Carrier Oils

• Carrier oils are the base of any perfume. This ingredient makes up most of the contents of each bottle of perfume, totaling anywhere between 60 percent to 80 percent of the perfume recipe. Carrier oils include a low-scent alcohol, such as vodka or perfumer's alcohol. Some perfume makers prefer to use jojoba oil. The purpose of the carrier oils is to make the scent soak into and dry onto your skin.
  
  

Fixatives

• Fixatives are ingredients that make the scents last longer on the wearer's skin. Popular fixatives include glycerin and pthalates. While this ingredient is not absolutely necessary for each perfume, it can be helpful when using essential oils or extremely light scents. Fixatives can occupy up to 5 percent of a perfume recipe.
  
  

Scents and Combinations

• Scented liquids occupy between 20 to 30 percent of each bottle of perfume, depending on the strength of the scent. For example, citrus scents are often more potent than floral scents. You can use as many scents in a combination as you like. Just make sure you stay within the 20 to 30 percent volume range. If you go over the recommended volume range, the scent could be too strong.
  
  

Recipe Guidelines

• Write down every combination you use so that you don't forget if you make one that you really like. When using scent combinations, you should use the "3-2-1" rule. Scents are separated into three different categories: high, medium, and low note scents. Use three drops of a high note, two drops of a medium note and one drop of a low note scent in each combination. Just make sure that the scents complement each other, or the result could be disastrous.