DIY Aftershave

[QuietListener]

I have been browsing online for an aftershave to use lately. I have never really used one before so I don't know what is good and what isn't. As I browsed I wondered two things:

1. Why can't I create my own aftershave?
2. Are the ingredients in these really healthy?

I feel like if I were to create my own then it might be cheaper and I could control the ingredients making it healthier (after all the skin is the largest organ of the body. Whatever it absorbs your basically eating).

So, do any of you all have experience with DIY aftershaves?

Shout out and let me know!

Thanks

[Trimmy72]

I use Jojoba, grape seed and coconut oil - if you keep the last two oils proportions low it is easily absorbed. Astringent, and antiseptic values I'm not sure that any of those oils have any. My research was next to nil too FWIW...
All I know is that Jojoba mimics the bodies natural oils, and the others I believe are good for your skin or hair. Although this mix works like a moisturizer to me, I mainly use it as a beard oil and last as a pre-shave oil although I do not like pre-shave oils because I think there is better options like Aloe that won't clog up my shave brush.
My next mix will include Witch Hazel with the above ingredients, And I'll see how that goes...

[shallard]

I love to save a few dollars, and I also wanted to have a natural aftershave that would be good to sooth razor burn, and to moisturize the skin.

With that in mind, I did a fair amount of reading online, and then went to the pharmacy to buy some witch-hazel, glycerin, rubbing alcohol and lavender essential oil. I took a small plastic bottle, about 1.5 oz, and poured a bit of glycerin until it covered the bottom of the bottle, about 1/8 inch layer. I then filled the bottle about 2/3 full of witch-hazel, and topped-off the last 1/3 with alcohol. I added about 5 drops of essential oil for fragrance and left a bit of room at the top to let the liquids mix when I shake the bottle. That's it, just 4 ingredients, it smells nice, feels great, and is fairly cheap to make.

There is too much information available online to summarize everything here. I highly recommend doing a bit of google research about home made aftershave recipes, astringents, skin moisturizing, witch-hazel, etc... After doing a bit of reading, you should get a feel of what the options are, and which ones are best for your situation. Every ingredient will have different properties for closing pores, antiseptic, moisturizing, soothing, fragrance, etc...

The first time I made this recipe, I also added a few drops of The Art Of Shaving pre-shave oil. I found that this helped with the soothing of razor burn, but also left my skin a bit oily. I will experiment with this again, probably using olive oil or something similar, and in very small quantities to prevent the oily residue.

Witch-hazel has a natural smell, so it will change the scent of whatever essential oil you pick. I find the lavender pairs well with this combination. Witch-hazel alone smells a bit medicinal, and a bit like wood (it is a plant extract...) but the smell is not very strong.

A note on essential oils: Do not use the oils made for air-freshners, or scented oil diffusers, or scented oil lamps. These usually carry a warning on the label that they may irritate skin. Instead, use pure essential oils and read the label to ensure they are safe to use on the skin. These can be found in some pharmacies or natural product stores. They are a bit more expensive, and come in very small bottles, but you'll only need a few drops at a time. I chose the lavender oil because I enjoyed the scent, and because supposedly has good health properties for the skin.

Hope this helps!

[criswilson10]

Try doing the advanced search on this site.
There is a thread somewhere on here with a bunch of aftershave recipes in it. I remember taking notes while reading it.

[Geezer]

Home made Bay Rum recipes:
http://straightrazorpalace.com/presh...recipes-6.html
Have fun!! makin' my second batch now!
~Richard
AND:
http://straightrazorpalace.com/presh...pes-links.html

[Matheus]

I used gim yesterday as emergency aftershave splash and the damned thing performed pretty well. [emoji38]

[stev]

As far as healthy goes, these folks Men's Fragrances use pretty much all natural ingredients (although their brush has synthetic fibre, which throws the claim into question pffff) and they do smell very good

[Ruppert]

New guy here, but no stranger to the world of wet shaving.
I'm all about making anything i can buy in a store, and my favorite go to for after shave is olive oil. I do a splash of witch hazel first, followed by some alcohol if im feeling like a quick wake up and finish with an olive oil (a drop or 2 is all you need) that i infused with rosemary, which is great for hair and a natural mental stimulant, if you happen to believe in aromatherapy
As an added little factoid, I also use a homemade yarrow (its a random common weed) extract as a styptic. Works about a million X faster and more effective than a styptic pencil, give or take an x or 2

[jsuiters]

I used to experiment with some of this kinda stuff a while back. Now I just use good old Clubman($6), Aqua Velva Blue($4), and Old Spice($6). All three are cheaper and work better than others I've made or bought at three times the price. Just my two cents.