It seems that the glycerin to rest of liquid stickiness threshold for me is somewhere close to one drop per tbsp of other liquid. Anything more than that and the stickiness starts to show up...
First attempt at mixing up a Bay Rum aftershave
- Thread starter 805steve
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- #22
I've found that Everclear 151 proof gives the AS the kick I'm looking for. Vodka doesn't give me a sting or bite. I like the EO you're using. Typically I'm around 6 to 10 drops of glycerin in a 5 oz bottle. Last night I added aloe vera for the first time into a citrus AS i made and I liked the feel. As you say, hard to measure.
Pine oil is a nice note. I'm using Pine Balsam so it's a thicker. Really like Sage and Bergamont oils as well. Sage is a clean smell then you get the sage scent. Bergamont has a citrus scent but I can't tell you what type of citrus.
I know you're not looking for my input but if this was my mix I'd increase the drops of the berg to around 6, sage to 4 and keep pine where you're at 2. If you have Vanilla EO you can add 2 or 3 drops of that for a deeper back note and that tends (at least to me) to reduce the sharpness. I think you're onto a nice fresh smelling mix. The EO videos I've watched say the layering of EO into the container is important, base EO first, then Mid followed by top notes. I have no idea what difference it makes as you add alcohol and mix it all up for the overall scent, but they who am I to judge someone who wears crystals for health, right?
Keep us posted of your successes and sink cleaners. (Yes, I've made more sink cleaners than I have decent AS).
Steve
Thanks for the feedback. I was very encouraged that the first attempt was not a "sink cleaner". My base has changed slightly but the basic approach is still as above. I am also trying concentrated aloe juice instead of gel. The juice is much easier to measure, seems to give the face feel I am after and hopefully due to the alcohol content will not go bad unrefrigerated.
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- #24
I believe I read somewhere that vitamin E is a good preservative and also good for the face. Haven't tried it though. As for the glycerin drops I think you're 1 drop per tablespoon is about right, too much and the AS just feels sticky on the face. I struggle with the scent and getting that part right or finding the essential oils to make the scent I'm looking for. I've heard that Vetiver is a awesome scent and very popular. The Vetiver EO that I have just smells like burnt grass. Even with a few drops it is over powering. The search continues. So far the Bay Rum and today's Citrus Blast AS are winners, though I might enhance the Citrus blast with some grapefruit EO. I have a bottle of Bay Rum to a friend to get his feedback. He used disposable blades I think. He said he loves the smell of the Bay Rum but the "sting" caught him off guard. His words were "damn that stuff sure lit me up that stuff burns like crazy. After 30 minutes if felt good". Oops I should have warned him, then again he did pick up the everclear so I thought he'd figure it out. He said he didn't scream like a school girl but he wanted to.
A citrus is also one I want to try and make. A wintergreen/mint one ended up as a sink cleaner. Scents are much harder than I thought when I first started this...
About 5 oz of my base with 1/2 tsp of crushed menthol added is something I am happy with. It is not a Cryogen eye watering level but nicely cooling and non tacky once dry down occurs. The added scent is proving much trickier to get right.
About 5 oz of my base with 1/2 tsp of crushed menthol added is something I am happy with. It is not a Cryogen eye watering level but nicely cooling and non tacky once dry down occurs. The added scent is proving much trickier to get right.
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- #26
Exactly right about the scent, it's a chase to be sure. The base of alcohol, witch hazel, glycerin is my standard base. When I blend scents I put the oils into the jar and swish them around then add the alcohol, swish, WH swish, glyerin swish then let it sit. Swish it when I walk through the room and give it a sniff. Still looking for a darker scent that blends all the EO so that not one jumps out when sniffed.
My first bay lime attempt was basically a sink cleaner... Bay Oil, Lime Oil, Bergamot Oil and Cedar Oil... I think that combo will work. I just got the ratios wrong...
I get a "burn" from using any kind of Bay Rum as aftershave on my face. It is not a nice soothing burn of a postshave splash you get with say Proraso, but a "oh snap, I just put something very irritating on my skin". I use Bay Rum as a splash-on cologne on my chest (liberally) before I put a shirt on -- I love the smell. Just nowhere near my post-shaven face.
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- #29
Bay Rum is awesome! I'm going for the smack you in the face aftershave feel with a lasting scent, which isn't for everyone. There are soothing aftershaves which don't smack you hard. If you want to make your own and you love Bay Rum why not buy some Pimento Racemosa West Indies Bay Rum essential oil, add few drops of vanilla eo and maybe some lime and use a base of Witch Hazel? That would be soothing. To that you can add a little vegetable glycerin and some clear aloe vera (unscented) and your face would love you. Disclaimer: I've never mixed up a batch of it this way but there's no reason it wouldn't work, be gentle on your face and give you that great Bay Rum scent you long for.
Steve
Steve
Some of the bay rums do have some burn on purpose.
My bay rum face tonic does not.
Bay Face Tonic
In a 5 oz bottle
7 drops glycerin
2 drops castor oil
6 drops bay EO
2 drops cinnamon EO
2 drops clove EO
1 tbsp Concentrated Aloe Juice
1 tbsp Vodka
Fill the empty space in the 5 oz bottle with Witch Hazel Astringent.
Shake well before using. I am really liking this recipe...
