Tinctures

[Guest guest]

> I've been making lots of different tinctures these last few weeks

> while I'm waiting for my big order from Eden Botanicals. In a

dream,

> I saw a new way to approach it. In the past, my tinctures ended up

> cloudy and I was not happy about that, and no one could tell me why

> this happened. This is what I do now:

>

> I place a 1/4 cup of product in an un-bleached tea bag pouch,

staple

> it shut, and put it in the bottom of a sterilized mason jar. I

cover

> it with 1 cup of alcohol. Wow! The difference is clear.

>

> I've made the following with excellent results:

> lemon

> lime

> tangelo

> allspice

> coffee beans

> cocoa

> dehydrated and grated coconut

> dried bing cherries

> sliced raw ginger.

> Lyn

Lyn, that is brilliant! I have hundreds of those blank tea bags,

geez, why didn't I think of that?? And squeezing it out would be

easier too! Great great idea!!!! Thanks:).

Helen

[Guest guest]

_____

From:

[mailto: ] On Behalf Of janita morris

Sent: Saturday, February 03, 2007 2:47 PM

Subject: Re: Tinctures

:

I place a 1/4 cup of product in an un-bleached tea bag pouch, staple

it shut, and put it in the bottom of a sterilized mason jar. I cover

it with 1 cup of alcohol. Wow! The difference is clear.

Blessings,

Lyn

Hi Lyn.....

that's a lovely idea..... can you share where you get your teabag pouches

from? Or do you empty tea bags..... one can get tea bag wrapping paper.....

but I havn't seen bags....

must be the time...... I have been tincturing .... very happily.... at the

moment with hyacinth flowers......lovely....

Janita

Hi Folks, You can get tea bags the small size and also 4 x 4 inches bags.

You simply heat seal them.

You can get them from San Francisco Herb Co or Lavender Lane

www.lavenderlane.com <http://www.lavenderlane.com/>

All you have to do is seal them with a warm iron and they really hold. Very

inexpensive . I used them to hold lavender packets that I make for a client.

Have fun,

Trudy Welker

---------------------------------

The all-new goes wherever you go - free your email address from

your Internet provider.

[Guest guest]

--- In , janita morris

>

> Hi Lyn.....

>

> that's a lovely idea..... can you share where you get your teabag

pouches from? Or do you empty tea bags..... one can get tea bag

wrapping paper..... but I havn't seen bags....

>

> must be the time...... I have been tincturing .... very

happily.... at the moment with hyacinth flowers......lovely....

>

> Janita

Hi, Janita~ There is a local make-your-own cosmetic company called

Cranberry Lane Cosmetics just up the road from me and I get them

there. I use them for tub teas, too, where I put the herbs in the tea

bag, boil them on the stove and then pour the water into the bath.

They're also great for three-mint tea, which I harvest from our

garden and put in our dehydrator. I'm so happy I was gifted this

information as I've shared it with some friends here and they are

going to tincture that way, too.

Blessings,

Lyn

[Guest guest]

--- In , janita morris

>

> Hi Lyn.....

>

> that's a lovely idea..... can you share where you get your teabag

pouches from? Or do you empty tea bags..... one can get tea bag

wrapping paper..... but I havn't seen bags....

>

> must be the time...... I have been tincturing .... very

happily.... at the moment with hyacinth flowers......lovely....

>

> Janita

Hi, Janita~ There is a local make-your-own cosmetic company called

Cranberry Lane Cosmetics just up the road from me and I get them

there. I use them for tub teas, too, where I put the herbs in the tea

bag, boil them on the stove and then pour the water into the bath.

They're also great for three-mint tea, which I harvest from our

garden and put in our dehydrator. I'm so happy I was gifted this

information as I've shared it with some friends here and they are

going to tincture that way, too.

Blessings,

Lyn

[Guest guest]

>

> > I've been making lots of different tinctures these last few

weeks. In a dream, I saw a new way to approach it. I place a 1/4 cup

of product in an un-bleached tea bag pouch,

Lyn

>

> Lyn, that is brilliant! I have hundreds of those blank tea bags,

> geez, why didn't I think of that?? And squeezing it out would be

> easier too! Great great idea!!!! Thanks:).

>

> Helen

You are so welcome, Helen. What are you tincturing these days? I

looked at those bing cherries today and wow the colour is amazing.

The cocoa and coffee are yummy. I'm thing of making a fragrance

called " black cherry " with the above three and vanilla, maybe Davana

or Osmanthus, perhaps some coconut tincture. I'll let you know how

that one turns out when I receive the order from Eden.

