The smell of honeysuckle and wild roses always brings me back to my childhood summers. When we were children we loved to concoct “perfumes” and bubble baths. We would gather rose petals or honeysuckle and soak them overnight in water in a covered casserole bowl lined with cheese cloth. The next day we would gather up the cheese cloth and pull out the petals and place the remaining liquid into mister bottles for scented spray and into pump bottles for bubble bath. We would add a sliver of ivory bar soap to the bubble bath container.
Nowadays, I use a few drops of essential oil mixed with distilled water. Essential oils are having a moment and are sold everywhere on line and in drugstores and grocery stores. Some people use alcohol and carrier oils – the link below to Science Notes – has good directions and suggestions for combining scents – Essential oil scents can vary – depending on their source – in scent and price – so try and shop around.
You can also combine different scents the way they do in Perfume Bars. Top Notes, Heart Notes and Base Notes all make perfumes like music. You can read a good description of Fragrance Notes at this link.
I tend to keep it simple – with single scents – For Shower Gel/Bubble Bath – I combine a capful of Rosewater with a pump/capful of Aloe Vera Gel, and a pump/capful of Castile Soap in a foaming soap container and fill the rest with Tap Water.
For Scented Sprays – I still combine a few drops of essential oil with water. I fill pocket mister bottles for personal use – and larger misting bottles for air freshener – laundry use. They both come in glass or plastic. I also combine oils with jojoba oil in glass roller bottles for dabs behind the ear and on the wrist. If I’m going to be outside where there might be bugs/ticks – I use rose geranium and lemon grass oils in witch hazel.
My favorite scents are lilac, honeysuckle, lavender, rose, gardenia and jasmine – most come in small bottles for around $6.00 – and they don’t have expiration dates.
A good on line source is iHerb – they have an app and carry NOW brand essential oils which I have had good luck with. You can also buy directly from Nowfoods, a family owned business that got it’s start operating health food stores in the Chicago area.
Have fun concocting:)