Winter is on its way out, and spring cleaning is on its way in! Freshen up your home with this easy to make Springtime Room Spray. This spray takes less than 10 minutes to assemble. We experimented with all kinds of fragrance blends before arriving on the perfect combination of Spring Meadow and Crisp Apple Rose. It reminded us of freshly sprouted flowers on a warm sunny day.
What You’ll Need:
1.5 oz. Rose Water
.8 oz. Isopropyl Alcohol
.5 mL Optiphen ND
5.5 mL Polysorbate 20
Fragrance blend: 1 mL Spring Meadow Fragrance Oil and 1 mL Crisp Apple Rose Fragrance Oil
2 oz. Brushed Aluminum Bottle
Click here to add everything you need for this project to your Bramble Berry shopping cart!
ONE: Since you’re combining fragrance oils and water in this recipe, you need Polysorbate 20 to help combine the fragrance oil and the water.Β Keep in mind that even though this room spray is not meant to go on the skin, to be on the safe side, use a skin safe fragrance – not a candle or potpourri fragrance. You never know what an end user will do with your product. =)
Combine the Polysorbate 20 and the fragrance oils first and mix well, making sure they are well mixed before adding the rose water. If your solution looks milky white, add a few more drops of Polysorbate. The mixture should be relatively clear (it’s okay if it looks a bit cloudy) before adding the additional ingredients.
TWO: Once the Polysorbate and fragrance oil mixture is clear, add the rose water.
THREE: Add the isopropyl alcohol.
FOUR: Add the Optiphen ND.
Pour the mixture into a 2 oz. Brushed Aluminum Bottle. This recipe makes once spray bottle, but feel free to double or triple it to make multiple bottles. The Polysorbate will help bind the Rose Water and fragrance oils, but give the bottle a good shake before each use for good measure. Please note that this solution does use preservative. If you do not use preservative, you run the risk of mold and bacteria growing in the solution.
Looking for more sprays or perfumes? Check out the tutorials below:
From left clockwise: How to Make Perfume video, Bug Away Spray Bouquet, White Ginger and Amber Perfume
Hi! I want to make a skin safe essential oil spray but I’m concerned about the mold (I will also choose skin safe essential oils, very diluted). I was initially considering adding distilled water, a bit of vodka and witch hazel, in an amber glass bottle, keeping it in the fridge to keep the mold from growing too fast…so, do you know aprox when the mold starts to grow? Is it a week after? a month?
Is there a less dense (preferably odorless) oil that I can use to make that spray, instead of water so as to not worry about the mold?
Sorry for the many questions….I’ve been doing my research but I trust your input above everything else!
Regards,
Karen
Hi Karen!
No worries, we are happy to help! Researching is a great thing to do before getting started. π
It’s hard to say exactly when mold will grow. I imagine your recipe, if kept in the fridge, would last at least a month before you see any bacteria growth! You can also add a preservative to lengthen the shelf life considerably (a year or so). Optiphen ND works well in water based recipes, and is paraben and formaldehyde free. You can add that at 1% of the total weight of your spray. Learn more about preservatives here: http://www.soapqueen.com/bath-and-body-tutorials/lotion/talk-it-out-tuesday-preservatives/
Because you’re adding essential oils to the mix, you may want to use an emulsifier to keep everything mixed nicely. You can use Polysorbate 80 up to 50% in your recipe: https://www.brambleberry.com/Polysorbate-80-P4438.aspx
If you prefer to use an oil, I would recommend fractionated coconut oil (caprylic/capric triglycerides). It is lightweight and absorbs quickly on skin. It’s what I use for all my handmade perfumes! Also, because it’s an oil, you don’t have to worry about adding a preservative or an emulsifier. π
Fractionated coconut oil: https://www.brambleberry.com/CaprylicCapric-Triglycerides-Fractionated-Coconut-Oil-P4957.aspx
We just got some adorable mini spray bottles in that you may like: https://www.brambleberry.com/Mini-Spray-Bottle-P4951.aspx
To find out how much essential oil to add, you can use our Fragrance Calculator! Just select “Lotion” from the drop down menu: https://www.brambleberry.com/Pages/Fragrance-Calculator.aspx
Hope that helps! π
-Kelsey with Bramble Berry
This is a great tutorial. I know that there were a few previous comments about the alcohol, but I am curious why it is needed in the recipe. Does it aid in evaporation? From other recipes I have found, I was under the impression that it was only necessary in order to allow the oil to dissolve better in the water, but that is what the polysorbate is doing in this recipe.
Hi Trey!
The alcohol in this recipe helps the spray evaporate in the air. Water can be a little more heavy, so doing this recipe with only water can give you wet spots on the carpet! We found the alcohol also helps carry the scent well. π
-Kelsey with Bramble Berry
Thanks Kelsey! I will try this! π
You’re welcome! π
-Kelsey with Bramble Berry
Hi! Love this post! I am wanting to try a room spray with a Christmas scent. Would this recipe be safe to make without the Optiphen, since there is such a large alcohol content? Thanks!
Hi Olivia!
So glad you like it! Because this recipe has rose water in it, it needs a preservative. Otherwise mold and bacteria can grow, even with the high alcohol content.
You can leave out the preservative, but keep in mind your room spray may grow mold. Putting it in the refrigerator in between uses can help!
