Dilution Basics for DIY Perfumers

Why dilution matters

Most aroma chemicals are far too strong to evaluate or use at full strength. Diluting them in perfumer''s alcohol or DPG lets you smell them properly, dose them accurately in formulas, and avoid wasting expensive material.

Common dilutions

• 10% — standard working dilution for most aroma chemicals
• 1% — for extremely powerful materials (musks, aldehydes, indoles)
• 20–50% — for absolutes and resinoids that are thick or weak in impact

The math

To make a 10% dilution: weigh 1 g of material and add 9 g of solvent. Total weight: 10 g, of which 10% is the active material.

For a 1% dilution from a 10% stock: take 1 g of the 10% solution and add 9 g of solvent.

Practical tips

• Always weigh by gram, never by drops
• Label every bottle with material name, dilution %, solvent, and date
• Let dilutions rest 24 hours before evaluating

Track every dilution as its own batch in Scent Inventory so the cost and concentration follow into your formulas automatically.