IS THERE A PRECISE UNIVERSAL FORMULA FOR DROPS IN NOTES?

[marcusemilaskins]

Let me start off by apologizing if this is one of those, 'It's been asked a million times already' questions.
I've been working out my fragrances with essential oils for around 3 weeks now and have hit a wall because of conflicting information on the net.
Notes.. most in the top, then mid then bottom? Most on the bottom, then top then mid? Most in the mid then top, then bottom? No one seems to agree. So basically it boils down to three questions:
1. Is there a universal formula that all the top perfume schools and master perfumers agree on for drops in a note?
Example: A 2oz. bottle: how many drops for 3 top notes, 3 mid notes, 3 bottom notes?
2. Is there a universal formula that all the top perfume schools and master perfumers agree on for table spoons of alcohol and water?
Example: A 2oz. bottle: how much alcohol and water to add to the mixture of top, mid and base notes?
3. Is this all subjective and there is no real(or at least modern) pyramid that all the top perfume schools and masters adhere to?

Thanks again for your expertise and patience.

 

[ourmess]

Work by mass, not drops. Get a scale.

Ratio of "top, middle, bottom" is whatever makes the project work the way you want. There are no rules for composition.

There are no universal anything for anything in perfumery.

 

[jfrater]

Let me start off by apologizing if this is one of those, 'It's been asked a million times already' questions.
I've been working out my fragrances with essential oils for around 3 weeks now and have hit a wall because of conflicting information on the net.
Notes.. most in the top, then mid then bottom? Most on the bottom, then top then mid? Most in the mid then top, then bottom? No one seems to agree. So basically it boils down to three questions:
1. Is there a universal formula that all the top perfume schools and master perfumers agree on for drops in a note?
Example: A 2oz. bottle: how many drops for 3 top notes, 3 mid notes, 3 bottom notes?
2. Is there a universal formula that all the top perfume schools and master perfumers agree on for table spoons of alcohol and water?
Example: A 2oz. bottle: how much alcohol and water to add to the mixture of top, mid and base notes?
3. Is this all subjective and there is no real(or at least modern) pyramid that all the top perfume schools and masters adhere to?

Thanks again for your expertise and patience.

The only universal truth about "drops" in perfume is that they belong in the first month of a person's experiments when they start out on the hobby.

Otherwise, basically the only universal rule is never use drops and always use grams. You need to buy a balance that goes down to 0.000 and start working by weight.

Some fragrances have no top notes. Some have no heart notes. Some have only one chemical, some have hundreds. The best thing about perfume is that the results are all determined by your nose. And if other's like what your nose likes, you might be able to sell some one day - at least give them to friends who polititely smile and nod

 

[pkiler]

Pay attention to the first two answers.

 

[mnitabach]

I think there is one practical universal rule in perfumery, which is that as of current understanding there exists no theoretical framework of even marginal value for fragrance composition. The only way to compose is empirically. Corollary to this is that the search for & exploration of purported theoretical frameworks is of no value & is a diversion of time, effort, and resources for those whose goal is to learn to compose.

 

[RomanB]

Do not rely on drops: they are of different sizes and weights. Buy scales capable of measuring at least 0.005 grams, and two micro pipettes: 10-100 ul and 100-1000 ul, and suitable tips for them. Use densities of your materials to calculate volumes from weights and vice versa. Micro-pipettes are way more precise and comfortable to use than regular Pasteur pipettes. Pipettes with volumes lesser than 10 ul are useless for a perfumer.
Make 1 gram rough test trials (for 100 parts) and 10 gram detailed trials (for 1000 parts) - so you will need 2 g and 12-15 ml bottles for tests. Perfumes contain 20-25% of fragrant ingredients by weight, the rest should be perfumer’s alcohol. Some formulas are better with a tiny % of water, like 1% additionally. So, you make a rough test trial, then take 0.2 grams of it, add to a new bottle and dilute with 0.8 grams of ethanol and tinctures.
There is no definite % of top-heart-base notes since all ingredients have different power. In terms of power of odor, 1 part of a very weak substance could smell as 0.0001 part of a very strong substance.

 

[marcusemilaskins]

Thanks for that.