1 - 0.5 ml (approx. 1-5% of total volume)
Reed Diffuser Base (Type 1): The remaining volume (approx. 8.5 - 9.4 ml)

Instructions:

Measure the Essential Oil and Flora Fix into your 10 ml spray bottle.
Fill the rest of the bottle with Reed Diffuser Base (Type 1), leaving a small space at the top for shaking.
Close the bottle tightly and shake gently to mix.
Test the spray in a small area to check the scent strength and longevity. You can slightly increase the Essential Oil percentage in future batches if needed, but do not exceed 15% of the total volume.

Note:* Fractionated Coconut Oil is not suitable for room sprays as it is an oil and can leave stains and does not disperse well in the air.

Should you add plain water to increase volume?

No. Adding plain water to a mixture of essential oil and oil-soluble solvents like Reed Diffuser Base and alcohol will cause the mixture to separate. You will end up spraying water and oil separately, which is ineffective for scent dispersion and can cause staining. To incorporate water, you would need an Emulsifier to bind the oil and water phases together, which you do not currently have.

What else should you consider buying for longer-lasting room sprays?

Perfumer's Alcohol (or Denatured Ethanol): This type of alcohol is commonly used in perfumery and room sprays. It dissolves fragrances well and evaporates at a more controlled rate than IPA, leading to better scent longevity.
Emulsifier: If you prefer a water-based spray, you would need an appropriate emulsifier to create a stable mixture of water and fragrance oil.

Try the suggested formula first, as using Reed Diffuser Base with Flora Fix should significantly improve the scent's staying power compared to using mostly IPA.