Creating Cologne: A Guide To Making Your Own Fragrance Spray

Making your own cologne is a fun way to create a bespoke scent that expresses your personality. It's also a great way to ensure you're using natural ingredients that are safe for your skin. In this guide, we'll teach you how to make a cologne spray with essential oils, alcohol, and other simple ingredients. We'll cover everything from choosing the right fragrance notes to mixing and bottling your unique cologne. So get ready to impress your friends with your one-of-a-kind scent!

Choosing a fragrance

The fragrance you choose for your cologne is arguably the most important part of the process. It's what will make your cologne unique to you and what will make it memorable to others.

Understanding the Fragrance Scale

Carina Chaz, the founder and formulator of DedCool, says it's important to "understand the fragrance scale" when blending your formula. Fragrances are typically made up of three notes: top, middle, and base. The top note is the first scent you'll smell and it will fade the quickest. The middle note appears once the top note dries down, and the base note is the fragrance's foundation. According to Chaz, a good starting point for beginners is to use a ratio of 60% base notes, 30% middle notes, and 10% top notes. However, you can experiment and adjust the ratios to create a formula that works for you.

Choosing Your Essential Oils

There are many essential oils to choose from, so it can be difficult to pick a favourite. If you prefer woody, slightly sweet scents, you might like cedarwood. If you're more into romantic florals, try jasmine, rose, or ylang-ylang. Remember that the final result will likely be more diluted and muted than the initial scent of the oil.

Blending the Essential Oils

Now comes the fun part: mixing and matching different oils to find a combination that you like. Not all notes will go together, so this is where trial and error come into play. Start by dropping a few oils one by one and mixing them together. You can also follow pre-existing recipes for inspiration. Once you have your desired formula, add two ounces of alcohol.

Allowing the Fragrance to Brew

After blending, your fragrance will need time to compose. Allow it to brew and sit for at least 48 hours. You can also refrigerate it for two weeks and then shake it up so that the molecules can mix.

Understanding Fragrance Families and Seasonality

Different fragrances are more suitable for different times of the year. For example, warming tobacco, leather, or spice fragrances are ideal for winter, while green and aquatic notes are perfect for summer. Similarly, patchouli, musk, and vanilla are great for fall, and floral or citrus scents are typical for spring. You can use resources like Michael Edwards' Fragrance Wheel or Edwards' Fragrances of the World website to explore different fragrance families and discover new scents.

Knowing the Classics

Knowing the classic scents can provide a helpful framework for picking your own fragrance. These include fragrances like Yves Saint Laurent Jazz and Tom Ford's Fougère d'Argent.

Weighing Mass Appeal Against Niche

If you choose a mass-market fragrance, you might end up smelling like someone else. However, these fragrances are typically safer and more universally liked. Niche fragrances, on the other hand, are more unique and bold, but they may not appeal to everyone. They also tend to be more expensive due to the use of costly natural ingredients.

Considering Your Motives

What is your goal with your signature scent? How do you want it to impress others? These are important questions to ask yourself when choosing a fragrance. It might be helpful to have more than one go-to scent to express different sides of your personality or suit different occasions.

Understanding fragrance notes

Top notes are the initial scents detected after spraying a perfume. They are usually lighter and smaller molecules that evaporate quickly, lingering for only the first five to fifteen minutes. Common top notes include citrus scents like lemon, orange, and bergamot, as well as light floral scents such as lavender and rose. Top notes create the first impression of a fragrance and shape its story.

Middle notes make up the "heart" of the fragrance. They emerge as the top notes fade, retaining some of the initial aroma while introducing new scents to deepen the experience. Middle notes typically include full-bodied, aromatic floral oils like jasmine, geranium, neroli, and ylang-ylang, as well as spices such as cinnamon, pepper, and cardamom. These notes have a more prolonged presence than top notes and create a sustained aromatic experience.

Base notes, along with middle notes, form the foundation of the fragrance. They are rich, heavy, and long-lasting, kicking in about 30 minutes after application. Popular base notes include vanilla, amber, musk, patchouli, moss, and woody notes like sandalwood and cedarwood. These notes sink into the skin and their scent lingers the longest, lasting for six hours or more.

When creating a cologne, it is important to understand the fragrance scale and the ratios of each type of note. A basic pyramid accord recommends 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.

Selecting essential oils

Understanding Fragrance Notes:

Fragrance notes refer to the different layers of scents in a cologne, which unfold over time. These notes work together to create a well-structured and appealing cologne. The three types of fragrance notes are:

• Top Notes: These are the first scents you notice after applying the cologne, and they tend to be the strongest and most volatile. Examples include citrus oils like bergamot and lime.
• Middle Notes: Middle notes blend the scents together and provide a bridge between the top and base notes. Examples include bay, sandalwood, and ylang-ylang.
• Base Notes: These are the longest-lasting scents and form the foundation of the cologne. Examples include cedarwood, frankincense, and vanilla.

When creating your cologne, it's important to play around with different ratios of these notes to find the perfect balance. A suggested starting point is 10-15% top notes, 25-30% middle notes, and 55-65% base notes. However, feel free to experiment and adjust as needed.

