Transform Your Haircare Routine with The Best Fragrance Oils

Natasha Bruce-Carline
Woman combing vibrant red hair with wooden comb

Ditch designer price tags and add fragrance oil to the shampoo and conditioner. Take fabulous fragrance oils for hair like NO. 33 - Fresh Cut Roses, NO. 21 - Cedarwood & Amber, and NO. 56 - Ocean Rain and use them to create our brand new recipes for Hair Pomade, Hair Gel, and Hair Serum Oil.

In this article I’ll show you how to use fragrance oils for hair, and when and how to add essential oils and carriers to get stronger, healthier hair. I’ll show you how to interpret and apply IFRA skin safety data and finally, I’ll also give you a ton of recipes with all the safety work done for you!

The Benefits of Using Fragrance Oils For Hair

There are so many benefits to using fragrance oils for hair it is hard to know where to start! 

You really are spoilt for choice when it comes to fragrance oils for hair. VINEVIDA has a vast range of fragrance oils for DIY projects of all kinds. 

We offer very simple to beautifully complex scent profiles and stock some of the most popular fragrance oil variations in the world. 

If you are looking for a floral bouquet, we have it. If you want the aroma of a Coffee Latte, we have it. If you want the scent of your seventh Birthday Cake, we probably have something similar. Or if you just want your hair to smell amazing, we definitely have a whole raft of choices for you! 

But let’s begin by identifying the difference between fragrance oils and essential oils.

What Is The Difference Between Fragrance Oil And Essential Oil?

Essential oils are distilled from natural plant matter and contain ‘the true essence of the plant’. Chemical constituents and compounds from the plant are transferred, via the extraction method to the essential oil. It is these properties that make essential oil so popular for everything from stress relief to bug-busting. 

Essential oils are highly concentrated and potent and should always be diluted before use. As should fragrance oils. 

Fragrance oils are a long-lasting fragrance product and some are composed of essential oils and natural fragrance oils, while other elements may be high-quality synthetic substitutes. 

Some fragrance oils do contain essential oils, or chemical constituents derived from essential oils, while some fragrance oils contain no natural components at all.

In short, an essential oil is all-natural, whereas a fragrance oil is either partly natural or completely synthetic. 

Benefits of Using Fragrance Oils for Hair as Opposed to Essential Oils

Intense Fragrance

When it comes to using fragrance oils for hair versus essential oils, we need to look at something called ‘resilience’. How resilient is the oil through various processes and will it stand up to high heat?

Many essential oils can be damaged or degraded by subjecting them to high heat, they are quite delicate little darlings. Processes for hair care products that are subjected to heat, like Solid Shampoo Bars, are where resilient fragrance oils for hair come into their own. 

VINEVIDA Soaps & Candles fragrance oils are formulated to withstand rigorous processes like Soap making and Candle making. They have been designed to withstand the high heat that these processes subject the oils to and offer long-lasting, resilient aromas.

Cheaper or More Sustainable Choice

Sandalwood essential oil can be prohibitively expensive and Indian Sandalwood is critically endangered. It makes sense when we just want the fragrance of Sandalwood to choose the fragrance oil over the essential oil. 

We don’t just want to save the planet, we want to look after your precious skin too. Therefore, you can rest assured that none of VINEVIDA’s fragrance oils contain SLS, SLES, Parabens, or Phthalates. They are always cruelty-free and never tested on animals either, because we care about them too. 

Financial and Quality Control

A new industry term ‘Functional Fragrance’ has been circulating recently. ‘Functional Fragrance’ are fragrances to be enjoyed, but with some kind of therapeutic benefit intended as well. Think of it as a fragrance with added active benefits, usually from essential oils.

A good example of this might be to blend some rose fragrance oil with rose essential oil. If we want all the mood-boosting, hormone-influencing, and stress-relieving effects of Rose essential oil, we aren’t going to find those qualities in a Rose fragrance oil. Combining the two gives the properties without having to overload the product with expensive oil to get the oilfactory effect.

