Free Essence and Alchemy by Mandy Aftel Page A

the grated beeswax in a resealable plastic bag.
    Noumetal pan for melting wax. Ceramic or glass is best, the smaller
the better. A small ramekin or soufflé dish is suitable. Chemical supply houses also sell extremely tiny heat-proof ceramic pans with a pouring spout; while not essential, they are perfect for the small batches of solid perfume.
    Gas or electric burner for melting the wax. If you really get into solid perfume, it is extremely useful to get a small hot plate from a laboratory supply company. Corning makes a very nice small portable one with an easy-to-clean ceramic top.
    Containers for solid perfumes. I prefer small compacts, not as large as regular department-store ones. Vintage metal ones with shallow flat pans work well, as do silver, enamel, or porcelain pillboxes.
    A NOTE ABOUT SAFETY
    Some natural essences have been known to cause allergic reactions when applied directly to the skin. Others have provoked adverse reactions when used in very large quantities, ingested orally, or rubbed into the skin. Even though natural essences in perfumery are diluted in alcohol or other carriers, if you are prone to allergies or have sensitive skin, it may be advisable to try a patch test to see if a given oil is problematic for you. Apply one drop of the oil in question to the inside of your forearm and cover it with an adhesive strip. After a few hours, check for redness or irritation.
    I have read that citrus oils in the bath can cause irritation to the skin, but I have included them in many bath blends with no ill result. If your skin is sensitive, however, you may want to put a few drops of a citrus essence in a basin of warm water, then soak your hand and lower arm in it and check for signs of irritation.
    It is best to avoid natural essences on the skin during pregnancy. They can pass from the skin into the bloodstream, and some of them may cross the placental barrier. As Christine Wildwood observes
in The Encyclopedia of Aromatherapy , “There is no evidence 51 to suggest that unborn babies have been harmed as a result of their mothers using therapeutic applications of essential oils … Nevertheless, a number of oils stimulate menstruation and are therefore potentially hazardous, especially during the first three months of pregnancy, when miscarriage is more of a threat.”
    The International Fragrance Association (IFRA) has compiled a list of recommended guidelines for commercial perfumers, which is updated periodically. You can find it on the Web at www.ifraorg.org/guidelines.asp .

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    The Calculus of Fixation Base Notes
    He saw that there was no mood of the mind that had not its counterpart in the sensuous life, and set himself to discover their true relations, wondering what there was in frankincense that made one mystical, and in ambergris that stirred one’s passions, and in violets that woke the memory of dead romanticism and in musk that troubled the brain.
    â€” Oscar Wilde , The Picture of Dorian Gray
    52 W E CLASSIFY perfume notes into top, middle, and base notes according to their relative volatility, or the speed and velocity with which they diffuse into the air. Or we could look at this quality from the opposite perspective and say that they are grouped according to their relative tenacity, which refers to the length of time they remain fragrant on the skin before they fade away entirely. In a way, the two perspectives reflect the respective points of view of the perfumed and the perfumer: when you smell perfume from a bottle or beaker, you encounter the fleeting top notes first, then you move into the heart of the perfume, and finally you are left with the base notes. Many perfumers work this way, from the top down, but the few times I have tried this, I have had poor results. A good base note remains perceptible on the perfume blotter for one or two days. Because they are so forceful, base notes added last tend, at
the very least, to alter the character of the scent dramatically;