There are many things that we love about lavender; the colour, and the taste, but sitting right at the top of many people’s list of things that they love about lavender is… the smell! Whether lavender is being used to fragrance your home, your beauty products, your linen, your clothes or yourself, the soothing, floral, velvety scent of lavender has been popular for eons.
One of the most enduring and popular uses for lavender has been perfumed, either as a 100% lavender fragrance or in combination. And of course, there are a number of excellent lavender perfumes on the market, such as our best-selling classic Lavender Eau De Cologne, which is made with a much higher percentage of our top quality steam distilled Jersey lavender oil than many other lavender scents available. This makes for a higher quality perfume that results in a longer-lasting scent and a more natural product.
However, if you are looking for a fun craft project that will not only make use of a glut of lavender flowers but will also result in a gorgeous perfume (and might even help to keep the kids entertained over the long summer holidays!), why not have a go at making your own homemade lavender perfume. Simply follow the steps below:
1. Harvest a lovely bunch of lavender flowers. Ideally, do this just before you want to make your perfume as the essential oils in the flowers will be fresh and won’t have time to start to degrade.
2. Carefully remove the flowers and buds from the stems.
3. Rinse the lavender flowers and buds briefly under cold running water to remove any dirt etc from the garden, as this may spoil your finished product.
4. Place the cleaned lavender in a bowl and crush it as finely as you can – this will help to release the essential oils. A pestle and mortar can be a good way to crush your lavender, or you can use the end of a rolling pin or other hard objects.
5. Add enough distilled or mineral water to cover your lavender. It is best not to use tap water as this can contain chemicals and minerals that could affect the quality and fragrance of your finished perfume.
6. Leave the lavender to steep for between 20 minutes and 4 hours, depending on how strong you want your finished perfume to be.
7. Strain the liquid through muslin ensuring that no bits of lavender get through, as these could cause your perfume to go rancid. Also remember not to squeeze the muslin as this can result in a cloudy perfume, just let it drip through naturally.
8. Add a few drops of alcohol, ideally something odourless and tasteless such as vodka. This will help to release the fragrance from your perfume and will also help to extend its shelf life.
9. Finally, bottle your perfume and you are ready to go. A dark-coloured bottle will help your perfume to last longer.
