Making Alcohol-Free Body Spray Perfume: Alternatives and Performance
Question
I want to make a spray-on body perfume without using alcohol. What are the alternative base options available, and how do they compare to alcohol in terms of fragrance diffusion and overall performance (like solubility and sprayability)? Specifically, what are the considerations when using bases like Dipropylene Glycol (DPG) or water with a solubilizer like Flora Solve™ Clear?
Answer
Making Alcohol-Free Body Spray Perfume
When making a spray-on body perfume without alcohol, you have a couple of options for the base, each with its own characteristics:
Using Dipropylene Glycol (DPG) as a base: This is possible, and DPG can dissolve fragrance oils. However, as mentioned in the forum discussion, the diffusion of the scent (how well it spreads in the air) will generally not be as good as when using alcohol. The fragrance might stay closer to the skin.
Using Water with a Solubilizer: You can use water as the base by incorporating a solubilizer like Flora Solve™ Clear. This ingredient is specifically designed to help combine fragrance oils with water or water-based gels without the need for alcohol.
- How to use Flora Solve™ Clear: Mix the Flora Solve™ Clear with your fragrance oil first at a ratio of 2-5 parts Flora Solve™ Clear to 1 part fragrance oil. Stir or blend well until they are fully combined. Then, add this mixture gradually to your water base while stirring until everything is clear and uniform.
- Limitation: While effective for creating alcohol-free water-based sprays, there is a limit to the amount of fragrance you can add. If you use too much fragrance (which would require a proportionally large amount of Flora Solve™ Clear), the final mixture might become too thick to be sprayed effectively.
In summary, while DPG can be used, alcohol provides the best scent diffusion for body sprays. If you need to avoid alcohol, using water with a suitable solubilizer like Flora Solve™ Clear is an option, but be mindful of the fragrance concentration to ensure it remains sprayable.