The Best Fragrance Oils For Hair

The best fragrance oils for hair are the ones that are most suited to your individual needs and preferences. The truth is ALL of our fragrance oils are suitable for use on your hair. Just in varying amounts because of the differences in IFRA safety dilution rates, more on this later.

You must always choose VINEVIDA’s Soaps and Candles variation for topical products. It has been specifically formulated for this purpose. Please do not use the Diffuser variation which is intended for Diffuser use. 

You can use fragrance oils for hair products like hair oil, shampoos and conditioners, hair lotions, hair gels, sprays and spritzes, and even perfumed oil for your hair. You can tailor all your hair care products and styling products to your skin and hair requirements.

Imagine… being able to create your very own bespoke range of hair care products. You could even make some for friends and family in time for the holidays. What a great gift that would make! 

Now, if you are specifically looking for scented products to stimulate hair growth and reduce hair loss, you’re going to need my other article this week. Using Essential Oil Recipe for Hair Growth rather than using fragrance oils for hair care. 

Tash’s Favorite Fragrance Oils For Hair

Fragrance oils offer you so much choice and if you are anything like me, you get paralyzed too many options. So let’s whittle things down for you and I will select what I think are some of the best soap & candle fragrance oils for hair projects. 

Ditching The Designer Price Tag

One of the main reasons people come searching for the most popular fragrance oils for hair care is that they want to stop spending so much money on expensive designer products. Or, they want to create layering effects alongside their favorite perfume or aftershave. 

Layering is so effective, find out more in Layering Perfumes With Essential Oils - The Body Edition

Blended fragrance oils are perfect to add a touch of your own creativity, to elevate and personalize your favorites. It’s so easy to create your own Signature Scent in this way and create harmonizing and coordinating hair care products. You can completely shake up your routine and create something bespoke and unique to you. How exciting! 

Tash’s Favorites For Ditching The Dosh

Flouncy Floral Locks

Ensure every one of your innate femininity with cascades of tumbling flowers and utterly glorious floral aromas. I’ll do something a little different here and offer another fragrance oil to blend it with for a full-bodied feminine experience.

Go for all-out Roses, tropical Ylang Ylang and Jasmine, or the intoxicating aroma of Gardenias. You can see why flowers are at the very heart of 95% of commercial perfumes. There’s nothing like them in the world.

Floral Fragrance Oil Balancing Fragrance Oil
No. 33- Fresh Cut Roses NO. 1201 - Inspired by: Baies by Diptyque
NO. 43 - Honeysuckle & Jasmine NO. 74 - Mystic Oud
NO. 1204 - Inspired by: Fleur D'Oranger by Diptyque NO. 1205 - Inspired by: Oud Paris by Diptyque
NO. 1401 - Inspired by: Black Tulip by Nest NO. 21 - Cedarwood & Amber
NO. 1407 - Inspired by: Sunkissed Hibiscus by Nest NO. 50 - Mahogany Teakwood

Masculinity Personified

We carry some exceptionally beautiful fragrance oils for hair for men. You can use them to make hair gels, pomades, and even dry shampoo. Why not give your hair care routine a bit of a shake-up?

A couple of these choices gained popularity as aftershaves and are perfect to infuse your hair products with a sublime scent. 

Captivate all who come close enough, with hair care creations including:

Genderless Fluidity

These fragrances straddle the gender lines and can be used by anyone. Not boxes to fit in, just doing what feels right for you and smelling amazing to boot! 

Blending offers you amazing versatility when creating genderless blends - check out our Fragrance Oil Of The Week articles for plenty of blending ideas. NO. 1200 - Inspired by: Ambre by Diptyque is so versatile and readily blends with so many other fragrance oils, check out all my ideas on how to use it. 

Tash’s Unisex Favorites

Don’t Forget The Kids!

