Creating Cologne: Fragrance Oil Magic

Creating cologne from fragrance oils is a fun and experimental process. It involves blending different oils to create a unique scent. The first step is to understand the fragrance scale, which consists of top, middle, and base notes. Top notes are the initial scents that quickly evaporate, middle notes create the core of the scent, and base notes complement the other notes and linger. The ratio of these notes is important, with some recommending a ratio of 60% base notes, 30% middle notes, and 10% top notes, while others suggest 20% base, 50% middle, and 30% top. It's then time to choose your essential oils, with popular options including woody scents like cedarwood and sweet, romantic florals like jasmine and rose. Once you've chosen your oils, you can start blending them together, adding alcohol, and allowing the fragrance to sit for a few days to compose. You can then dilute the fragrance by adding distilled water and glycerin, and your bespoke cologne is ready!

Choose your essential oils

The fun part about making your own cologne is that you can choose the scents that appeal to you. There are so many options when it comes to essential oils, from woody and sweet to romantic florals. Remember that the final result will likely be more muted than the first whiff of a single scent, as the oils will be diluted and blended.

Top notes

Top notes are the first scents you smell and they quickly evaporate. Examples include lime, bergamot, juniper, wild orange, and lemon.

Middle notes

Middle notes tend to be mellow and create the core of the scent. Examples include pine, cypress, stress away, sandalwood, cardamom, and ylang-ylang.

Base notes

Base notes ground and complement the other notes and are the scents that linger. Examples include cedarwood, patchouli, sandalwood, frankincense, vetiver, and clove.

Masculine essential oil blends

You can blend essential oils to make customised colognes. For a more masculine scent, stick to earthy, woodsy, spicy, and citrus essential oils. Here are some blends to get you started:

• Daytime blend: 4 drops of wild orange (top note), 6 drops of sandalwood (middle note), and 10 drops of frankincense (base note).
• Night-out blend: 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).
• Outdoor blend: 3 drops of lemongrass (top note), 3 drops of basil (middle note), 4 drops of cedarwood (base note), and 6 drops of Douglas fir (base note).
• Citrus spice blend: 2 drops of bergamot (top note), 3 drops of lemon (top note), 6 drops of clove (middle note), and 8 drops of white fir (base note).
• Stress-reducing blend: 4 drops of lemongrass (top note), 6 drops of copaiba (middle note), and 8 drops of frankincense (base note).

Understand fragrance notes

Understanding fragrance notes is key to making cologne from fragrance oil. Fragrance notes are the individual scent layers that make up a fragrance, and they are typically categorized into three main types: top notes, heart/middle notes, and base notes. Each note has a specific role in the fragrance's development and longevity, and they work together to create a unified, pleasing perfume.

Top notes are the initial scents you smell when you spray a perfume. They are usually light and uplifting, with common examples including citrus scents like lemon, orange, and bergamot, as well as light floral scents like lavender and rose. Top notes evaporate quickly, lingering for only the first five to twenty minutes.

Heart or middle notes form the "heart" of the fragrance and make up around 65-70% of the overall scent. They retain some of the top notes' aroma while introducing new scents to deepen the experience. Heart notes include full-bodied, aromatic floral oils like jasmine, geranium, neroli, and ylang-ylang, as well as spices like cinnamon, pepper, and cardamom.

Base notes are rich, heavy, and long-lasting. They kick in about 30 minutes after application and work together with the middle notes to create the fragrance's scent. Popular base notes include vanilla, amber, musk, patchouli, moss, and woody notes like sandalwood and cedarwood. These notes sink into your skin and can last for six hours or more.

When creating your own cologne, it's important to understand the fragrance scale and the ratios of each type of note. A typical fragrance consists of 60% base notes, 30% middle notes, and 10% top notes. However, you can experiment with different ratios to find the formula that works best for the type of profile you want to create.

When choosing your essential oils, consider the scent you want to achieve. For a woody, slightly sweet scent, you might use cedarwood. If you prefer romantic florals, try jasmine, rose, or ylang-ylang. Remember that the final result will likely be more muted than the initial scent of the oil.

