How to Make a Cologne: Procedures & Ingredients
A cologne or cologne water blends oil extracts, alcohol and other fillers into a light-scented fragrance. Although ancient cultures made perfumes, the origin of cologne or cologne water dates back to the 1700s. Colognes contain lower concentrations of essential oils by volume than perfumes. Many people interested in the ancient art of perfumery make their own customized blends of fragrances. Through experimentation, they can create unique colognes. By following certain procedures and using some simple ingredients, you too can make a homemade cologne.
Things You'll Need
- Paper towels
- Glass bottle with airtight cap
- Small funnel
- Measuring cups
- Plastic cups
- 1 cup vodka or rubbing alcohol (your choice)
- ½ cup distilled water
- Essential oils (your choice)
- 1 oz. glycerin
- Eyedropper
Instructions
-
-
1
Sterilize the bottle and cap by cleaning them thoroughly in hot water. Dry the bottle and cap with paper towels.
-
2
Place some paper towels on a table. Situate the bottle on the paper towel and place the funnel into the bottle top. Measure out all the liquid ingredients into plastic cups.
-
-
3
Pour the pre-measured water, glycerin and vodka or rubbing alcohol into the bottle. Glycerin is a fixative or stabilizing agent that can preserve the cologne fragrance for a longer time. Use unscented rubbing alcohol that is 70 percent ethyl alcohol.
-
4
Choose the fragrance of the cologne by experimenting with different blends of essential oils. Use the eye dropper to place some drops of different oils onto the paper towel. Smell the paper and select the blend of essential oils that is most agreeable to you.
-
5
With the eyedropper, add five drops of each selected essential oils to the liquid contents in the bottle. Put the cap on the bottle, stir to blend the cologne ingredients and reopen.
-
6
Smell the contents of the bottle to check the fragrance. Add a few more drops of the essential oils if you desire a stronger scented cologne. Conversely, add a little more water if the scent is too strong. Recap the bottle.
-
7
Allow the freshly prepared cologne mixture to rest in a location that is preferably cool and dark. Leave it there for approximately two weeks. Shake the mixture gently before using your homemade cologne.
-
1
Tips & Warnings
Perfume derivatives are generally classified into four types that are Parfum, Eau de Parfum, Eau de Toilette and Eau de Cologne. Eau de Cologne or cologne has the lowest concentration of perfume oils (see the Resource section).
There are many other recipes for different types of cologne water (see the Resource section)
To make a custom cologne with a citrus scent, try a combination of orange and lemon essential oils. Use the same procedure outlined in this tutorial to make the cologne.
Before using the cologne, check for allergic reactions by testing on small area of the skin.
