Easy Solid Perfume Recipe with Fragrance Oils

This solid perfume recipe is a great alternative to body spray and traditional perfume. If you’re traveling or simply want to freshen up your perfume during the day, solid perfume is a lifesaver! This solid perfume recipe can be packaged in nearly any type of container, making it highly customizable for your needs. Follow along with this fun tutorial as we show you how to make solid perfume.

What is solid perfume? 

Solid perfume is similar to lip balm or lotion bars, in that it’s made from the same ingredients and has the same consistency. The main difference is that instead of using lip balm flavor oils or essential oils, you will use perfume fragrance oils to give the mixture a strong scent. 

You can use any skin-safe fragrance oil to make solid perfume. There are tons of perfume and cologne fragrances to choose from, including a number of duplications from designer brands. You can also blend your own custom scent by mixing different fragrances together. The possibilities are endless! 

Solid perfume is typically packaged in a tin, but you can also use lip balm tubes and other packaging materials. Any small container made from non-porous material is suitable for packaging solid perfume. Metal, plastic, and glass containers all work well. 

Solid perfume can also be packaged in upcycled containers, such as small mint tins. For a more decorative look, you can even pour the mixture into a locket. 

Choosing a Fragrance 

When making solid perfume with fragrance oils, you will need to choose a skin-safe oil. This recipe calls for a 9% fragrance load, meaning that 9% of the recipe by weight is fragrance oil. 

When choosing a fragrance, take a moment to look at its IFRA certificate. This document tells you how much of the fragrance you can use for different applications. Solid perfume is in category 4 (Perfume) on IFRA certificates. Because this recipe calls for a 9% fragrance load, look for a fragrance that allows you to use at least 9% in Category 4. If you want to use a fragrance with a lower percentage allowed, you will need to adjust how much fragrance you use in the recipe.  

You can learn more about using IFRA certificates here. 

Solid Perfume Recipe & Supplies 

Making solid perfume is a super easy project. You only need a few supplies and ingredients. For the sake of this tutorial, we will explain how to make a 4 oz (114 g) batch of solid perfume. Adjust the amounts accordingly if you want to make a larger or smaller batch. 

A 4 oz batch is enough to fill several containers, depending on the type and size of your packaging. We’ve provided a list of suggested containers below. 

Here’s what you need to make solid perfume: 

• 1.2 oz (34 g) White Beeswax Pellets 
• 2.8 oz (80 g) Coconut Oil 
• 10 ml (approx. 9.5 g) Skin-Safe Fragrance Oil 
• Small containers with lids (see suggestions below) 
• Small glass or metal container for melting ingredients
• Medium sauce pan for creating a double boiler
• Digital Scale
• 2 Plastic Pipettes 
• Whisk for stirring 
• Nitrile Gloves 
• Pot holders or hot pads

Suggested Containers: 

• Dial Up Lotion Bar Rollers (hold 0.5 oz each) 
• Standard Lip Balm Tubes (hold 0.15 oz each)
• Slim Lip Balm Tubes (hold 0.07 oz each)
• Lip Balm Slide Tins (hold 0.25 oz each)

We like the lotion bar rollers and lip balm tubes the best because they allow you to apply the perfume without getting it on your hands. 

How to Make Solid Perfume 

1. Place your glass or metal container on the digital scale and tare it to zero. 
2. Weigh out 1.2 oz of Beeswax and 2.8 oz of Coconut Oil. 
3. Fill a medium sauce pan approximately ¼ full with water. Place the container with your ingredients into the pan. 
4. Place the pan on the stove and begin heating on high heat. 
5. Stir the ingredients with a whisk to help them melt. 
6. When the ingredients are melted, turn off the heat and remove the pan from the burner. 
7. Using potholders, remove the container from the pan very carefully, being sure not to handle any part of the container that was submerged in the hot water. Place the container on a potholder. 
8. Add 10 ml of fragrance oil using a pipette. Stir the fragrance in with a whisk. 
9. Using a clean pipette, transfer the mixture into your containers. If you are using tins or larger containers, you can pour the mixture instead. 
10. Let the containers cool until the mixture is completely hard. 

We recommend attaching labels that specify how to use the product. If you packaged your solid perfume in lip balm tins or containers, it is important to have a label indicating the product is not lip balm and should not be used on the lips. If you are selling your solid perfume, be sure to follow all applicable labeling requirements. 

How to Use Solid Perfume 

Using solid perfume is easy! Simply apply the mixture to the insides of your wrists and rub them together. The scent from solid perfume should last several hours, but you can reapply it as often as necessary. Solid perfume is great for traveling because you can toss it in your bag and apply it whenever you need. 

For best results, store your solid perfume below 75 degrees F. Because the perfume is oil based, it will melt if it’s stored in a warm location. 

How to Make Shimmery Solid Perfume

For a fun twist on this recipe, you can add mica powder to make your perfume shimmery. After melting the ingredients, simply add a few micro scoops of mica powder. For a natural look, we recommend colors such as Iridescent Gold or Super Sparkle, as these colors provide a nice shimmer without being pigmented. Using pigmented mica can tint your skin, which isn’t something you typically want from perfume of course. 

Recipe Variations 

This recipe is a very basic combination of coconut oil and beeswax. If you want to use different butters and oils, you certainly can. As a general rule, try to keep beeswax at about 30% of the recipe so that your solid perfume will remain hard enough. 

Did you try this recipe? We’d love to see how it turned out! Leave a comment below or share your photos on social media with #MadeWithNorthWood

NorthWood is not responsible for any products you make with our supplies, recipes, or informational resources. You are responsible for testing your products for safety and compatibility.