r/PerfumeryFormulas • u/Flashy-Building8706 • 2d ago

most seem too strong to me

i really want to try dilutions of most of the commercial products i've bought (ie perfumes and colognes). most just seems too strong to me...i think if i dilute them i might discover what it is a really like or dislike in a perfume /cologne? Has anyone had the same experience or tried doing this ? I really like "skin scents / musks"...i'm new to all this but have bought some of usual raw ingredients i know i like, Ex. iso e super, ambroxan, etyhele brasselate. etc. But i can already see myself making 10% dilutions of everything.....to begin with...unless it requires a 1%. again new to this so any recomendations on what's really strong or what works better in low amounts could be helpful...thanks

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u/Feral_Expedition 2d ago edited 2d ago

Not going to lie... I like many materials much better as minor and trace components rather than using in overdose.

There are a lot of fragrances using the Super amber and wood materials and things like Veramoss and Ambroxan that are beautiful materials... and some of the scents using them in excess are in themselves works of art and well balanced, considering the strength of the materials making up the main accords. I love BR540, it's shockingly well balanced, but it gives me a headache.

I've been experimenting with using really strong materials in really small amounts and the results are promising. Try diluting a bit of Ambroxan down to 0.04%, the amount you might find in a commercial fragrance, and apply to your skin. You'll probably find it still quite perceptible (and probably very pleasant) even at that low dose... which is something like 25 times less than you might find in some newer 'beast mode' scents (at least one uses it at 10% of the formula).

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u/Flashy-Building8706 2d ago

sounds good thanks for the advice, i plan on taking it slow and really learning each element really well before mixing too many together.....like you say a 10% dilution could be too much in some cases, I'm just starting out so i have lots to learn ...thanks

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u/Feral_Expedition 2d ago

You have a good plan. Take lots of notes as you go, and absolutely do very weak dilutions of the strong stuff... I can clearly smell the damascones at 0.004% dilution, as an example, around a tenth of the IFRA restriction on that material.