Blessings,

Lyn

[Guest guest]

> What are you tincturing these days? I

> looked at those bing cherries today and wow the colour is amazing.

> The cocoa and coffee are yummy. I'm thing of making a fragrance

> called " black cherry " with the above three and vanilla, maybe Davana

> or Osmanthus, perhaps some coconut tincture. I'll let you know how

> that one turns out when I receive the order from Eden.

> Blessings,

> Lyn

Hi Lyn:). Last week I tinctured Anya's Ambrette seeds (after grinding

in a small coffee grinder that's only for herbs, I'm too lazy to grind

my own coffee), and I am going to tincture a big bed of lemon balm I

have growing outside in 151 Everclear (because I have it on hand and I

have to use it anyway). That's all the tincturing I've done lately,

because I don't have anything blooming. Most of my other tinctures are

8 months old, and mostly medicinal tinctures (osha root, mullein leaf,

valerian, kudzu potatoes, enchineacea, vanilla beans, calendula

petals/linden leaves blossoms/jasmine flowers/chickweed blend for cuts

and wounds... this one at 90% herbal density for max impact, and it

smells heavenly).

I did the ambrette seed tincture 1:4 ratio, but all my other tinctures

I made about 4:5, so there's almost no alcohol smell at all, and they

are like glue.

I'd love to hear how your cherry/cocoa/coffee turns out... that sounds

amazing!

This is off topic, but my mom always made a cherry liquer out of bing

cherries... it's so easy. Just wash your cherries, put into a jar (like

a quart or 1/2 gallon), add 1 tablespoon table sugar, add 1 or 2 oz of

a good brandy or cognac (to about the bottom 1/5 of the jar, don't use

cheap stuff, it WILL flavor the cherries). Don't add anything else but

seal tightly (that's right, no water, the cherries are OUT of liquid).

Shake every few days to make sure the cherries are always well coated

with the sugar/brandy mix to prevent decay. The cherries themselves

will ferment and fill your bottle with dark red liquer. The smell and

taste are incredible. You may want to try this in a smaller size first,

like a pint or even cup sized jar, so you see how it works. The

cherries will stay plump and beautiful so are perfect for desserts.

It's remarkable stuff.

Helen

[Guest guest]

> My husband truly thinks I have lost it...

---

> peppermint

> honeybush,peach,linden,apricot,vanilla tea

> green tea with corn flowers, roses,

---snipped out about 5 million others--

> Good Luck & have fun

> kathy

>

ahem! Kathy, Now why on Earth would your husband think you are losing

it? LOL

That's a fantastic list! Where do you store them all? and in what?

I'm really impressed! You know the tincture shaking thing? I can see

you now shaking tinctures all day long. I hope you are keeping a

journal. That sort of information would be worth something someday.

Start a blog, I'd love to see how they all turn out.

and thanks for saying those nice things about my stuff! <glad>

Ruth

http://www.whitewitch.ie

[Guest guest]

--- In , " Ruth Ruane " <ruth@...>

> Start a blog, I'd love to see how they all turn out.

> and thanks for saying those nice things about my stuff! <glad>

>

> Ruth

> http://www.whitewitch.ie

I wouldn't say it if it wasn't true.

I have a blog, when I write more about NP I'll share it

I like to store the tinctures in 125 ml milk bottles lab style. They

are square which makes them take up less space than the round ones.

They also have a nice size opening in the top.

Kathy

[Guest guest]

>

> --- In , " Ruth Ruane " <ruth@>

>

> > Start a blog, I'd love to see how they all turn out.

> > and thanks for saying those nice things about my stuff! <glad>

> >

> > Ruth

> > http://www.whitewitch.ie

>

> I wouldn't say it if it wasn't true.

> I have a blog, when I write more about NP I'll share it

> I like to store the tinctures in 125 ml milk bottles lab style. They

> are square which makes them take up less space than the round ones.

> They also have a nice size opening in the top.

> Kathy

I love when the bottles being all the same size and shape. I like the

bottles to be clear as well and to be able to see what's going on. (I

keep them in a drawer) I did buy a case of kilner jars (500mls)

(kilner jars are the ones with the flip lids that are sealed with a

red rubber ring) but I felt they were too large to use especially as

it was my first time tincturing. I ended up using them in my home for

storing lentils and salt and seeds etc.

I *could* start collecting old jars, but then I'd miss out on the

uniformity thing that I love so much, and standard jars are still a

little large for a first attempt. 125ml sounds just the right size!