-Kelsey with Bramble Berry
Talk It Out Tuesday: Preservatives: http://www.soapqueen.com/bath-and-body-tutorials/lotion/talk-it-out-tuesday-preservatives/
Thank you Kelsey! I certainly don’t want mold growing, so I won’t do that! If I left out the rose water, would it be okay without a preservative? Or would fragrance oils grow mold? Would essential oils grow mold? I don’t have a preservative on hand, but I can get one if I need to. Don’t like mold!
Hi Olivia!
I understand, mold is no fun! You can leave out the rose water, but you would need to up the alcohol and polysorbate 20 or decrease the amount of fragrance you have to make up for it. To find out how much fragrance to add for your adjusted recipe, you can use our Fragrance Calculator. Just select “Lotion” in the “What Are You Making?” section. π
Fragrance and essential oils will not grow mold or bacteria. Water is responsible for bacteria and mold growth in your products.
You can also use a combination of cyclomethicone, rubbing alcohol and DPG, which has no water! I’ll include a tutorial below. π
-Kelsey with Bramble Berry
New Year, New Fragrance Tutorial: http://www.soapqueen.com/bath-and-body-tutorials/new-year-new-fragrance-tutorial/
im a beginner to making body sprays and lotions, im also a dummy when it come to using a digital scale, when it calls for a ml of a product in a recipe, do I put my scale on grams or oz?
Hi Penny!
To measure mL, most scales will not be able to measure that because it’s such a small amount! Milliliters is a unit of volume, and we use these little droppers to measure it out π
Droppers with Suction Bulb:
https://www.brambleberry.com/Droppers-With-Suction-Bulb-P3802.aspx
I hope this helps!
-Amanda with Bramble Berry
I am ‘new…NoViCe’ at doing anything DiY so, I seem to have quite a bit of (frowning concentration looks on my face) with all the
“technical ingredients”…LoL but I guess I can ask when I go tonourchase this stuff γjust didn’t want any confusion…on my part and get arrested for the ‘ingredients’ I need to make a DiY room spray or perfume. ..which I am really interested in….Oh one last thing, there is a Lavender pillow spray to help you go and stay asleep at BBB; I need the recipe for this…so badly. Sorry for the multiple inquiries…it is 3:28 a.m. and I haven’t had my CafΓ© OlΓ©….
Hi Melanie!
For every project, we include a link to where to find all the ingredients at BrambleBerry.com π Thanks for the suggestion for the lavender pillow spray, that sounds awesome! Itβs definitely something we can look into!
-Amanda with Bramble Berry
I am ‘new…NoViCe’ at doing anything DiY so, where do we get the aluminum spray bottles?
Hi Melanie!
You can find these aluminum bottles at Bramble Berry. You can find links to all the ingredients above, and I have included the link for the bottles below π
https://www.brambleberry.com/Brushed-Aluminum-Bottle-2-oz-with-Spray-top-P4477.aspx
-Amanda with Bramble Berry
Will regular optiphen work instead of the optiphen nd?
Hi Amy!
We chose Optiphen ND because it is water soluble and mixes in nicely with this recipe. We recommend using Optiphen for oil based products π
To learn a little bit more about the differences between the two, you may find these blog posts helpful π
Perfectly Preserved:
http://www.soapqueen.com/bath-and-body-tutorials/tips-and-tricks/perfectly-preserved/
Talk it out Tuesday: Preservatives: http://www.soapqueen.com/bath-and-body-tutorials/lotion/talk-it-out-tuesday-preservatives/
-Amanda with Bramble Berry
What could be used in place of rose water? Just plain distilled water?
Hi there!
You can definitely swap out the rose water for distilled water if you’d like π
-Amanda with Bramble Berry
This looks like a lovely recipe!
I have Polysorbate 80 (not P-20). Will this work as well as the Polysorbate 20?
Thank you!
Hi Sly!
You can use Polysorbate 80 instead, but you will want to use it at a 50% of your fragrance oils. Overall, we find that Polysorbate 20 does work better π
-Amanda with Bramble Berry
This recipe looks great!
Doesn’t isopropyl alcohol cause contact dermatitis if sprayed on the skin?
Plus it has a very strong alcohol scent?.
Wouldn’t a water base be more skin friendly?
Steph, quoted from the post: “this room spray is not meant to go on the skin”. Alcohol evaporates very quickly and the remaining scent will smell like the fragrance used, not alcohol. Much like many perfumes available.
Hi Steph!
When smelled in the bottle, the spray does have a bit of an alcohol scent. But once sprayed, the alcohol smell disappears completely, leaving just a soft scent of floral :). While this spray is perfectly skin safe, this recipe was designed to be used as a room spray. If you are looking for a perfume to use on the skin that is also moisturizing, you may enjoy this recipe for a solid perfume!
How to Make Perfume Video:
http://www.soapqueen.com/bath-and-body-tutorials/lotion/how-to-make-perfume-video/
While it’s true that alcohol can be drying (especially for dry skin types) when used correctly, alcohol in skin care products can have benefits. For example, it is often a major ingredients in toners because it helps clear away dead skin, which allows the skin to receive moisture better. It’s important to keep your own skin in mind when choosing beauty products…what might work for you may not work for others! π
I really hope you give this room spray a try. It’s a lovely blend of fragrance oils, I personally can’t stop spraying it all over my house! π
-Amanda with Bramble Berry