Oils Etiquette
The following topics will cover best practices regarding oil usage, storage, among others.
Maturing the oils[edit | edit source]
Upon receiving your oils, we've found that you should let them rest. Oil factories are situated in many countries, which produce and sell in bulk (bottles of at least 500 mL) to shops all across the world, and then sent over to you by car, train, plane. This, in a way, messes with the oils, leaving them with a weaker smell or even a completly unexpected smell. Like a good Port wine, the more you let it sit, the better.
- Keep your oils in a dark and dry place. Avoid places with high temperatures and/or a lot of temperature fluctuations. This means, do not store them in the bathroom. This applies to spray perfumes too.
- Storage time varies - estimates vary depending on climate, type of perfume, etc. Recommended periods go from 3 weeks to 4 months. Feel free to test them. If the fragrance is close enough to your liking, use it, the maturing process will continue if you do or not. If you're not yet satisfied, store it back, there's a chance it'll get much better. In our experience, the more tragic changes happen after the 1st month.
Patience is key in the oil game. Good things come to those who wait.
Applying the oils[edit | edit source]
Perfume Oil bottles usually come in three variants: with a roll-on cap, with a dropper cap or with an applicator stick. Roll-on work like your typical deodorant, while the dropper cap drops one drop at the time. The cap with a little stick can be lifted out of the bottle to apply oil with it.
- Oils are concentrated. Do not apply this thinking it's like a cream, unlike you want to smell like a walking Sephora. A few drops are enough to last you through the day or more. If you're used to using Parfums, 1 ml of Oil is roughly equivalent to 5 ml of it. Tread carefully.
Application Methods[edit | edit source]
Applying it is very much like using a normal perfume. The only difference is the fact that it's a hands-on experience, rather than just spraying it and that's it.
The key to having a good application is using the pulse points. These are areas of the body known to eradiate the most heat, thus helping with the propagation of your scent. They are:
- Below the jaw line
- Behind the ears
- The base of the neck (collarbone)
- Inner elbows
- Wrists
- Behind the knees
You're obviously not required to use it on all these pulse points. Again, it all depends on your skin and how much you want others to be able to notice your smell. As usual, experiment and see what you like best.
Alternatively (or in addition to the above), some people find they have better luck with sillage, projection and longevity using some of the yellow areas on the chart. Particularly:
- The collarbone area
- Back of the hand
The collarbone area is an especially underrated place to apply your oils, but can be quite effective. This is because applying oils here (especially when underneath clothing) will protect the oil from drying out quickly due to the elements (particularly wind), thus increasing longevity in a similar way to using lotions and creams will by preventing fast dissipation. Furthermore, it allows the fragrance to concentrate under your clothing, wafting out with certain movements or activities that jostle your clothing. Finally, it will allow some of the oil to more safely attach to your clothing throughout the day without the risk of staining it. The back of the hand is also a useful application place in situations where you will be moving them a lot (giving presentations or if you are just an animated person, for instance), or if you will be standing or moving about in a place where others are likely to be sitting. Wearing your fragrance on the back of your hand will allow your fragrance to reach more people by either pushing it out due to the consistent movement of your hands helping to push the smell throughout the air or by keeping it on a place on your body that will be nearer to people' olfactory senses if they are sitting and you are standing.
Finally, keep in mind that different fragrances may work better with different application patterns. If you find you have an oil that doesn't perform as well as others do on you, try applying it to different locations to see if you get better results. It can't be stressed enough: Don't be afraid to experiment with application to see what works best for you! Half the fun of having fragrance oils is experimenting and seeing what you like best about them and how you wear them!
General Tips[edit | edit source]
- Avoid applying oils to your clothes, as they can leave a stain (especially on white garments). Pay attention to clothes you don't usually wash, such as jackets. Oils tend to last longer on clothes, and will conflict if you use another fragrance, even weeks after.
- Do not rub the fragrance. By doing that, you're crushing the oils and changing the overall scent, lowering it's effectiveness.
- The best time to apply a fragrance is after a shower. Oils will stick better to clean skin and a hot shower will raise the temperature of the skin surface, helping to project the aroma.
- You can apply unscented lotion alongside the oil to help with longevity. It can be done by first applying the oil and then the lotion, mixing it by rubbing it gently.
The oils are nice but you still want to wear or maybe give a more "traditional" perfume that you can spray? Click here to find out what you need!