Can You Dilute Perfume With Water?(Tried and Tested Methods)

Do you have a nice smelling bottle of perfume, but it’s too strong for your olfactory senses?

I know it can be a bummer since we don’t want to waste our precious fragrances.

I have explored all the nooks and crannies for diluting perfume with water, so keep reading to get all the information you need.

Looking for something different? Then check out our blog about Why Can’t You Smell Perfume On Yourself? 

Can You Dilute Perfume With Water?

Yes, you can dilute your perfume with water because water can help release the scent from oil in fragrances. So, you can get the desired smell strength. Many perfumes can be too strong, so diluting can tone down their intensity. However, you need to follow specific steps to get results.

How Can You Dilute Perfume With Water?

For a first-timer, I can understand if you are skeptical about tampering with your perfume.

But trust me, if you follow all my tried and tested steps, you are good to go.

After all, how long do you plan to keep your perfumes away at the back of the closet, just because they smell too strong?

Nonetheless, these steps are simple so just follow them through. Here are the things you need to dilute your perfume:

You need to know a few things; like if the perfume is already diluted, you do not need to do it again.

Also, you need to know how much your container can hold the liquid because you do not want to overflow your container.

Make sure the container where you are diluting the solution can hold more liquid than your perfume bottle. So, here’s how you dilute your perfume:

Step-1# Pour distilled water and alcohol into a container and give it a whirl.

Step-2# Add your perfume to the mixture. Add until you get a lighter note.

Step-3# Whirl the solution as it keeps diluting.

The result will be amazing and lasting as well. And most importantly, you can finally wear your perfume without worrying about being too loud.

Follow our guide to know Does Weather Affect Perfumes?

Does Perfume Dissolve In Water?

No, just perfume itself does not dissolve in water because the basic elements are not soluble in water. Every fragrance is made from an extracted oil, and as we all know, oil doesn’t mix with water. So to make that mixture happen, we use alcohol as a solvent.

Alcohol is the most common solvent to dissolve water with fragrance oil. So, the perfumes can thoroughly mix with the water.

Though ethanol has been commonly used, Arizona Natural Resources lists the following alcohols to be used in fragrances:

Furthermore, alcohol can vaporize and diffuse quickly.

Thus, perfumes can have a cool refreshing sensation on the skin and allow the fragrance to disperse in the air.

And you can have more of your perfume by adding water and alcohol.

Can You Mix Water With Perfume?

Yes, you can mix water with your perfume. But there are few conditions like the water needs to be distilled, and you also need a bit of alcohol. Since water and oil don’t mix, you need help from alcohol to make the mixture. Even after mixing water, the perfumes smell great and last long.

We know water is a natural solvent, but not all substances dissolve in it, like oil.

Since perfumes contain fragrance oils, we cannot directly add water to them.

However, alcohol can just do the trick. Alcohol can easily bind water and perfume oil together.

Adding water with the help of alcohol has benefits as well. As we often look away from buying expensive perfumes.

But if you get a trial size or get your hands on an expensive bottle of perfume, then adding water with alcohol can give you a decent amount of fragrance.

Alcohols help dissolve water with fragrance oils so that they won’t separate. It can give you cheaper versions of many expensive perfumes.

So, you don’t have to be sad about the tiny amount of fragrance that comes in expensive perfume bottles.

The outcomes are pretty great because expensive perfumes are concentrated, so the dissolved solutions are less concentrated.

Nonetheless, the smell will not wash away, and you get a lasting and lovely smelling perfume.

Why Use Distilled Water In Fragrances?

It is essential that you add distilled water and not tap water which contains a ton of germs. Water is an essential ingredient in perfume because it reduces the strength of essential oils.

Since essential oils contribute to the scent of the perfume, they can be very concentrated. So it is required to reduce the concentration of essential oils by using water to get the desired smell.

However, the strength reduction of essential oils is made by mixing a mixture of water and alcohol.

The mixture process is called dilution, an essential process in reducing the concentration of the perfume.

Furthermore, the water must be distilled and not from a tap or other sources.

The tap’s water can contain foreign substances or impurities that could be inadvertently added to the perfume.

The perfume’s quality can be affected if impurities are present in the water.

In a spray, water can intensify the effects of the perfume.

Does Spraying Perfume In a Shower Water Work?

Who doesn’t want to smell nice and refreshing? And showering is the easiest and most effective way to smell great.

However, it is also possible to come out of the shower smelling like your favorite perfume.

All you have to do is add a few drops or sprays of your favorite perfume to the bottom of your shower; this will create sweet-smelling steam.

According to experts, it is better to spray perfumes just after a shower.

Because after a shower, your body is still damp, the moisture can help your perfume lock the scent.

Spraying perfumes right after a shower will last a whole lot longer. So, you can smell fresh and pleasant all day with your favorite perfume.

Also, you don’t have to worry about staining your clothes.

Can You Dilute A Potent Fragrance?

Yes, you can dilute a potent fragrance. Potent fragrances are just strong fragrances, which means that they have very high concentrations. So, diluting a potent fragrance means adding water to it like any other diffusing method. Diluting it can lower down its loud smell.

Since potent fragrance is very high in concentration, adding water to it doesn’t affect its quality.

Also, high concentrated fragrances can often have a too strong smell.
Eau de parfum (EDP) and Eau de toilette (EDT) are very highly concentrated fragrances. They are 85% alcohol diluted in just 15% water.

To know more on EDT check Why Is Perfume Called Toilet Water

High concentrated perfumes are costly because the alcohol level is very high and water very low.

However, even if the manufacturer opts for less water usage in perfumes, you can still dilute it yourself.

It is a misconception that water adds no value to fragrances.

Water can work like magic to the fragrance by increasing the persistence of odors on the skin.

Furthermore, water can slow down the evaporation of alcohol, making the top notes last longer.

Quickly check out our post on Are Chanel Perfumes Worth It?

Happy Sniffing

We love perfumes, but there are aspects of fragrances we should know.

Like diluting water with perfumes, it can make you skeptical at first.

Because pure perfumes, which have less or not at all amount of water, are preferred more.

Whereas water can soften the alcohol, so it is softer on the skin. Water clings to the top notes and gives them a persistence they would not have otherwise.

So, diluting your perfume is not a big deal if you follow my steps. You can easily make your strong-smelling fragrances lighter and also increase the amount.

Now, do share your thoughts and insights in the comment section below.