added menthol to witch hazel...

[DEsafetyrazor]

I bought menthol crystals from the net. Crushed them and added a pinch or two to a 16oz bottle of Dickinson's witch hazel (has 14% alcohol). Wow, I may have found my favorite aftershave! The cooling effect lasts 15 minutes and lingers for about an hour (but I guess it depends on how much you add to your concoction). A bonus I wasn't anticipating is the menthol smells like mint which helps to kill the "hot dog water" smell of the witch hazel.

 

[FarmerTan]

Interesting. I've always wondered about buying menthol.

 

[A. Feitar]

I have been adding about a tablespoon of crushed menthol crystals, purchased on eBay, to my Thayers for about a year now. It works best with the alcohol version of Thayers.

 

[Rhody]

I bought menthol crystals from the net. Crushed them and added a pinch or two to a 16oz bottle of Dickinson's witch hazel (has 14% alcohol). Wow, I may have found my favorite aftershave! The cooling effect lasts 15 minutes and lingers for about an hour (but I guess it depends on how much you add to your concoction). A bonus I wasn't anticipating is the menthol smells like mint which helps to kill the "hot dog water" smell of the witch hazel.

"Hot dog water"
Descriptive award if the day!

I live menthol. I have a bag thats lasted me but im down to smaller bits

 

[DEsafetyrazor]

I'm really liking this combination of witch hazel and menthol crystals. I think I've found something special here.

 

[ajkel64]

I will have to look into this further. I like menthol shaving products and you could make it as strong as you wanted.

 

[Whilliam]

Agreed! Cannot stand the smell of WH without adding something; calling it hot dog water is a compliment. Adding 4711 helps, but menthol really kills the stink.

 

[02flhtci]

Stirling offers their Witch Hazel with Menthol. I’ll reach for it if the after shave I’m using doesn’t have any in it.

 

[AZBronco]

I like to add menthol to after shaves. I tried adding some to the non-alcohol Thayers witch hazel and it's taking forever to dissolve, though. I guess alcohol helps to dissolve the crystals?

 

[johnwick]

I have never gotten a hint of hot dog smell from my Thayers. I’ve used all scents and unscented. Is the hot dog smell a dickinsons thing?

 

[MTG Jr]

I have never gotten a hint of hot dog smell from my Thayers. I’ve used all scents and unscented. Is the hot dog smell a dickinsons thing?

Was thinking the same thing. I’ve only used Thayers WH of various flavors and never picked up the hot dog smell. I did, however, add some menthol crystals to my Thayers Lemon Astringent (with alcohol so they’ll dissolve), thanks to this thread. Great idea!

 

[DEsafetyrazor]

I will admit I have never used Thayers, but based on the ingredient list they might cover the smell with other ingredients. Not saying it is better or worse, just that they have different contents. I've copied the ingredients from their respective websites.

Thayer's Unscented Facial Toner Ingredients:
Purified Water, Glycerin, Certified Organic Witch Hazel Ext Blend (Hamamelis Virginiana Extract (Witch Hazel*), Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice (Filet of Aloe Vera*)), Phenoxyethanol, Citric Acid, Citrus Grandis (Grapefruit) Seed Extract
*Denotes Certified Organic Ingredients

T.N. Dickinson's Witch Hazel 100 % Natural Astringent Ingredients:
All natural witch hazel 100% (containing Alcohol 14%)

 

[FireDragon76]

Agreed! Cannot stand the smell of WH without adding something; calling it hot dog water is a compliment. Adding 4711 helps, but menthol really kills the stink.

An aroma similar to witch hazel is actually used in alot of fougere fragrances in products, for instance... Skin Bracer or Barbasol Brisk. It's just a green note, and shouldn't last long.

 

[FireDragon76]

Menthol isn't very soluble in water, so it won't dissolve well into witch hazel. You might manage to dissolve a small amount if it contains alcohol.

 

[Whilliam]

Menthol isn't very soluble in water, so it won't dissolve well into witch hazel. You might manage to dissolve a small amount if it contains alcohol.

I use generic, store-brand, 86% WH. The remainder is alcohol, which seems sufficient to dissolve the menthol crystals. (The 4711 contains plenty of alcohol, too.)

 

[EclipseRedRing]

I bought some menthol crystals cheaply on the bay and have used them in some aftershaves including Proraso green, and also in some creams but as said they can be difficult to dissolve. I strongly recommend decanting some aftershave into a small bottle and seeding that with the menthol rather than the whole bottle. It is easy to overdo things and if you do you can dilute it with the original liquid. Overdo it and your eyes are watering all day but get it right and the results are fantastic.

 

[lurchbrian]

on the Dickinson line I have been adding a few drops of peppermint oil to the plain woody smelling wh with good results just have to give it a little shack before using it about 7 drops to a 16 0z bottle works well enough for me

 

[Esetter]

Throw a pinch of crushed alum in for a slightly different face feel.

 

[2Vu5_T]

I want to eventually try this:

Witch Hazel, Tea Tree Oil, Lavender Oil, Peppermint Oil.

 

[Brian C.]

I want to eventually try this:

Witch Hazel, Tea Tree Oil, Lavender Oil, Peppermint Oil.

Wow, I just finished a bottle of this concoction I made myself and never saw this video. My wife always has plenty of EO's on hand so I just grab a few things to make it smell better and help my skin better. I guess nothing is new anymore and everything has been done before.

I must say though, that it works quite well. Just remember to shake well before using. The EO's will separate between uses. I just use the plain WH now that we make at work and don't have any issues with it.