Frequently Asked Questions

Great question!

Below are some of the primary reasons to choose oils over traditional perfumes:

• Cost - Perfume oils are substantially less expensive than the traditional alcohol-based version.
• Oils last longer on the skin - The scent provided by oils tends to last longer because there is no alcohol to evaporate. It stays on your skin 2 to 3 times longer.
• Less is more - Oils contain a higher percentage of aromatic compounds, therefore a little goes a long way; they are more concentrated. Below are some content averages:
• Uniqueness - A more unique scent as the perfume oils mix with your particular skin chemistry.
• Subtlety - Perfume Oils are more subtle than alcohol-based perfumes.

Aftershave - 1% to 3% aromatic compounds

Eau de Cologne - 2% to 6% aromatic compounds

Eau de Toilette - 5% to 15% aromatic compounds

Eau de Parfum - 10% to 15% aromatic compounds

Perfume Oils - 20% and higher

• Flammability - Due to their alcohol content, traditional perfumes are highly flammable whereas oil-based perfumes are not.
• Portability - Due to the higher concentration levels of oil-based perfumes, smaller carrier containers can be used, which are easier to carry in a purse or a jacket pocket.

"Inspired by" lets you know what alcohol-based perfume the scent in the bottle is closest to. When designing these perfume oils the idea is to create a scent similar to an alcohol-based perfume, but with all the benefits of essential oils.  The scents are slightly off though, especially in the top notes of the scent, which are brighter with alcohol-based perfumes and more muted with oils. Depending on whom you ask, an oil-based perfume might be considered spot-on, while some will admit the scent is better than the alcohol-based version, while others disagree.  A lot of this has to do with the PH level of your skin and of course, your personal preferences.

"Inspired by" also helps you choose the perfume with which to mix our oil-based perfumes. By using both, you can create a truly unique scent with a stronger base note. That, plus your particular skin chemistry will yield a very unique scent that can be "yours only".

ParfumOlio competes with designer brands. We don't use their fragrances nor are we associated with them in any way.  All trademarks are property of their respective owners.  The "Inspired by" statement helps consumers find specific oil-based scents by comparing them to similar alcohol-based products.

We use 1ml, 2ml, 5ml and 10ml bottles. All use either blue or amber glass to protect the oils from light oxidation. We also use stainless steel rollers for the smoothest jam-free application.  Compared to traditional perfumes, these bottle sizes are the perfect size for purses, pockets, gym bags, etc. Our smallest bottles can even fit within a coin pocket in a pair of jeans!

Remember that our perfume oils are alcohol-free so no need to spray in the air and walk into a cloud of perfume. Instead, you can apply it discreetly to your pulse points.  Perfume oils are highly concentrated so a little goes a long way. One pass of the applicator might last several hours, yet you won't see a layer of oil when applied initially. Best to err on the side of caution.

The classic pulse points on which to apply perfume oils include:

• Wrists
• Behind the ears
• Behind the neck
• Collar bones
• Inner elbows
• Behind knees

Perfume oils won't leave a scent cloud as you walk by. Instead, only those physically close to you will smell it, making it a much more personal experience!

It depends on the frequency of application as well as how much you actually apply. Having said that, a bottle of 10ml usually lasts up to 2 months. If you do the math, that's 5ml per month, and about 1ml per week. Assuming you use it daily. If you rotate your perfumes, then obviously they'll each last much longer.

We ship all our orders via USPS since our building is practically next to the Post Office. We use First Class Mail almost exclusively since it's trackable and relatively fast.  We're in the Pacific North West so if you're in the West coast, shipping time is about two days. For those of you on the East coast, it can be up to 4 days. That covers the actual shipping time.

Processing time is 2 to 4 business days, depending on volume, inventory, and various Acts of God (lots of storms out here!). So if you add up the processing time plus the shipping time you'd be looking at an average of 1 week, depending on your location. Of course, this is for the contiguous U.S. only.  Alaska and Hawaii take a couple of days extra. 

International shipments vary widely, depending on the country, the shipper, local Customs, and local carriers. Keep in mind you may have to pay a Customs duty, though with oil perfumes we rarely hear that's the case.

At this time we are not accepting returns due to health and safety reasons. However, we're working on a Quality Assurance seal that would allow us to determine if a bottle has been opened. Once successful testing is complete and we can be sure bottles haven't been opened, we will implement a Return Policy once again. We should have a solution by the end of summer 2022.

Having said that, there are lots of circumstances where you may legitimately need to return an item, including:

• Broken merchandise
• Order errors on our part
• Received wrong item

In those instances, we request that you click on our Returns link (on the bottom of each page) and fill out the online form. We'll get back to you within 24 hours and we'll figure out a way to solve whatever the issue is. We're always willing to help, we just need as much information as possible to arrive at the best solution for you!

Yes!

We do our best to try to ship to every country from which we get an order although on occasion postal regulations get in the way. We may request additional information from you to fill out the export paperwork correctly. Also keep in mind that due to the higher cost of shipping overseas, it may be best to maximize your purchase so that the average cost of shipping per unit is reduced. Purchasing only one item for export can get pricey!

Domestic Orders:

Free Shipping can be applied to domestic (U.S.) orders that total $45 or more. The website will do it automatically which means you won't have to do anything. Simply make sure the sum total of product you order meets or exceeds $45. Your order will ship via standard USPS First Class Mail as do all our domestic orders.

International Orders:

Free Shipping for our International customers is a bit more complicated. Due to the higher shipping costs, we will honor free shipping for orders of $110 or more. At the time of writing the website is not able to issue Free Shipping automatically for international customers. We ask that you contact us via email or via the online form BEFORE you place your order, so that we can make a manual charge for the correct, discounted amount. We're working to automate this process.