Let's face it, anything that encourages kids to be clean has to be a bonus. They’ll be begging for a bath or a shower to get hair care products made with these fragrance oils.

Choose from these fragrance oils for hair-raising cleanliness:

Honorable Mentions

Sometimes you KNOW that a certain fragrance oil will translate beautifully to certain products. These are the fragrances that I have not yet mentioned, but think they will make superb hair care products to leave your hair smelling incredible.

IFRA Safety For Fragrance Oils For Hair

Before you create anything, check the IFRA maximum safety dilution rate for your chosen fragrance oil.

If you are not sure how to do this, don’t panic! 

Everything you need is in How To Find Safety Information On The VINEVIDA Website.

Safety limits vary. Some will have very low skin safety dilution rates and others can be quite high.

Remember, these are the figures for the maximum amount you can use to remain skin-safe. They are not recipe recommendations. 

Here are a few examples.

    • You will see I have used two categories as examples 
    • Category 7B is for hair oils and leave-on hair treatments. 
    • Category 9 is for shampoo bars.
Fragrance Oil For Hair
The link goes to the product 		Maximum Skin Safety Dilution Rate
The link goes to the IFRA Statement
NO. 3001 - Inspired by: Coco Chanel #5 by Chanel Cat 7B 0.25%
NO. 33 - Fresh Cut Roses Cat 9 No restrictions
NO. 2210 - Inspired by: Brazilian Bum Bum by Sol De Janeiro Cat 9 3.53%
NO. 1102 - Inspired by: Bali Mango by Bath & Body Works Cat 7B 39.96%

You can easily see how they vary enormously and this is why you need to check the IFRA safety date for every fragrance oil for hair you use.

    • A 0.25% maximum safety dilution rate is very low. 
    • 3.53% is pretty average for this category and more than enough to give an intense fragrance.
    • 39.96% is extremely high, you never need that much.
    • No restrictions suggest this is a very benign fragrance oil, but again, you won’t need to use it much.

Best Recipes For Fragrance Oils For Hair Care

Right then, let’s get down to the exciting bit and put fragrance oils for hair care into action! I’m going to show you a few ways of introducing fragrance oils for hair into existing products and products that you can easily make for yourself.

You will soon be sporting, strong, healthy hair that shines with vitality and life. 

How to Add Fragrance Oils For Hair Into Existing Products

Now, you might have found your perfect shampoo or dry shampoo, but there are a few things to consider before adding a fragrance oil to an existing product.

Use Unscented Bases

I strongly suggest using unscented bases as the best way to stay skin-safe. It’s easy to work out the IFRA skin safety rates for your own products, but you have no idea about existing fragranced products which makes this an impossible minefield. But the choice, ultimately is yours, as is the responsibility! 

If you do use something fragranced you also need to consider if your fragrance oil is going to compete or clash with the existing scent, or is it going to complement it. The easiest way to do this is to take a small amount add a tiny drop of fragrance and assess it. Never just dive straight in, that is when expensive mistakes can happen.

Adding Fragrance Oil For Hair to Shampoo and Conditioner

Ideally, use unscented shampoo and conditioner bases, and add no more than about 5% of the overall volume of fragrance oil. If you have 100ml of shampoo, 5ml of fragrance oil is more than enough. The amount will also depend on the IFRA safety data of your chosen fragrance oil.  

While Shampoos and Conditioners tend to have their own dispersants added, usually it will be just enough to distribute the oils they have added. You may need to add an equal amount of dispersant, like Polysorbate 20 or 80 to fragrance oil. If you add 5ml of fragrance oil, mix it with 5ml of Polysorbate first, and then add it to your shampoo or conditioner.

Unscented bases intended for you to add fragrance to, probably have a dispersant already added, check the manufacturers' instructions first. If not, again use a dispersant like Polysorbate 20 or 80.  

Be Practical!