Ruth

http://www.whitewitch.ie

[Guest guest]

> I *could* start collecting old jars, but then I'd miss out on the

> uniformity thing that I love so much, and standard jars are still a

> little large for a first attempt. 125ml sounds just the right size!

> Ruth

> http://www.whitewitch.ie

>

Hello All........Just thought i would mention that i have a nice

collection of antique perfume bottles that i sell~~~*perk*

i'll have to get some pics up on my website soon.

hehe

xoxoxo

L

Libby /510-290-4028

http://web.mac.com/libbypatterson

http://www.angelicaromas.com

http://www.priestessofalchemy.com

[Guest guest]

theresesteigert <theresesteigert@...> wrote: Hello folks,

Now I have a question about Hibiscus flowers. It is possible to

tincture it. Have this one everythins to do with ambrette seed ?

Thanks for answer

Smile

Therese

Hi Therese

I have tinctured the dried blossoms but not the fresh... I would be interested

to hear how you get on with the fresh.

The dried tinctured beautifully and I have a beautiful fruity smelling alcohol

which I have begun blending with..... I think I tried it with some orange flower

water absolute which is lovely with it.. It has been ageing and then I will

think again about what I want to do next..... slow scent alright LOL..

There are many varieties of Hibiscus ... http://www.exotichibiscus.com/

the one that has the seed used for vegetable musk or musk seed is from the

seeds of the Hibiscus Abelmoschus. Large yellow flowers a native of the hottest

parts of India, which produce small grey seeds with pronounced odour of musk..

http://www.motherherbs.com/abelmoschus-moschatus.html

Anya a while back had some extremely fine seeds for which many of us bought

and benefitted to tincture... There is quite a bit in the archives about this.

every good wish, Janita

Janita Haan Natural Perfume

http://wwwhayspace.co.uk current

http://www.janitahaan.com tba

---------------------------------

For ideas on reducing your carbon footprint visit For Good this month.

[Guest guest]

>

> As I'm new to NP I was wondering if someone could explain how

tinctures

> are used in perfumery and how they compare to essential oils in terms

> of function, quality, etc. Can you tincture anything or are there

> limitations? When would a tincture be appropriate for a fragrance?

> Confused...

>

I have the same question... can anyone out there help out?

florastarr

>

[Guest guest]

harkinsjen wrote:

>>As I'm new to NP I was wondering if someone could explain how

>>tinctures are used in perfumery and how they compare to essential oils in

>>terms of function, quality, etc. Can you tincture anything or are there

>>limitations? When would a tincture be appropriate for a fragrance?

>>Confused...

florastarr wrote:

>I have the same question... can anyone out there help out?

Hello and welcome to the Group,

Tincturing is a method of extraction, as are distillation, enfleurage,

expression, carbon dioxide and hydrocarbon solvent extraction. It is

basically taking an aromatic material of natural origin and macerating it in

alcohol in order to extract its fragrant constituents. Tincturing is the

least complicated of the methods since it doesn't require elaborate

machinery such as a still or the use of special chemicals like hexane and

CO2. However, it does require rectified alcohol with a high alcohol

concentration, most commonly around 90%. And it is different than dilution

(with alcohol), which is not an extraction process. Therefore, many of us

natural perfumers make our own tinctures in our own labs. The process of

tincturing often involves agitating (shaking) the tincture in progress to

better extract the constituents, and sometimes " folding " in new material to

make it stronger (straining out the used materials and adding a new batch).

Different types of materials require specific methods of tincturing, eg. the

process of tincturing frankincense resin is a little different than

tincturing rose petals. After the maceration process is complete, a

tincture is usually filtered (and sometimes aged) before it is ready to use.

The types of materials, both fresh and dried, that can be tinctured are

many: gums, resins, seeds, flowers, leaves, roots, rhyzomes, barks, animal

products, woods, fruits, (even goat hair) etc. There probably are some

limitations, but not many. Comparing tinctures to essential oil, absolutes,

etc. is like comparing apples and oranges - they are all from natural

materials and yet are different because the extraction processes are

different. And there are many reasons that a perfumer would use a tincture.

In the old days before the invention of concretes, absolutes, CO2s, etc,

they were used as " primary materials " whereas today their most common use is

for the modification of a blend. We have some members here that are experts

at tincturing and they could tell you much more than I with regards to what

they tincture and how they use them. But before asking any more questions,

I strongly advise you to do some research by looking into our Archives and

past threads. Tincturing has been discussed here in great detail many, many

times. I may even venture to say that our Group has some of the most

detailed information on tincturing available anywhere in the world!

