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| Base Notes | Heart Notes | Top Notes |
|---|---|---|
Aldehyde C10 Aldehyde C12 Aldehyde C14 Aldehyde C16 Aldehyde C18 Ambroxan Beta Ionone Cedramber Citronellol Coumarin Ethyl Maltol Ethyl Vanillin Evernyl Galaxolide Iso E Super Musk Ketone Orivone Rasperry Ketone Sandalmysore (Santaliff) Suederal Sylvamber Timbersilk Vertofix |
Adoxal Anisaldehyde Anisyl Acetate Aphermate Alpha-Pinene Aquanal Beta Damascone Dimetol Floralozone Gamma Decalactone Geraniol Hedione Herboxane (To Base) Linalyl Acetate Lilial Liliestralis 22 Lyral (To Base) Melonal Nerolidol Phenyl Ethyl Alcohol Safraleine Stemone Yara Yara |
Acetate C9 Alcohol C6 Aldehyde C11 Allyl Amyl Glycolate Amyl Vinyl Carbinol Beta Pinene Berryflor Bergamal Benzaldehyde Benzyl Acetate Benzyl Propionate Borneol Carbinol Muguet Carene - 3 Delta Cassiffix (To Heart) Citral Citronellyl Formate Cyclabute Ethyl Butyrate Isoamyl Acetate Padma Limonene Mahagonate (To Heart) |
The above link is the most useful tool to use to search for information on aroma chemicals. You can find out their smell profile, what perfume note they are and even find information on possible blenders. This is also where you need to go if you want to find out about the organoleptic properties of an aroma chemical.
Alternatively, you could scroll through the alphabetical list of aroma chemicals on the above website as it informs you what each materials perfume note is. They have a good amount of materials listed, so a simple scan can yield some good results.
Maturation is the process of allowing your perfume concentrate to sit for a period of time before maceration. During this time, the different oils blend and harmonize, creating a cohesive fragrance profile.
Maceration, on the other hand, involves combining your perfume concentrate with ethanol. Over time, the ethanol absorbs the scent of the perfume oils, transforming the blend into a wearable perfume.
There is a wide range of opinions and conflicting information regarding the ideal duration for maturation and maceration. Some perfumers mature their perfume concentrate for up to six weeks and then macerate it in alcohol for up to three months. Others may skip the maturation process and only macerate for a month. At this stage of my journey, I find that these factors can be subjective, and experimentation is key.
The decision of how long to mature and macerate your perfumes largely depends on whether they are primarily composed of natural oils or aroma chemicals. Chemicals typically do not change significantly over time, whereas essential oils, being more complex and dynamic, require more time to develop their full potential. Therefore, consider the oils you have used before making your decision.
Currently, I believe that controlling the environment is crucial when making perfume at home. It is recommended to mature and macerate your creations in a dark place with a stable temperature. However, determining the perfect temperature remains uncertain. Personally, I have been maturing my perfumes for 2 to 4 weeks and macerating them for a month in amber bottles. I store them in dark drawers at room temperature, which averages around 25°C (77°F). So far, I have been satisfied with the results and haven’t encountered any negative issues.
Giving your creations a gentle shake from time to time can also aid in the maturation and maceration process, although the effectiveness of this practice may vary.
For further insights, you can refer to this discussion on maceration: http://www.basenotes.net/threads/426845-Maceration-Questions
