Creating A Cologne: A Beginner's Guide To Fragrance Making

Creating a cologne is an art form that requires knowledge of fragrance notes, essential oils, and the right ingredients. It involves blending different scents to create a unique and appealing fragrance. While it may seem daunting, making your own cologne can be a rewarding experience, allowing you to design a signature scent that expresses your individuality. In this guide, we will explore the steps and techniques to help you craft your own cologne at home.

Choosing your essential oils

Choosing the right essential oils is a crucial step in creating a cologne. The oils you select will depend on the type of scent you want to create. Do you want something woody and slightly sweet, or are you looking for romantic floral fragrances? Perhaps you want something citrusy and refreshing. The options are endless, but here are some popular choices for each category to help you get started:

Top Notes

Top notes are the first scents you notice in a fragrance, but they also fade the fastest. Some popular top notes include:

• Wild Orange
• Bergamot
• Lemon
• Basil
• Grapefruit
• Lavender
• Rosemary
• Mint

Middle Notes

Middle notes are the heart of the fragrance and often the most prominent. These scents help blend the top and base notes together. Some options for middle notes are:

• Sandalwood
• Cardamom
• Ylang Ylang
• Jasmine
• Rose
• Geranium
• Lotus Flower

Base Notes

Base notes are the scents that linger the longest and provide the foundation for the fragrance. Some popular base notes include:

• Cedarwood
• Vetiver
• Frankincense
• Vanilla
• Tonka Bean
• Violet Leaf
• Pine

When choosing your essential oils, it's important to consider the ratios of each type of note. A typical fragrance might use a ratio of 20% base notes, 50% middle notes, and 30% top notes. However, you can experiment with different ratios to find the perfect blend for your unique cologne.

Additionally, keep in mind that the scent of the essential oils will be diluted and blended in the final product, so the cologne's scent may be different from the individual scents of the essential oils.

Now, let's move on to the next step, blending your chosen essential oils!

Blending the oils

For a 2-ounce spray bottle, you can use 4 drops of wild orange (top note), 6 drops of sandalwood (middle note), and 10 drops of frankincense (base note). Alternatively, you can use 3 drops of lemon (top note), 4 drops of cardamom (middle note), 4 drops of ylang-ylang (middle note), and 6 drops of vetiver (base note).

If you're making a roller bottle cologne, reduce each oil by 1-2 drops. For a 10ml roller bottle, you can use 2 drops of wild orange, 6 drops of sandalwood, and 8 drops of frankincense.

When blending the oils, remember that not all notes go together, so you'll need to experiment. It's recommended to use no more than 30 drops in total, and if one scent is much stronger than the rest, use less. Once you have your desired formula, add 2 ounces of alcohol.

Base notes like sandalwood, tonka bean, violet leaf, and vanilla blend well with middle notes like geranium, ylang-ylang, rose, and lotus flower. Top this formula off with lavender, neroli, magnolia, and mandarin.

Now, let the fragrance brew and sit for 48 hours. It's also a good idea to refrigerate it for two weeks, and then shake it up so that the molecules can mix.

Aging the cologne

Aging, or "maturation", is a crucial step in creating a harmonious and well-rounded cologne. This process allows the various ingredients to meld and interact with each other, resulting in a more balanced and refined fragrance. The longer the maturation period, the smoother and more pleasant the cologne can become. Here are the steps to properly age and store your cologne:

Step 1: Combine the Fragrance and Alcohol

After blending your chosen essential oils, combine them with alcohol, typically ethanol, which acts as a carrier for the scent. The ratio of oils to alcohol can vary, but a standard guideline is to use about 15-30% oils and 70-85% alcohol.

Step 2: Store in a Cool, Dark Place

Store the mixture in a cool, dark place, such as a cellar or wardrobe, for at least a couple of weeks. Ideal temperatures for maturation are between 60-65°F (15-18°C), with a humidity level of around 70%. Shake the mixture once every few days to ensure the different aromas blend together. This process allows the volatile top notes to lose intensity while the heart and base notes become more prominent.

Step 3: Add Water (Optional)

After the resting period, you may add a small amount of water (about 5-10% of the total volume) to your cologne to mellow out the strength of the alcohol. This step is optional but can help create a smoother, more well-rounded scent.

Step 4: Patience is Key

The key to successful maturation is patience. Allow your cologne to rest and develop over time. Fragrance aficionados suggest that the longer a perfume ages, the more complex and harmonious it becomes. Some perfumes may take months or even years to reach their aromatic peak.