Finally, I would recommend everyone here to at least make one tincture as

part of your education in Natural Perfumery.

Good luck with your research and first tincture,

M. Covill

[Guest guest]

> > Hello and welcome to the Group,

>

> Tincturing is a method of extraction, . It is

> basically taking an aromatic material of natural origin and

macerating it >

> Good luck with your research and first tincture,

>

> M. Covill

,

Thank you so very much for your help - it was very informative! I've

had a read in the archives (as you suggested) and yes - we've got

some real experts here. Looking forward to trying a tincture out.

Jen

>

[Guest guest]

Jen wrote:

>Thank you so very much for your help - it was very informative! I've

>had a read in the archives (as you suggested) and yes - we've got

>some real experts here. Looking forward to trying a tincture out.

Hello Jen,

You are welcome. Did you read about the Goat hair tincture and some of the

other more unusual materials they have tinctured? How creative these expert

tincturers are in what they are willing to experiment with. Real

trailblazers!

What do you have in mind for your first tincture? Make sure you kill two

birds with one stone, ie. make a tincture that you think you will use.

Another use for tinctures is to substitute them for the alcohol content when

completing your perfume the same way that hydrosols (fragrant waters) can be

substituted for the water content. Substitutes can add another layer of

scent, complexity and beauty to a finished perfume.

Mark

[Guest guest]

> Tincturing is a method of extraction

<snipping out the good stuff for brevity>

>But before asking any more questions,

> I strongly advise you to do some research by looking into our

Archives and

> past threads. Tincturing has been discussed here in great detail

many, many

> times. I may even venture to say that our Group has some of the most

> detailed information on tincturing available anywhere in the world!

> Finally, I would recommend everyone here to at least make one

tincture as

> part of your education in Natural Perfumery.

Thank you for answering with such detail! Doing a search for

tincture returns 2386 results, which is difficult to get through it

all in one sitting, and almost as difficult finding where you left

off! I think your explanation is actually more informative than the

file on the subject. I've started tincturing due largely to your

inspiration!

> Different types of materials require specific methods of tincturing,

eg. the

> process of tincturing frankincense resin is a little different than

> tincturing rose petals.

Hmm, really? What's the difference exactly? I'm doing both of those,

dried rose petals and frankincense tears, and did the same thing:

dumped 'em in a jar, covered with Everclear, and started on a shaking

regimen!

Warmly,

P.S.

Sharing my list with anyone remotely interested in what my first

tincturing adventure includes:

Lavender buds (dried)

Rose petals (dried)

Hibiscus flowers (dried)

Jasmine flowers (dried)

incense tears

Myrrh gum

Cardamom pods

Rose Hips

Nutmeg pods (cracked with a nut cracker)

Peaches (The freeze-dried kind called " Just Peaches, " the idea I got

from, yes, the archives!)

[Guest guest]

wrote:

>Thank you for answering with such detail! Doing a search for

>tincture returns 2386 results, which is difficult to get through it

>all in one sitting, and almost as difficult finding where you left

>off! I think your explanation is actually more informative than the

>file on the subject. I've started tincturing due largely to your

>inspiration!

You're welcome. I told you we have some real experts here, but I am not one

of them. I do have a little experience tincturing certain " classic "

materials. Now that the " tincturing " ball is rolling for you and others,

I'm hoping that one of the experts will jump in eventually and take it from

here. Not sure, but I believe they are mostly professional perfumers and

probably very busy at this time of year. Maybe, when you reach the point of

experimental blending with your tinctures, i.e. learn how to use tinctures,

one of them will share a little of their vast knowledge, with you and me

both. Making a tincture, an involved and labor-intensive process in itself,

is easier than knowing how to use them well. That takes creativity (and

lots of experience using tinctures which I do not possess.)

I wrote previously:

>>Different types of materials require specific methods of tincturing,

>>eg. the process of tincturing frankincense resin is a little different

>>than tincturing rose petals.

responded:

>Hmm, really? What's the difference exactly? I'm doing both of those,

>dried rose petals and frankincense tears, and did the same thing:

>dumped 'em in a jar, covered with Everclear, and started on a shaking

>regimen!