Common sense tells you that if you have Dry Shampoo in a spray form you are not going to be able to add your own scent to it. It is a sealed can and dangerous to tamper with it in any way. Use your common sense guys. I can’t believe I have to say this! 

Brand New and Exciting Fragrance Oil For Hair Recipes 

We have done quite a few new recipes for hair care recently and you can find the links below to our favorites. We also have our Essential Oil Recipe for Hair Growth coming out this week too, so keep your eyes peeled for that! 

I’ve thought long and hard about new and resurging trends and which products people seem to struggle to find quality recipes and tutorials for.  

Hair Pomade is making a comeback, thanks to old products like BrylCreem™ and the Swing dance scene. Men’s hair fashions are changing to reflect this trend. 

Also, I’m constantly asked about making natural-based Hair Gels that are fit for purpose. They are notoriously challenging to achieve with natural ingredients. However, I think I have cracked a really easy way to do it that leaves you with great results and fabulous-looking hair. 

Finally, one of the most popular products is Hair Oil which doubles as a Serum, and for good reason, it’s extremely useful and gorgeous to use! I’m giving you a new recipe to try here. 

Men’s Hair Pomade

Hair Pomade is enjoying a rapid resurgence right now thanks to the Swing dance and music scene. Men’s grooming products from the 1920s to the 1970s were dominated by Pomades and pomade-based products like Brylcreem™. As products like Hair Gel became more popular during the 1980’s they fell out of fashion. 

They are enjoying a resurgence now. as recreating that specific look, can only be achieved by using a beautifully made Pomade. 

This is such a quick, and easy project to make at home and you can control every single ingredient and choose all-natural or organic ingredients. You can also control the fragrance. Why not choose something to layer with your favorite aftershave or Cologne or to compliment it?

Check Your IFRA Safety

Pomades come under IFRA Category 7B

When creating your own Pomades, we think 5% fragrance oils and/or essential oils is more than enough. Remember to check the individual IFRA recommendations as they may state less for your chosen oils.

You can use the Hair Gel option on the VINEVIDA calculator, to work out the safety data for your own Pomade recipes. 

You Will Need:

    1. Double boiler or a scrupulously clean tin can in a saucepan of water
    2. Heatproof Gloves
    3. Stainless steel spoon
    4. Silicone spatula
    5. 4 oz Tin with lid
    6. Oil and Waterproof label

Ingredients:

Optional: Preservative of your choice, and follow the manufacturer's instructions. 

Safety: 

    • Wear heatproof gloves during the melting and pouring process, please. 

Method:

    1. Protect your work surface with newspaper.
    2. Set your double boiler to warm over low to medium heat.
    3. Measure out all of your ingredients ready and have them close to hand.
    4. Put your Beeswax and Hemp wax in the pre-warmed double boiler and let the wax melt, and stir to help it along, the less time you heat it the better.
    5. As soon as it melts, add your carrier oils and mix thoroughly.
    6. Wear heatproof gloves.
    7. Remove from heat and allow to cool for a few minutes before adding your fragrance oil.
    8. Add your fragrance oil and mix thoroughly.
    9. See the Top Tip below before moving to the next step.
    10. Pour immediately into the tin.
    11. Cover with a soft clean cloth and set aside to cool.
    12. Once fully cooled, assess the texture - You can tinker with the recipe a bit. If it is too hard for you, add a little more carrier oil. If you want it harder, use more wax. More intensity of fragrance? You can use up to 5ml of NO.21. You will need to re-melt it to do this but don’t get it too hot, please.
    13. If you are happy with it and it is fully cooled, add the lid. Don’t do it while it is warm and moist, as it can encourage the formation of mold. 
    14. Add your label, clearly listing all ingredients.
    15. Add a production date and a 3-month expiry date -  6 months if you used a preservative.