Step 5: Check Periodically

During the maturation process, periodically check the fragrance by assessing its colour, scent, and flavour profile. This will help you ensure that it is maturing as intended and allow you to make any necessary adjustments.

Step 6: Store for Long-Term Ageing

Once your cologne is ready, store it in optimal conditions to prolong its life. Keep it in a cool, dry place, away from direct sunlight and extreme temperatures. Avoid storing it in areas with high humidity, such as the bathroom. Keep the bottle tightly capped to prevent evaporation and consider using a decorative box or case to protect it from light and air.

Step 7: Rotate and Use Your Collection

Rotate your cologne collection and use older bottles before opening new ones to prevent spoilage. You may also want to invest in a cologne fridge to maintain optimal storage conditions and prolong the life of your fragrances.

Diluting the cologne

Diluting your cologne is an important step in the perfume-making process. Firstly, it is important to note that diluting your cologne is necessary if you are making an alcohol-based perfume spray. If you are making an oil-based fragrance, diluting in a carrier oil is fine, but this will not give you the full profile of the material for evaluation purposes.

What to Dilute Your Cologne In

There are several options for what to dilute your cologne in. Firstly, you can use perfumers' alcohol. This is a good option if you are making an alcohol-based fragrance and want to evaluate the odour profile of your materials. However, if you dilute your cologne in perfumers' alcohol, you will not be able to add these dilutions to other bases such as candles, creams, detergents, or oils.

Another option is Di Propylene Glycol (DPG). This is a solvent commonly used in the fragrance industry to dilute otherwise insoluble materials. DPG is more commonly used than perfumers' alcohol as it can be used in bases other than alcoholic fragrances. However, it is derived from petrochemicals, so it is not suitable for natural perfumery.

Finally, you can use other perfumery materials such as benzyl benzoate and benzyl alcohol to aid the blending of hard-to-work-with materials. However, these are aromachemicals, which restricts their use for natural perfumers.

How to Dilute Your Cologne

When diluting your cologne, it is important to use a scale rather than drops to ensure an accurate and repeatable formula. For a 10% dilution, you will need 1g of material and 9g of diluent (alcohol or DPG) for every 10g of cologne. For a 1% dilution, you will need 0.1g of material and 9.9g of diluent for every 10g of cologne.

Some materials may need to be gently heated to mobilise before they can be diluted. This can be done using a water bath or an electric leg wax melter.

When Not to Dilute Your Cologne

There are a few cases in which you should not dilute your cologne. Firstly, if you are making a batch of cream, detergent, candle, or soap, you should not dilute your cologne in perfumers' alcohol as it will not be compatible with these bases. In this case, you can either use dilutions in DPG or use neat cologne.

Secondly, you don't want to dilute all your materials as you may need to keep some to use neat.

Tips for Diluting Your Cologne

• Experiment with different dilution ratios to find the one that works best for your particular cologne.
• If you are diluting a strong fragrance, start with a small amount of cologne and add more as needed.
• Always follow safety guidelines when working with chemicals and diluents.

Storing the cologne

Storing your cologne correctly is an important step in the process of making your own fragrance. There are a few things to consider to ensure your cologne lasts as long as possible and doesn't lose its potency.

Firstly, it is important to use glass bottles when making anything with essential oils. Glass is less likely to react with the oils and can be easily cleaned and sterilised. Using an amber or dark-coloured glass bottle will also help to avoid the chance of the essential oils losing their potency, as light can cause this to happen over time.

Secondly, storing your cologne in a cool, dark place is essential. Keeping your fragrance away from direct sunlight or heat sources will help maintain its quality. The ideal storage temperature is around 20°C, so a cupboard or drawer is a good option. You can also wrap your bottle in aluminium foil to block out any light.

The length of time you store your cologne will depend on the ingredients used and the desired strength of the scent. It is recommended to store your cologne for a minimum of two days to allow the fragrances to mingle, and a maximum of 30 days. The longer you store it, the stronger the scent will become. However, be aware that the type of alcohol used can affect this; for example, using vodka may require a shorter storage time.

Finally, if you have made a large batch of cologne, it is a good idea to use a small tester bottle to test the fragrance over time. This will allow you to check the potency and ensure it is developing as desired without having to open the main bottle frequently, which can expose the fragrance to light and air.

By following these simple storage tips, you can ensure your homemade cologne lasts for as long as possible and maintains its unique scent.

Frequently asked questions