Transforming Cologne Oil: A Guide To Making Your Own Mist

Creating your own cologne is a fun and easy way to express your creativity and develop a signature scent. While the process of designing your scent may take some time, the actual production is simple and affordable. All you need is a perfume base, a fragrance oil of your choice, a spray bottle, and a few tools. In this guide, we will walk you through the steps of choosing your fragrance, calculating the correct ratios, and mixing your custom cologne.

Choose your essential oils

The essential oils you choose will make or break your cologne. It's important to select oils that blend well together and result in a scent that you like.

Top, middle, and base notes

Fragrance notes are divided into three classes: top, middle, and base. Top notes are the first scent you'll notice after application, but they also fade the quickest. Base notes, on the other hand, are the slowest to emerge but have the most staying power. Middle notes fall somewhere in between.

When creating your cologne, you'll want to include a mix of all three types of notes. A good starting point is to use approximately 10-15% top notes, 25-30% middle notes, and 55-65% base notes. However, you can always adjust these percentages based on your preferences.

Popular essential oils for men's cologne

While the choice of essential oils will depend on your personal preference, some oils are more commonly used in men's colognes than others. Here are some popular options:

• Bergamot
• Cedarwood
• Sandalwood
• Basil
• Cinnamon
• Dark pepper
• Wild orange
• Lemon
• Cardamom
• Ylang-ylang
• Vetiver
• Lemongrass
• Clove
• White fir
• Copaiba
• Siberian fir
• Juniper
• Cypress
• Pine
• Jasmine
• Rose

Blending essential oils

Not all essential oils will blend well together, so it's important to choose oils that complement each other. You can use a blending wheel of aroma categories to help guide your selections. Here are some examples of essential oil aroma categories:

• Citrus aromas: bergamot, orange, lime, and lemongrass
• Herbal aromas: fennel, spearmint, camphor, and clary sage
• Resin aromas: frankincense, balsam fir needle, and myrrh
• Spice aromas: clove, black pepper, nutmeg, ginger, and cardamom
• Woodland aromas: cedarwood, juniper, eucalyptus, cypress, and pine
• Floral aromas: Roman chamomile and neroli
• Exotic aromas: ylang-ylang, sandalwood, and vetiver

Tips for creating your blend

• Use no more than 30 drops of essential oils in total for a 10ml bottle.
• If one scent is much stronger than the rest, use less of it.
• Allow your fragrance to sit for at least 48 hours so that the scents can fully infuse.
• If you're using a spray bottle, add two tablespoons of distilled water and five drops of glycerin to help the fragrance stick to your skin.

Understand fragrance notes

Understanding fragrance notes is key to mastering the art of creating and choosing fragrances. Fragrance notes are like the individual colours on an artist's palette, each contributing something unique to the final composition. They are the building blocks of a fragrance and are carefully selected by perfumers to create a unified, pleasing perfume.

Fragrance notes are typically classified into three main types: top notes, heart or 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 beautiful, unified scent. Here's a breakdown of each type of fragrance note:

Top Notes

Top notes, also known as head or opening notes, are the first impression of a fragrance. They are the scents you detect immediately after spraying or applying a perfume. Top notes are usually light and volatile, lasting only 5 to 15 minutes. Their main purpose is to give off an initial scent and then smoothly transition into the next part of the fragrance. Common top notes include citrus elements such as bergamot, lemon, and orange zest, light fruits like anise, berries, and grapefruit, and fresh herbs such as basil, sage, and lavender.

Heart/Middle Notes

Heart notes, also known as middle notes, lie at the heart of the fragrance. They form the foundation of the scent and typically make up around 40-80% of the final fragrance. Heart notes start to appear just before the top notes fade away and strongly influence the base notes. These notes are well-rounded and pleasant, with common examples including cinnamon, rose, ylang-ylang, lemongrass, and neroli. Heart notes typically last for about 2 to 5 hours.

Base Notes

Base notes are the final layer of a fragrance and are often rich, smooth, and long-lasting. They start to shine through once the top notes have completely evaporated and blend with the heart notes to add depth and complexity to the fragrance. Common base notes include woody scents like cedarwood and sandalwood, as well as musk, vanilla, patchouli, and amber. Base notes are the longest-lasting part of a fragrance, with scents that can linger for 6 hours or more.

Fragrance Families

In addition to the three main note categories, fragrance notes can be grouped into fragrance families based on their common characteristics. The main fragrance families include:

• Fresh: These fragrances typically feature citrus, water, and green notes, creating refreshing, zesty, and vibrant scents.
• Floral: Any fragrance with a sweet and flowery scent falls into this family, using notes such as roses, jasmine, lilies, and peonies.
• Oriental: Oriental fragrances are warm, sweet, and sometimes spicy. They often feature notes like cardamom, cinnamon, vanilla, jasmine, orchid, and orange blossom.
• Woody: Woody fragrances are warm, mysterious, and captivating, often featuring wood-based smells like cedarwood, sandalwood, vetiver, and amber.

