Anya McCoy - Homemade Perfume: Create Exquisite, Naturally Scented Products to Fill Your Life with Botanical Aromas

Brian Michael Shea, Paula Diaz, Andrea Abbott Ganuza, Gracie Kahlo Reyes, Ana Trusty, Adrian Jai Denuzzo, Jimmy, Michael Orkin, Daniella Vargas, and Gabriela Serra, thank you for your help with the garden, the perfume business, and for your companionship on the many fragrant projects.

To my parents, for encouraging reading and education. To my brother William J. McCoy III for being a steady, loving force in my life. To the lovely, nurturing Cedella Marley Booker, thank you for being a mom to me.

Bruce Bolmes and Michael Singels, I appreciate your help with technical, chemical, and mathematical assistance on many projects.

Christine Ziegler, Catherine Symonds, and Andrine Olson, you are sisters in the natural perfumery world, and the decades of friendship, sharing, and laughs are forever in my heart. Bob McCulley, your memory lives on as a gardening expert and friend.

Frode Wells, my computer life could not be so steady and productive without your years of help with any problem, and hours of garden chat while things got fixed.

Robert Tisserand, you are a delight to confer with, and my first inspiration in the aromatherapy world with your first book The Art of Aromatherapy. Jeanne Rose, your book Herbs and Things awakened my senses to so much botanical beauty, and Mindy Green, you are a delight and a beacon in the world of herbs and aromatherapy; thank you for your advice. Chrissie Wildwood, I adored our chats and I love your aromatherapy books; thank you so much for all you have done.

Christina Dickson, Robyn McKeithan, Amy Elaine Abrams, Estella Garcia, and Harry Kutcher, thank you for extending my family circle. Gabrielle Howard, you help keep the house and studio together with humor and delight.

Julia Onnie-Hay, an herbalist close to my heart, you are building the South Florida herb community. Eugene A. Anderson, PhD, my economic botany professor, thank you for encouraging me to develop my own major at UCRiverside. Valerie Pantanelli, your physical therapy helped me walk so much better; I appreciate it. John A. Starnes, your advice about growing roses in Florida has been invaluable, and inspired me to start growing these beautiful flowers again. Dr. Robert Zablotowicz, Zap, thank you for your indulgence of me, just out of my teens, on my quest for fragrant plants, aromatic oils, and the study of perfumery; you are missed. Author Diana Rodgers generously forwarded my book idea on to Page Street Publishing, a true gift of fellowship to a stranger, and I am grateful.

Thanks to Page Street Publishing Company for being open to the idea of a book on fragrance and their support and encouragement. My editor Sarah Monroe was the guiding force regarding the direction and organization, and I have much gratitude for her patience.

The current map of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) plant hardiness zones is fairly intricate, containing 26 specific climatic designations for the continental United States, Alaska, Hawaii, and Puerto Rico. The zones have changed over the years, and if youve lived in the same place for many years, you most likely find your zone warmer than it used to be.

You can call your local USDA Cooperative Extension to confirm your zone. I recommend establishing a relationship with them to learn more about the possible microclimates on your property. This can help you to decide where to grow your plants. The following link to the updated USDA zone map allows you to enter your zip code to find what your current zone is: planthardiness.ars.usda.gov.

The supplier list in gives several sources for alcohol in the United States. The most readily available nonorganic alcohol is Everclear, a grain alcohol that is available in both 151 and 190 proof at most liquor stores.

Some states strictly regulate the sale of alcohol, and some ban the sale of 190-proof alcohol. There are online stores that can get around this for the most part, but you need to check your states laws. The online stores cannot ship to some states, and they list them on their websites. I have heard of people driving to the next state to buy their supply for perfumes, or having friends or relatives bring it to them, so that may be an option for people in states that prohibit 190-proof alcohol. However, Im not condoning violating the law, merely passing along what Ive learned.

Shipping and hazmat (hazardous materials) fees add a lot to the cost of high-proof alcohol. The current 2018 price of 190-proof Everclear is about $16 (USD) per liter. There may be an additional $30 shipping/hazmat fee if you have it shipped to you. Organic alcohol costs around $115 (USD) per gallon, with a $40 shipping/hazmat fee. The shipping fee is higher the farther you are from the shipper. Some online sites recommend that you buy 3 liters at once so that you can save on the fees because they are combined in one order.

I list only suppliers that I have had direct buying experience with and that sell high-quality materials. I encourage you to obtain samples from numerous suppliers and compare them first, and then buy larger quantities based on your comparison. This can save you time and money rather than obtaining aromatics that arent of the quality or specific scent you expected.