The other day, a customer requested a vanilla body spray for their friend who misses The Body Shop's product. As I imagined, the Body Shop's Vanilla Body Spray was a toxic, unnatural concoction.
The Body Shop Vanilla Body Mist primarily consisted of Alcohol Denat. (approx. 67%), Aqua (Water), and Parfum (Fragrance). Common scent-enhancing and allergen components included Benzyl Benzoate, Coumarin, Hydroxycitronellal, Benzyl Salicylate, Limonene, Linalool, Hexyl Cinnamal, and Citral, often finished with Denatonium Benzoate as a denaturant.
See this analysis that basically rates it as ICK.
The vanillas I have are 2x and 10X oleoresins, plus an oil that's claimed to be all natural and pure, but is far too inexpensive to be uncut or otherwise composed Vanilla India. The oleoresins I often blend with oil to make them more user friendly such as: Vanilla 10% in fractionated coconut oil In any case, they are all too oily or resinous to nicely dissolve into a water-based spray. I'm going to start formulating by using a 200-proof perfumery alcohol, into which I'll soak 10X oleoresin for a week or so. I'll pour off the liquid, leaving the black goo behind - *sigh* a ruined flask is ahead of me here - then I'll sniff and concoct using other essential oils, mostly all resinous, alas. I do also have beans and a vanilla extract from Quebec on hand. I am also mindful of the alcohol I have sitting in an empty sandalwood bottle to dissolve the last of this precious essential oil.
Natural ingredients that smell like vanilla include vanilla beans/absolute, tonka bean, Peru balsam, benzoin resin, and sweet galium. These materials contain compounds similar to vanillin, offering a warm, creamy, or balsamy-sweet aroma without synthetic additives.
Natural Vanilla Allies
Vanilla Absolute/Beans: The most authentic source, derived from Vanilla planifolia.
Tonka Bean Absolute: Provides a creamy scent similar to vanilla with almond-like undertones.
Peru Balsam Essential Oil: Offers a warming, sweet, balsamic aroma.
Benzoin Resin Oil: A thick, resinous base note with a very strong sweet, powdery, and vanilla-like smell.
Sweet Galium (Galium triflorum): A wild herb with a natural vanilla scent.
Other Notes: Sandalwood and balsam are used to anchor natural vanilla perfumes.
Making custom perfumes is never, ever efficient, and I can't possibly be compensated for the time involved unless I come up with a perfume that becomes replicable and wildly popular. But the Mud Pie Girl in me loves the process and the challenge, so I'm here for it!
I make a lot of things with vanilla because I adore it.
Raindance Hand & Body Lotion in Vanilla
Pirate Perfume
I also sell vanilla beans from Ecuador.
Stay tuned as I chronicle this adventure and polish this post for my substack blog.