Blend the oils

Blending the oils is the fun part of the process. It's time to start playing around with different combinations. Remember, not all notes will go well together; this is where the trial and error comes into play. Drop a few oils (one by one) and start mixing. It is 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 two ounces of alcohol.

According to Matthew Milèo, a chemist, former in-house nose for Chanel, and founder of Milèo New York, 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, and your fragrance is worthy of signature scent status.

If you want to create a masculine scent, you can use a blend of essential oils like bay, lime, bergamot, and cedarwood. Bay essential oil has a masculine, sweet but spicy odour with uplifting properties that can help you feel less stressed and more relaxed. It is a middle note that comes through just after the citrusy lime and bergamot aroma, followed by the deep and woody cedarwood. The lime essential oil brings a sharp freshness to the homemade cologne, it’s the first thing you are going to smell in this cologne, and it mixes brilliantly with the bergamot, which is also a citrus oil. Lemony bergamot is often referred to as the happy oil and will be the second top note in the cologne. Cedarwood is one of the oldest essential oils used in perfumery. It’s a very grounding oil that combines beautifully with the lime and bergamot citrus notes in this cologne by providing a warm tone.

If you want to create a more feminine scent, you can use essential oils like jasmine, rose, or ylang-ylang.

Add alcohol

Adding alcohol is a crucial step in making cologne from fragrance oil. The type of alcohol you use can significantly impact the final product's scent, clarity, and effectiveness. Here is a detailed guide on adding alcohol to your cologne-making process:

Choosing the Right Alcohol

The first step is to select the appropriate alcohol for your cologne. The most commonly used alcohol in perfumery is ethanol, also known as grain alcohol. However, obtaining pure ethanol can be challenging due to strict regulations. An alternative is to use special denatured alcohol (SDA), which has additives that make it undrinkable. Even if you can't find SDA, there are other options, such as Everclear, a high-proof grain alcohol product containing 95% alcohol. If these options are not available to you, you can use 100-proof vodka, although it is not ideal as it contains only 50% alcohol.

Combining Alcohol and Fragrance Oil

Once you have your alcohol, it's time to combine it with your fragrance oil. The ratio of alcohol to oil will depend on the concentration of your desired cologne. For example, perfume typically has a 30% concentration of fragrance oil, while cologne has a concentration of 5%. The remaining percentage is made up of alcohol and water or a carrier oil. When using vodka, keep in mind that the non-alcohol part serves as water, so your water-to-alcohol ratio will always be at least 50:50.

Mixing and Maturity

After combining the alcohol and fragrance oil, mix them slowly but thoroughly to ensure complete dispersal. Then, let the mixture mature. The longer it sits, the stronger your cologne will be. A general guideline is to let it sit for at least 48 hours, but you can also let it mature for up to six weeks. During this time, some of the oil may separate and float to the top, so remember to stir the mixture slowly and completely every 24 hours.

Adjusting Strength and Adding Water

After the maturation period, you can adjust the strength of your cologne by adding more water and mixing well. This step is especially important if you used vodka, as the high water content will result in oil floating to the top. Therefore, you will need to shake the mixture before each use.

Additional Tips

When creating your cologne, remember that fragrance is about perception, and presentation is just as important as the scent itself. Choose a fancy spray bottle or elegant atomizer to showcase your unique cologne. Additionally, if you want your cologne to last longer and stick to your skin, consider adding glycerin, a substance similar to vegetable oil.

Dilute the fragrance

Diluting the fragrance is the final step in making cologne from fragrance oil. Before you get to this stage, you will have already chosen your essential oils, blended them, and added alcohol.

Diluting the cologne is a simple process. First, you will need to add two tablespoons of distilled water to a spray bottle. Then, add five drops of glycerin. Finally, swirl in your bespoke fragrance mixture slowly and carefully.

Your cologne is now ready to use.

Frequently asked questions