I'm running out of aftershave and I'm cheap, so I'm looking to make some. I normally use bay rum (Captain's Choice Cat o' Nine Tails), and I gather it's pretty easy to make: equal parts rum and witch hazel with spices such as bay, clove and cinnamon steeped for a couple weeks and then strained.
Now, there's a local plant around here called spicebush, and I just love the smell. It produces fragrant little half-inch edible berries, but the entire plant is fragrant. I would love to walk around after a shave smelling like spicebush.
My question is whether anyone knows or has a guess whether steeping a fresh spice like this in rum and witch hazel (or rum and vodka, as some recipes have it) would extract enough of the fragrance to be noticeable. I can't think of an analogue; maybe someone has made an aftershave with juniper berries or something? I know fresh citrus peel works, but spicebush isn't as oily as citrus and also not dry like cinnamon stick or clove.
It won't hurt to experiment, but I'd greatly appreciate if someone in this community has gone before me and can share tips and pitfalls. Thank you!
Now, there's a local plant around here called spicebush, and I just love the smell. It produces fragrant little half-inch edible berries, but the entire plant is fragrant. I would love to walk around after a shave smelling like spicebush.
My question is whether anyone knows or has a guess whether steeping a fresh spice like this in rum and witch hazel (or rum and vodka, as some recipes have it) would extract enough of the fragrance to be noticeable. I can't think of an analogue; maybe someone has made an aftershave with juniper berries or something? I know fresh citrus peel works, but spicebush isn't as oily as citrus and also not dry like cinnamon stick or clove.
It won't hurt to experiment, but I'd greatly appreciate if someone in this community has gone before me and can share tips and pitfalls. Thank you!