Choosing Fragrances

When choosing a fragrance, it's important to consider not only the top notes but also the heart and base notes to fully understand the scent. Experimenting with single-note fragrances, creating a fragrance notes chart, and paying attention to base notes and concentration levels can help guide your exploration of different perfumes. Sampling fragrances before purchasing is also key to finding the perfect scent for your preferences.

Blend the oils

Blending the oils is the fun part of making your own cologne!

First, you'll need to select your essential oils. Choose oils that blend well together and complement each other. For example, base notes like sandalwood, tonka bean, violet leaf, and vanilla blend well with middle notes like geranium, ylang-ylang, rose, and lotus flower. You can then top this formula off with lavender, neroli, magnolia, or mandarin.

Once you've chosen your oils, it's time to start mixing. Remember, not all notes go together, so this is where trial and error come into play. Start by adding a few drops of oil (one by one) and mixing them together. If one scent is much stronger than the rest, use less. In total, you shouldn't need more than 30 drops.

After you've found your desired formula, add two ounces of alcohol. This will help to preserve your cologne and give it a longer shelf life.

Now, let your cologne sit and brew. It's important to give the fragrance time to develop and mature. Leave it for at least 48 hours, and if you can, refrigerate it for two weeks. This will help the molecules mix and create a more complex scent.

Finally, you can dilute your cologne and prepare it for use. In a spray bottle, add two tablespoons of distilled water and five drops of glycerin. Then, slowly and carefully, swirl in your cologne mixture. And that's it! You've created your own signature scent.

Add alcohol

Adding Alcohol to Your Cologne

Alcohol is a key ingredient in cologne as it helps to dilute the essential oils, making the fragrance more suitable for use on the skin. It also helps to disperse the oils and makes the cologne last longer and more intense.

Choosing the Right Alcohol

You can use perfumer's alcohol, pure grain alcohol, or Everclear for your cologne. Alternatively, you can use rubbing alcohol or vodka, but be aware that using alcohol can dry out the skin over time.

Amount of Alcohol to Use

The amount of alcohol you need will depend on the total amount of cologne you wish to make and the desired fragrance load. For example, if you are making a 2.5 oz bottle of cologne with a 15.44% fragrance load, you will need 0.38 oz of fragrance oil and 2.12 oz of alcohol (or perfume base).

Mixing the Alcohol and Fragrance

Once you have measured out the correct amount of alcohol, you can add the fragrance oil. Stir the mixture slowly, ensuring that the oils are thoroughly dispersed. Then, leave the mixture to mature for around three weeks. After this time, filter the cologne through a coffee filter to remove any sediment, and pour it into a glass bottle.

Tips

• You can also add a few drops of glycerin to help the cologne stick to your skin.
• Allow the fragrance to brew and sit for 48 hours and then refrigerate for two weeks before shaking it up.
• Store your cologne in a cool, dark place for best results.

Dilute the cologne

Diluting cologne is a simple process, but it does require some basic equipment and ingredients. Here is a step-by-step guide to diluting your cologne:

Step 1: Gather Your Supplies

First, you will need to gather the necessary supplies and ingredients. These include:

• Cologne or fragrance oil of your choice
• A glass spray bottle or container
• Perfumer's alcohol or an alternative such as witch hazel, vodka, or rubbing alcohol
• Glycerin, preferably vegetable glycerin
• A measuring tool, such as a digital scale or measuring spoons/cups
• A funnel
• A stirrer or whisk

Step 2: Choose Your Fragrance Oil

The type of fragrance oil you choose will depend on your personal preference. You can select from a variety of scents, including woody, earthy, spicy, or citrus notes. Popular choices include sandalwood, cedarwood, bergamot, and lime. It's important to consider the fragrance notes, which consist of top notes (initial scent), middle notes (heart of the fragrance), and base notes (longest-lasting scent).

Step 3: Calculate the Fragrance Load

To create a true cologne, you will need to use a fragrance load of 2-4%. This means that for every ounce of cologne, you will need 0.02 to 0.04 ounces of fragrance oil. For example, if you are making a 2.5-ounce bottle of cologne, you will need between 0.05 and 0.1 ounces of fragrance oil.

Step 4: Mix the Ingredients

Once you have calculated the amount of fragrance oil needed, it's time to mix the ingredients. Start by pouring the desired amount of perfumer's alcohol or alternative into your glass spray bottle or container. Then, add the calculated amount of fragrance oil. You can use a plastic pipette or dropper to neatly transfer the oil. Stir the mixture gently with a whisk to combine the ingredients thoroughly.

Step 5: Add Glycerin and Mix Again

Glycerin, such as vegetable glycerin, can be added to your cologne mixture to help extend its shelf life and improve its adhesion to the skin. Add a small amount of glycerin, typically a few drops or a fraction of a teaspoon, to the mixture and stir or shake well to combine.

Step 6: Pour into Spray Bottle and Store

Finally, pour your diluted cologne into a spray bottle for easy application. You can use a funnel to avoid spills. Store your cologne in a cool, dark place, and it should be ready to use!

Frequently asked questions