Everclear should be sufficient for most tincturing: the alcohol content

should be at least 90%. Each type of material to be tinctured is treated a

little differently than the other types. For example, dried flower petals

are used as is (without preparation), but soak up the alcohol like sponges

(hope you have a good supply of everclear for these to top off vessel after

each new fold) Other materials like gum resins or animal products sometimes

involve grinding in a mortar and pestle to reduce to powder to better

extract their fragrant constituents. There's no folding,either. And they

(the Classics) have specific recipes regarding the ratio of material to

alcohol, given as a percentage, eg. Olibanum tincture 20%; Castoreum

tincture 6%, which requires careful measuring of materials and alcohol.

Most classics involve an aging process, too. So you see there are variables

to consider beforehand and work out with each different material. Thus the

process isn't always as simple as dumping in a jar and covering with

alcohol.

wrote:

>Sharing my list with anyone remotely interested in what my first

>tincturing adventure includes:

>Lavender buds (dried)

Never tried this one, but you'll need to fold it more than once with new

material to build up a useful strength, ditto for all other flowers, fresh

or dried.

>Rose petals (dried)

Just finished this one myself. Folded 6 times. Not sure how I will use it

exactly. Would like to bring both roundness to a Rose accord as well as cut

down on cost of Rose absolute, Rose oil, etc. A pretty, pink color, too.

>Hibiscus flowers (dried)

Are these fragrant dried? Fresh? What species? Never tried or heard of

doing this one.

>Jasmine flowers (dried)

Only species said to retain some scent after drying is Jasminum

odoratissimum - True Yellow Jasmine, native to Madeira. Might be used same

way as dried Rose petals. Anyone with dried Jasmine experience?

>incense tears

Did this one at 20%, first grinding to a powder

>Myrrh gum

Never did this one, but probably same as Olibanum.

>Cardamom pods

Never did it, but would grind pods first, and make a specific strength,

maybe 10%

>Rose Hips

Never did it, but would discard seeds and " hairs " from inside, grind, then

tincture at specific strength. Not sure if useful for perfumery;

medicinally, yes.

>Nutmeg pods (cracked with a nut cracker)

Never did it, but would grind first, then make at 10%

>Peaches (The freeze-dried kind called " Just Peaches, " the idea I got

>from, yes, the archives!)

Never have done any fruit. Have to be careful that fruit water content

doesn't weaken alcohol content too much. Good thing to use freeze-dried.

Wow! Another long, time-consuming and involved posting - Can't ever seem to

answer something simply. Guess its my inner-teacher coming out. LOL! And

the devil is always in the details...

Mark

[Guest guest]

snipped up for brevity

---snip---

> Wow! Another long, time-consuming and involved posting - Can't ever

seem to

> answer something simply. Guess its my inner-teacher coming out.

LOL! And

> the devil is always in the details...

>

> Mark

>

I thank your inner teacher! It really is all about those basic details

people forget once they're past the beginner's stage!

Warmly,

[Guest guest]

>

>

> >

> What do you have in mind for your first tincture? Make sure you kill

two

> birds with one stone, ie. make a tincture that you think you will use.

> Another use for tinctures is to substitute them for the alcohol

content when

> completing your perfume the same way that hydrosols (fragrant waters)

can be

> substituted for the water content. Substitutes can add another layer

of

> scent, complexity and beauty to a finished perfume.

>

> Mark

>

Just picked up nutmeg pods and dried kaffir lime leaves. I'm going to

give these a try. What you mentioned about substitution was exactly

what I wanted to know. I'm astounded at how many different ways you

can create fragrance! I've got sooooo much to learn!

Jen

[Guest guest]

>

>

> >

> What do you have in mind for your first tincture? Make sure you kill

two

> birds with one stone, ie. make a tincture that you think you will use.

> Another use for tinctures is to substitute them for the alcohol

content when

> completing your perfume the same way that hydrosols (fragrant waters)

can be

> substituted for the water content. Substitutes can add another layer

of

> scent, complexity and beauty to a finished perfume.

>

> Mark

>

Just picked up nutmeg pods and dried kaffir lime leaves. I'm going to

give these a try. What you mentioned about substitution was exactly

what I wanted to know. I'm astounded at how many different ways you

can create fragrance! I've got sooooo much to learn!

Jen

[Guest guest]

Jen wrote:

>Just picked up nutmeg pods and dried kaffir lime leaves. I'm going to

>give these a try.