    TOP TIP

    Pop a couple of saucers in the fridge or freezer an hour before you start and get them super cold. When you reach the point of pouring your mix, you can drip a drop onto the cold saucer and it should set almost right away. You can check the consistency is to your liking before you have to pour it and let it set. It is easier to make any alterations while the mix is still molten. See step 12 for how to do this. 

    How To Use:

      1. Do a 24-48 hour patch test to be safe, please.
      2. Scoop some onto your fingers, and rub through your hands and work into your hair. 
      3. Use your fingers to style your hair and if you want that old-style look, run the comb through for slick perfection. 
      4. You can use a tiny amount to tame ends and add a little shine and gloss. 

    Hair Gel

    Hair Gel is notoriously difficult to master as a natural product and while some people really enjoy the effect of Aloe Vera Gel, some find it too sticky for them. 

    This is a great alternative and the best way I can recommend using it, is to run it through your hair and let it dry to a ‘crack’ stage, you will hear an audible crack and crunch when it is dry. Then run your fingers through and style as normal. It is great for bringing life back to curls and waves. In fact, I think it works best on curls and waves. 

    You Will Need:

      1. Double boiler
      2. Immersion blender
      3. Tall beaker
      4. Digital scales
      5. Measuring jug
      6. Small tea strainer
      7. Silicone Spatula
      8. Suitable container of your choice
      9. Oil and waterproof label

      Ingredients:

        • Makes approx 250ml 
        • 120 ml Distilled or Purified Water
        • 100 ml Pure Aloe Vera Juice
        • 25 ml of Glycerine
        • 5 gm Xanthan Gum
        • 7 ml of NO. 56 - Ocean Rain Soaps and Candles Fragrance Oil
        • 1% Preservative of your choice - follow the manufacturer's instructions as they vary. (Don’t omit) 

      Safety:

        • Caution if you choose to use the double boiler.

      Before we get stuck in…

      Now I am not going to lie to you Xanthan Gum is a tricky little beast! It is so effective at its job as a thickening agent because it starts to get thick right away. That’s great, but not if it has formed into clumps. Clumping can be the biggest issue when using Xanthan Gum, but there are two things we can do to mitigate that.

      First, we can use heat to warm the base fluid and that can help to reduce clumping. However, by far the best means is using an immersion blender and getting the liquid moving AS YOU ADD THE GUM. 

      You can also start with less volume of liquid and add more as you go to help it amalgamate fully, which is how we are going to do it. I like to sift in the gum with a small tea strainer too. 

      Inevitably, no matter how hard you try, you will probably get the odd clump. Don’t panic, you can sift them out and pass them through a strainer if you need a perfect finish. You can also let it settle and cool and try blending it again. This seems to really help. (I do this with my Sriachia Sauce too by the way and it works a treat). 

      Shall we have a go?

      How To Make Xanthan Gum Hair Gel

        1. In a large tall beaker or measuring jug add half of your water and Aloe Vera juice.
        2. Insert your immersion blender and get the water moving (Do this over a double boiler if you want the added benefit of heat, but take extra caution as you need both hands)!
        3. With the water moving, start and sift in the Xanthan Gum in small motions, blend and add some more, and so forth.
        4. If it starts to get too thick add some more water and Aloe Vera juice but remember you still have liquid left to add!
        5. Mix your fragrance oil into the Glycerine and mix it thoroughly, please.
        6. Add to your thickened gel and immersion blend for several minutes to make sure everything is distributed.
        7. Now, it is time to assess a couple of things, the viscosity, and the texture, does it need more gum? Or does it need slackening off a little with more water/aloe?
        8. How clumpy is it? Does it need cooling for a few hours and another blend? Is it worth sifting it through a fine mesh strainer?
        9. Once you are happy with your Hair Gel, decant it into a suitable container. You can pop it in a wide-mouth jar, but if you are worried about bacteria from your fingers getting in the gel, pop it into a handy little silicone travel tube/bottle. (Search for ‘silicone tube for toiletries’).
        10. Remember to add an oil and waterproof label, clearly listing all of your ingredients.
        11. Use within 3-6 months. It will only last days, in the fridge, if you skipped the preservative! 

