Simple herbal aftershave

The only fragrance British men were allowed to wear during Queen Victoria’s time was lavender. A contrast with more southern countries where there was much more choice, for example, rose, orange flower and violet. Some British men persist to this day, using only an English lavender water, such as Yardley’s Old English Lavender. Our formula also contains lavandin, a spicy variety of lavender.

Supplies

• 100 ml (80 grams) cosmetic hair water [29550]
• 2 ml (2-3 grams) glycerine [10630]
• 60 drops (2-3 ml/g) essential oil Lavandin Abrialis[20138]
• Bottles with closures for approximately 100 ml of aftershave
• Pipettes, beakers, funnel

Procedure

Mix the raw materials in the order indicated, or vice versa, it doesn’t matter. Put the aftershave in one or more suitable bottles, for example twice the 50 ml aftershave bottle Florindo. Alternatively, you can also fill three quadro bottles with this recipe. The shelf life is usually at least 12 months. The essential oil and glycerine are best dosed with a plastic dropper pipette [30110], do not forget to order these.

Aftershave Hexe Africa

For Aftershave Hexe Africa we were inspired by Ax Africa. This fragrance was developed in the 1990s by perfumer Ann Gottlieb. The use of vanilla for a men’s fragrance was less common then. A somewhat more complicated recipe, for the enthusiast.

Supplies

• 50 ml cosmetic hair water [29550]
• 1 ml glycerine [10630]
• 13 drops (± 0.7 ml) Cedramber (IFF) [23011]
• 10 drops (± 0.5 ml) Iso E Super (IFF) [23021]
• 5 drops (± 0.3 ml) EO Lavender Bulgaria (org) [20104]
• 3 drops (± 0.2 ml) Isoraldeine 95 (Giv) Methyl ionone [23009]
• 2 drops (± 0.2 ml) EO Sage Dalmatia [20137]
• 2 drops (± 0.2 ml) EO Black pepper [20121]
• 1 drop (± 0.1 ml) EO Patchouli [20110]
• 1 drop (± 0.1 ml) Vanillin 25% in DPG
• Perfume bottle Florindo 50 ml
• Atomizer attachment black E5
• 8 x Pipette plastic 1 ml
• 2 x Pipette plastic 3 ml

Procedure

Cut the riser to the correct length: when the atomizer attachment is screwed onto the bottle, it should fit loosely into the corner of the bottle. If it is too long, the closure can become loose. If this is too short, you cannot completely empty the bottle.

Fill perfume bottle Florindo about half with Cosmetic hair water, it does not come very precisely. Use a plastic 3 ml dropper for this, this is easier than a small funnel. Then add the other raw materials one after the other. Always use a new 1 ml pipette for this, except for the Glycerine. The latter is quite viscous, so a 3 ml pipette works a bit easier. Fill the pipette slowly to avoid the formation of air bubbles. Make sure that the pipettes are not mixed up, otherwise the cedramber might smell like sage and the patchouli oil smell like vanilla. Finally, top up the bottle with cosmetic hair water until it is nicely filled. Finish with the atomizer attachment.

Freshly made Aftershave Hexe Africa often smells a bit like alcohol, this alcohol smell diminishes after a few days and eventually disappears. It does not need to be preserved, because of the high percentage of alcohol it cannot mold. The effect of oxygen from the air, high temperature and too much (sun) light can cause the odour to deteriorate. Store it (like other aftershave) cool (not in the fridge), dry and dark in a tightly closed container. Usually the smell gets a little better after storage. It is usually at its best when it is 3-6 months old. If properly stored, it normally lasts at least a year, sometimes (much) longer.

Old-fashioned Aftershave Lotion

For this recipe of the old-fashioned aftershave lotion, we were inspired by recipes from the 1920-1960 period. We have put our own spin on it. It contains alum, a substance that makes blood clot from small cuts. Menthol has a cooling effect and a fresh scent. As a fragrance we also use flower waters, originally that was the water that remains after making essential oil from flowers, nowadays it is usually made by mixing a little essential oil with water.

Supplies

• 50 ml (40 grams) cosmetic hair water [29550]
• 25 ml (25 grams) orange flower water [29601]
• 25 ml (25 grams) rose water [29602]
• a pinch (1 gram) of alum [10621]
• a small piece (0.5 gram) of menthol [23000]
• measuring cups
• bottle(s) and spray attachment(s) or cap(s) for a total of approximately 100 ml of aftershave
• Pipettes, funnel, spoons etc.
• label for the bottle

Procedure

Dissolve the menthol in the cosmetic hair water. Stir well: the menthol will dissolve fairly quickly. Mix orange flower water and rose water together and dissolve the alum in it. Mix all this together.

The aftershave is a bit cloudy. This is due to the low alcohol percentage of the aftershave in which very little menthol dissolves. You can let it settle and drain. You can also leave it that way, the disadvantage may be that the atomizer will eventually become clogged. On the other hand, it does look pretty: an opal-coloured liquid.

Put the old-fashioned aftershave lotion in one or more suitable bottles, for example 2 x the 50 ml aftershave bottle Leandro. Another option is three quadro bottles of 30 ml each. If you don’t have enough to fill the bottle, you can add some cosmetic hair water. The shelf life is usually at least 12 months.