Choosing Essential Oils for Masculine Scents:

If you're creating a cologne for men, certain essential oils are more commonly associated with masculine scents. These include earthy, woodsy, spicy, and citrus essential oils. Here are some specific examples:

• Wild Orange (Top Note): Provides a refreshing and uplifting scent.
• Sandalwood (Middle Note): Adds a warm and woody aroma.
• Frankincense (Base Note): Offers a deep and earthy fragrance.
• Cedarwood (Base Note): Gives a grounding and calming effect.
• Vetiver (Base Note): Blends beautifully with citrus notes for an earthy twist.
• Lemongrass (Top Note): Adds a refreshing and invigorating touch.
• Basil (Middle Note): Brings a herbal and slightly spicy fragrance.
• Douglas Fir (Base Note): Contributes a woody and coniferous scent.
• Bergamot (Top Note): Often referred to as the "happy oil," it adds a bright and citrusy note.
• Lemon (Top Note): Provides a crisp and uplifting aroma.
• Cardamom (Middle Note): Adds a spicy and refreshing twist.
• Clove (Middle Note): Offers a warm and slightly sweet fragrance.
• White Fir (Base Note): Brings a woody and coniferous element.

Blending Essential Oils:

When blending essential oils, it's important to consider their aroma categories to ensure they complement each other. Here are some common aroma categories and examples of essential oils within each category:

• Citrus Aromas: Bergamot, Orange, Lime, Lemongrass.
• Herbal Aromas: Fennel, Spearmint, Camphor, Clary Sage.
• Resin Aromas: Frankincense, Balsam Fir Needle, Myrrh.
• Spice Aromas: Clove, Black Pepper, Nutmeg, Ginger, Cardamom.
• Woodland Aromas: Cedarwood, Juniper, Eucalyptus, Cypress, Pine.
• Floral Aromas: Roman Chamomile, Neroli.
• Exotic Aromas: Ylang-Ylang, Sandalwood, Vetiver.

By choosing essential oils from different aroma categories and experimenting with different combinations, you can create unique and appealing cologne blends.

Remember, the key to selecting essential oils for your cologne is to trust your senses, experiment with different combinations, and adjust the ratios to find the perfect balance for your unique fragrance.

Mixing the oils

When mixing the oils for your cologne, it's important to understand the fragrance scale. The top notes are the first thing you'll smell, but they also fade the fastest. The middle notes are what you smell next and make up the main body of the perfume. Finally, the base notes are usually deeper, more "manly" or musky scents, and they help extend the middle notes.

When blending your oils, it's recommended to use a ratio of 60% base notes, 30% middle notes, and 10% top notes. However, you can experiment with different ratios to find what works best for the type of profile you're trying to create. For example, another suggested ratio is 10-15% top notes, 25-30% middle notes, and 55-65% base notes.

For a cologne with a masculine scent, you could try using essential oils such as wild orange, sandalwood, and frankincense. Alternatively, for a romantic, floral fragrance, you could opt for jasmine, rose, or ylang-ylang. If you're looking for a woodsy or herbal scent, cedarwood is a great option.

Once you've chosen your essential oils, it's time to start mixing. Add a few drops of each oil to your mixture one by one, remembering that not all notes will go together. This is where the trial and error comes into play. In total, you shouldn't need more than 30 drops. If one scent is much stronger than the others, use less of it.

After you've achieved your desired formula, add two ounces of alcohol to the mixture. You can then leave the fragrance to sit for 48 hours or even refrigerate it for two weeks to allow the molecules to mix.

Storing the cologne

Storing your cologne correctly is essential to ensure that it stays fresh and retains its scent. Here are some detailed tips on how to store your cologne:

Use the Right Container

It is important to use glass bottles when making or storing anything with essential oils. Amber or dark-coloured glass bottles are ideal as they help keep the oil blend safe from direct sunlight, preserving the cologne for longer.

Keep it Sealed

Make sure to always keep the cap on your cologne bottle when not in use. Oxygen is perfume's worst enemy, and leaving the cap off can start to ruin the mixture, causing it to evaporate and lose its scent.

Store in a Cool, Dark Place

Direct sunlight and heat can quickly degrade your cologne, altering its chemical composition and even melting plastic bottles. Store your cologne in a cool, dark place, such as a closet or drawer, away from direct sunlight and heat sources.

Avoid Humidity

Humidity can negatively affect the quality of your cologne, so avoid storing it in humid areas like bathrooms. Instead, opt for a dry room, such as a bedroom, or use a dehumidifier to keep the humidity levels low.

Maintain a Consistent Temperature

Extreme temperature fluctuations can also damage your cologne. Avoid storing it in the refrigerator, as the constant temperature changes can be harmful. Instead, store it in a place with a consistent, cool temperature, ideally around 60 degrees Fahrenheit.

Use Travel Containers

When travelling, transfer your cologne to smaller, travel-friendly containers. This will reduce the risk of losing or damaging your entire bottle of cologne while on the move.

Frequently asked questions