Hello Jen,

Glad to hear you are going to tincture. I would grind the nutmegs to a

powder with a mortar and pestle or electric spice grinder so as to extract

as much fragrance as possible. Using whole spices, herbs, etc. and grinding

yourself is more work than using already powdered materials, but is better

because whole forms preserve more fragrance (and flavor). Do you have all

the equipment necessary for tincturing? This would include glass jars with

airtight screwtops such as a mayonnaise jar, 90% alcohol, strainer and spoon

for pushing out as much alcohol as possible before discarding used material

when folding, filter and filter paper for final filtering, and glass storage

bottles with caps.

>What you mentioned about substitution was exactly

>what I wanted to know.

Uses for tinctures include: a substitute for the final alcohol content of a

finished perfume; as a material not available commercially in the form of

an essential oil, concrete, absolute, etc.; a primary material (used as a

key ingredient of an accord); a secondary material (a modifier or

lagniappe.)

>I'm astounded at how many different ways you

>can create fragrance! I've got sooooo much to learn!

We all are, no matter what our level of expertise! One of the many great

things about being a perfumer is that it is ALWAYS interesting and creative

because there is just so much to discover and learn, even over the course of

many lifetimes. Please let us know how your tinctures turn out and good

luck.

Mark

[Guest guest]

Edited for brevity

Hello Jen,

Glad to hear you are going to tincture

airtight screwtops such as a mayonnaise jar, 90% alcohol, strainer and spoon

Uses for tinctures include: a substitute for the final alcohol content of a

finished perfume; as a material not available commercially in the form of

an essential oil, concrete, absolute, etc.; a primary material (used as a

key ingredient of an accord); a secondary material (a modifier or

lagniappe.)

Mark

Has anyone come up with a ratio of Tincture to say 190 proof alcohol. I have a

great Citron Tincture and was thinking to make this into a 1)perfume (on its

own) and 2) with other EO's or absolutes.

Any suggestions?

Bb

[Guest guest]

I have a great Citron Tincture and was thinking to make this into a 1)

perfume (on its own) and 2) with other EO's or absolutes.

Any suggestions?

Bb

vanilia, musk, broom, marjoram, fenel, rose, fir, pine, wallnut,

camphor, menthol, myrrh, fig, jasmin, geranium, cedar, bazile,

lavender, olibanum, plum, gardenia, lemon, spearmint, and mandarin.

antonin

[Guest guest]

antonin mikhael wrote:

>

>

> I have a great Citron Tincture and was thinking to make this into a 1)

> perfume (on its own) and 2) with other EO's or absolutes.

> Any suggestions?

>

>

Hi Bb:

It's fabulous that you have a citron tincture, you're lucky! Arctander

says that the true oil is not longer produced, that it disappeared from

the industry in the early 20th Century.

I'd try to " fix " the tincture first, perhaps with a bit of araucaria oil

or copaiba. I'd make a " sheer " dilution of one of them, maybe 30%, and

then add it bit by bit, drop by drop until it was barely perceptible,

then stop.

What direction do you want to take the citron? Typical cologne? Floral,

Oriental, Amber? Then I could make some suggestions. You should always

have a fragrance family in mind before you start blending so you can

stay within that theme. You can then pull out certain parts, or

emphasize others, but if you're based around a theme, you can structure

your creation.

--

Sincerely, Anya

Anya's Garden of Natural Perfume http://AnyasGarden.com - rare and exotic

aromatics and artisan perfumes,

perfumery classes and consultation

Natural Perfumers Guild http://NaturalPerfumersGuild.com

[Guest guest]

antonin mikhael wrote:

>

>

> I have a great Citron Tincture and was thinking to make this into a 1)

> perfume (on its own) and 2) with other EO's or absolutes.

> Any suggestions?

>

>

Hi Bb:

It's fabulous that you have a citron tincture, you're lucky! Arctander

says that the true oil is not longer produced, that it disappeared from

the industry in the early 20th Century.

I'd try to " fix " the tincture first, perhaps with a bit of araucaria oil

or copaiba. I'd make a " sheer " dilution of one of them, maybe 30%, and

then add it bit by bit, drop by drop until it was barely perceptible,

then stop.

What direction do you want to take the citron? Typical cologne? Floral,

Oriental, Amber? Then I could make some suggestions. You should always

have a fragrance family in mind before you start blending so you can

stay within that theme. You can then pull out certain parts, or

emphasize others, but if you're based around a theme, you can structure

your creation.

--

Sincerely, Anya

Anya's Garden of Natural Perfume http://AnyasGarden.com - rare and exotic

aromatics and artisan perfumes,

perfumery classes and consultation

Natural Perfumers Guild http://NaturalPerfumersGuild.com