FO vs Perfume?

[GermantownCandles]

What is the difference between the FOs that I use in my candles and the ingredients in perfume? i.e. If I had a chocolate FO and a chocolate perfume, what's the difference other than the alcohol in perfume? If you don't add the alcohol, is a perfume a fragrance oil? Thanks!

[SliverOfWax]

I'm not sure I understand your question, but as long as your FO are skin safe, you can make perfume with them. You do need to add a carrier, though. I use approximately 35% FO to 65% fractionated coconut oil. Depending on how strong the scent is to begin with, I've gone as high as 40% FO and as low as 30%.

[cedar_lea]

This is actually alot more complex of a question than it seems. I've been spending time on perfume message groups working on answering this question.

The base answer is that they are nearly the same, aside from alcohol and other base perfume componants used to make the fragrace able to go on the body well. Both are a combination of aromachemicals and/or essential oils that are blended to make a scent and deluded to not be overpowering. Some of the chemicals perform well in candles or body products and some don't so that's going to be a difference (I've seen charts on which do what well). I'm still working on figuring out the specifics (how much do you delude the aromachems for use as a fragrance oil for example), but someday I will learn to make my own FOs.

[GermantownCandles]

Cedar Lea, I too have been spending a lot of time on perfume message boards. I called The Perfumer's Apprentice and spoke with the owner, Linda, and she said that they are basically one in the same, she also said the flavor formulas are also very similar other than the carrier. I think you and I have a lot in common, I have been searching the internet to answer these questions, but there really isn't a whole lot of info out there. I want to learn how to make my own as well. I have also looking over sites like The Good Scents Company... Maybe one day we can work this out, if you have any questions maybe we can help each other. Thanks for replying!

[cedar_lea]

I haven't actually gotten any chemicals yet, but I've got a list of ones I want to make a peony scent that gets the candy notes I smell in peony flowers. The part that I'm stuck on is most of the chems need to be deluded to 10-1% to smell right & are cloying without some delution. I'm pretty sure I could figure out how to delude them enough to make a perfume, but how do you delude them to the right amount to be used at 6-1% in a product? I'm sure the math would be differnent depending on which chemical it was, but I'm not sure how to begin with that kind of calculation. From what I understand if you were to use them strait in a fragrance oil it would be a little yucky smelling because of the strength. Now this is all theory because I haven't broken down and bought any. It's hard to justify when money's tight and FOs are cheaper. Have you actually gotten any chems yet?

[GermantownCandles]

I have not bought anything yet myself. Have you checked out The Perfumer's Apprentice? I have been debating whether or not to buy one of their kits, just so I can get the basic understanding of how it works. They have a list of carrier oils used in the fragrance indistry as well along with a description of how each one is used.