Which Flowers Are Used to Make Perfume?

The essential oils of many flowers are used in the making of perfumes. The scents of flowers are affected by the soil and the climate in which they are grown. Oils are often extracted by distilling them. Although there are numerous flowers that are used in perfumes, some are more frequently chosen for their strong fragrance. The most popular flowers include roses, jasmine, violets, lilies, orange flowers and plumeria. Others that are used include lavender, magnolia, moonflower, chamomile, rosemary and sweet pea.

Roses
The damask rose is the most frequently used rose for perfumes. The rosa centifolia is also widely used.

Jasmine
Jasmine flowers are picked just before dawn for the best fragrance.

Violets
The victoria violet and the parma violet are used most often in perfume.

Lilies
There are many varieties of lilies and their scents differ as well. General types of lilies include asiatic, trumpet, aurelian and oriental. One of the most often used in perfumes is Lily of the Valley.

Orange Flowers
Orange flowers provide oils that are very functional in their use for perfume.

Plumeria
Plumeria is a flowering tree with fragrant blooms that hold up well when picked. They are the flowers that are often used in Hawaian leis. Their fragrance is stronger at night.

Source: http://www.ehow.com/facts_5002617_which-flowers-used-perfume.html

How to Make Perfume Using Flowers

Every woman has her own special scent. Realizing that all perfumes interact with each individual body chemistry is just a part of the battle women wage when trying to find that unique fragrance. With most manufactured perfumes containing chemicals, there has to be a more natural way of finding that specific perfume. There is. Make it yourself from your favorite flowers. While more complex combinations will take experimentation, a simple one tone scent is easy to relatively easy to make. Here's just one way how.

Things You'll Need
Fresh picked flowers
distilled or spring water
glass dish

Instructions

1. Pick your flowers early in the morning, while the dew is prevalent. Try to get them as close to the time they first open as possible as the flowers will be at their peak at this time. Choosing a flower with a strong scent works best. However, the more subtle fragranced blooms will work as well. You will simply need to complete the process more than once using the same water.

2. Immediately after picking, lightly chop your flowers - you will need about 2 cups. Place them in 4 cups of spring or distilled water that has been poured into a glass bowl. The water should completely cover the flowers. Place a cover on the bowl and let the mixture sit overnight.

3. Strain the water and flowers through the cheesecloth, removing all plant material. If you are using a lightly scented bloom, do step 2 again, using the same water and cutting another batch of fresh flowers. Once you have completed this step, place scented water into stainless steel pot and allow to simmer, reducing to approximately 2 tablespoons of concentrated scent.

4. Place 5 tablespoons of vodka into small dark colored glass bottle. Add the 2 tablespoons of scent to the bottle. Plug in the stopper and then shake gently. Allow to sit for 72 hours before trying. If the scent is too strong, add additional tablespoons of water, one at a time. Mix the water and allow to rest 24 hours before adding additional water.

Tips & Warnings

Herbs can be used as well as flowers. Follow the same process and enjoy.

Add a small amount of liquid glycerin to your perfume to increase the time it will stay on your skin.

If making perfume for others, please be aware of any allergies the person might have. As this is a concentrated amount of a flower or herb essence - it could cause allergic reactions when used.

Source: http://www.ehow.com/how_4480818_make-perfume-using-flower.html