      How To Use:

        1. Don’t forget your 24-48 hour patch test guys! 
        2. It can be used on wet or dry hair, but more even gel distribution is ensured if your hands are dampened with water first.
        3. Either scoop some gel from your jar or squeeze it from the bottle/tube.
        4. Work evenly through the hair and let your hair naturally dry a little, especially if you want natural waves and curls. As it dries, work your fingers through to break the ‘crack’ and style as normal.
        5. You can use this gel to get frizz under control and smooth dehydrated ends.
        6. For the best curls, apply it to towel-dried hair and let it dry naturally for curls and waves full of gorgeous bounce and vitality. 

      Hair Serum Oil 

      This is always one of our most popular tutorials and it is no wonder. It is so quick and easy to create and the results you get from it are nothing short of amazing!

      You can use it in a number of ways, as a cold serum, as a Hot Hair Oil treatment, and as a finishing oil to smooth and tame dry ends and flyaways. So many brilliant ways to use one product!

      Now, I have a fair few of these oil recipes for you to choose from if you go onto the blog. Therefore, I wanted to create something brand new, and I have to confess, a little indulgent. 

      I’ve combined fragrance oils for hair with essential oils, so you get all the active benefits from the carrier oils and the essential oils for a powerhouse Serum that smells absolutely incredible! You are going to LOVE this one.

      You Will Need:

        1. Very little …
        2. A small jug
        3. A spoon
        4. 100 ml bottle and a funnel
        5. Label

      Ingredients:

      Numerous and delectably decadent - not sorry!

      Optional: Preservative of your choice - follow the manufacturers' instructions.

      Safety:

        • Do not use it in the first 37 weeks of pregnancy

      Method:

        1. Measure out your carrier oils.
        2. Add the fragrance and essential oils to the Glycerine and mix thoroughly.
        3. Pour into the carrier oils and mix well.
        4. Use a funnel and decant into a 100 ml bottle or serum dispenser.
        5. Add an oil and waterproof label listing all ingredients clearly.
        6. Add the instruction to ‘Shake well before use’!

      How To Use:

        • Don’t forget to do a 24-48 hour patch test.
        • Shake the bottle well before use.
      As Serum

      Simply apply a few drops to your hands and run through your hair to add sheen, shine, and a smooth finish to your hairstyle.

      Add in a Hair Tamer

      Add a drop to any dry ends and to tame pesky flyaways.

      As Hot Hair Oil

      Warm a tbsp or so through and use it as a Hot Hair Oil - instructions and a great hair treatment video here.

      A Plethora of Hair-Tastic Links To Explore 

      We have a whole stack of gorgeous hair care recipes and tutorials. You can use either aromatherapy techniques with essential oils, or fragrance oils for hair. Maybe, get the best of both worlds and use both. Swap things around and use the oils you want to. 

      Get your hair in the best condition ever and look glorious from root to tip! 

      Let’s not forget you hipsters and your beloved facial hair, we have just the project for you too! 

      The Final Word

      Well, I think I have laid the world of fragrance oils for hair at your feet, and tapped you into the latest trends and resurgence products.

      There are plenty of links here to exciting recipes and tutorials, that should keep you busy for the rest of the year. Why not create some holiday gifts while there is still plenty of time to think about it? There are so many ideas here for gorgeous bespoke gifts. 

      Make a Pomade for the hipster in your life and have them look super slick. Have a go at the Hair Gel, your curly-haired family and friends will find it a revelation and the kids will love it for creating Billy Idol spikes. If you choose to only make one thing, make the Hair Serum. It is utterly divine, smells incredible, and is jampacked with oils full of active benefits and nourishment for strong, healthy, shiny hair. 

      However you decide to use fragrance oils for hair, have fun with it and I want to see all those super shiny, gorgeous locks, please.