If you want to make your presence in a room memorable and remarkable, you need a signature scent. And what’s a better way to define your scent footprint than with a DIY cologne formula you manufactured yourself? This way, you can express your creative side with a flavor profile that reflects your personality.
And when it comes to scents, there’s nothing as refreshingly authentic and masculine about a woody scent. Influenced by nature, these fragrances offer more depth and a whole lot of character. Sandalwood is an excellent woody scent that can offer a man a creamy, soft, and subtle fragrance. Choose sandalwood if you don’t want your olfactory footprint to be too overpowering.
How to Make Your Own Cologne
Making your own cologne using only all-natural ingredients is a fun activity. When you make your own scent, you brew something that’s unique so that you won’t smell like other people. Also, using natural ingredients like essential oils makes it safe and also beneficial for you.
Conventional, store-bought cologne is mostly made of synthetic fragrances and chemicals, which can contain carcinogens, environmental toxins, respiratory irritants, and more. If you want to avoid these, make your own cologne using natural ingredients.
Here’s what you need to do to make your own cologne:
1. Learn the fragrance scale.
It’s essential to understand the fragrance scale when blending your formula. The fragrance is all about ratios, so note how much you’re adding to the mix.
Top notes are the first thing you’ll smell in the fragrance. It’s also the quickest to dry down. Here are some of the best essential oils you can use for your DIY men’s cologne:
- Basil
- Lemon
- Bergamot
- Lemongrass
- Wild orange
Middle notes appear once the top note fades, and it also blends the scents together. These are the essential oils that can do that job well:
- Cinnamon
- Cardamom
- Ylang ylang
- Clove
- Peppermint
- Copaiba
Finally, the base is the scent that lasts the longest. It also serves as the foundation of the fragrance. These are some of the best base essential oils:
- Sandalwood
- Cedarwood
- Douglas fir
- Frankincense
- Vetiver
- Siberian fir
- White fir
The way to guarantee a scent you will love is to follow the basic pyramid accord, consisting of 60 percent base notes, 30 percent middle notes, and 10 percent top notes. This ratio is a good starting point for beginners. But you can play around 10-20% for your top notes, 20-50% middle, and 20-65% base. Experiment with a recipe you like.
2. Prepare what you will need.
Before trying to create a formula, make sure you have everything you will need before you start. First, you’ll need essential oils: at least three for top, middle and base notes. Then, prepare alcohol – rubbing alcohol or witch hazel works.
Glycerin is also essential to add. It adds longevity to your formula, and it helps the cologne stick to your skin. Also, use distilled water to keep your formula clean and pure.
When it comes to bottles, whether spray bottles or roll-on bottles, make sure you choose dark- or amber-colored glass ones. When making anything with essential oils, darker glass avoids the chance of essential oils losing their potency. Also, essential oils can be very potent and can eat away some plastic particles.
3. Blend essential oils.
This is the most fun part since you can get to mix your ingredients! This is the time to do trial and error. Drop a few essential oils one by one, then start mixing. Once you achieve your desired formula, add two ounces of alcohol.
4. Brew.
After mixing it up, your cologne needs time to compose. Let the fragrance brew and sit for at least 48 hours. Then, shake it up so the molecules can mix.
5. Dilute.
The last step is diluting the fragrance. In a spray bottle, you can add two tablespoons of distilled water and five drops of glycerin. Swirl your fragrance mixture in slowly and carefully.
6. Test.
Once your fragrance is ready, you can now use it on your skin and clothes. Make sure to do a patch test first on your inner elbow for 30 minutes to see if you’re not allergic. If you see any negative reactions, wash your skin and do not use the cologne directly on your skin. You may still use it on your clothes.
Sandalwood Cologne Blends for Men
Sandalwood is a nice woody, earthy and grounding scent that’s perfect for a man’s cologne. You can find the best sandalwood cologne for men, but if you want to make one yourself, here are some great men’s cologne recipes that include sandalwood:
Woody musk men’s roll-on cologne
This mix gives a woodsy, musk scent that’s wonderfully manly. It is grounding and comes with strong woody notes, some hints of earthiness, and a drop of spice.
What you need:
- 5 drops cedarwood essential oil
- 4 drops sandalwood essential oil
- 3 drops vetiver essential oil
- 2 drops patchouli essential oil
- 1 ounce jojoba oil
- 10 mL amber roller bottle
- Roller bottle opener tool
Instructions:
- Remove the roller ball from the bottle using a roller bottle opener.
- Add the jojoba oil, then drop in the essential oils.
- Push back the roller ball into the bottle and close the cap.
- Shake the bottle gently to combine all the oils.
Woody and citrusy men’s roll-on cologne
This formula is the perfect blend to wear during the day while at work or at the office. The essential oils you will use will be beneficial as they can help balance the mood, promote focus, ground emotions and stimulate the brain to function well.
What you need:
- 8 drops frankincense essential oil
- 6 drops sandalwood essential oil
- 2 drops wild orange essential oil
- Fractionated coconut oil
- 10 mL amber roller bottle
- Roller bottle opener tool
Instructions:
- Remove the roller ball from the bottle using a roller bottle opener.
- Add the essential oils to the bottle and shake well.
- Fill the rest of the bottle with fractionated coconut oil.
- Push back the roller ball into the bottle and close the cap.
- Shake the bottle gently to combine all ingredients.
Woody and citrusy men’s cologne spray
This cologne is another woody and citrusy iteration but uses sandalwood as a top note. It includes citrus essential oils that offer healthy acidic properties.
What you need:
- 5 drops cedarwood essential oil
- 3 drops bergamot essential oil
- 2 drops sandalwood essential oil
- 8 ounces 70 percent alcohol or vodka
- Glass cologne spray bottle
Instructions:
- Mix all ingredients thoroughly.
- Store it in a bottle.