Thread: Ogallala Bay Rum - Wow

Bought some Ogallala Bay Rum aftershave because I wanted to try some "old school" fragrances and this was one of them.

I love the scent but it is... over-powering. I'd like to soften it up a bit.

I'm looking for my audience to be intrigued, not repulsed.

Can I dilute it with witch hazel or water or something?

Any ideas on a good ratio? 4:1 witch hazel to bay rum? More... Less?

Any advice is appreciated.

Originally Posted by FWiedner

Can I dilute it with witch hazel or water or something?

Any ideas on a good ratio? 4:1 witch hazel to bay rum? More... Less?

When it gets to be 95-100 degrees around here, I like to splash some cold water
on my face, followed by a 50:50 mix of Ogallala Bay Rum Sage and Cedar and
Thayer's Witch Hazel After Shave. Very refreshing.

The scent isn't overpowering and it dissipates fairly rapidly. Just make up a
small batch and try it. Keep diluting it until you hit your sweet spot.

Hopefully you are aware that the Ogallala products need to be shaken immediately before use. Otherwise it can be quite "overpowering."

Originally Posted by Utopian

Hopefully you are aware that the Ogallala products need to be shaken immediately before use. Otherwise it can be quite "overpowering."

I have seen that note.

The first time I opened the bottle (without shaking) the entire kitchen area of the house was affected. Very heavy scent. My wife said "It smells like Christmas!"

I haven't opened or handled the bottle since that first encounter. I felt that some time was needed to locate an appropriate chemical neutralizing agent and some Personal Protective Equipment (with tongs) before handling the stuff again.

I really like the Ogallala aftershaves for their face feel, but they are really strong on the scent. I do find, though, that the scent calms down fairly quickly...except for the Sandalwood...it lasts until my shower the next morning. That's not necessarily a bad thing IMO, though I had a student this past year who, at about 2 in the afternoon said, "Mister, you smell like incense or something."

Originally Posted by FWiedner

I have seen that note.

The first time I opened the bottle (without shaking) the entire kitchen area of the house was affected. Very heavy scent. My wife said "It smells like Christmas!"

I haven't opened or handled the bottle since that first encounter. I felt that some time was needed to locate an appropriate chemical neutralizing agent and some Personal Protective Equipment (with tongs) before handling the stuff again.

So are you saying that you never have tried it WITH a shaking before use?

If that is the case, then you may be pleasantly surprised. Sometimes men actually should read the instructions!

Originally Posted by Utopian

So are you saying that you never have tried it WITH a shaking before use?

If that is the case, then you may be pleasantly surprised. Sometimes men actually should read the instructions!

No Sir. I'm saying that I opened the bottle ONCE (again, without shaking) and the aroma was so profound that I felt I needed "professional" advice before proceeding.

I'm sure I'm not the only fellow who has experienced this. I was hoping to get a magic recipe or a direction for use to make the stuff usable.

I'll shake the stuff before I open it again, but suffice to say I have my doubts about whether there's anything in that bottle that will step on "Christmas"

I use Ogallala after shave regularly and have not experienced this. I know they offer an after shave and a cologne in similar bottles. Which one do you have?

Aloha!

"Barber-Tricked" cologne and aftershave is somewhat common. Most are cut with Witch Hazel in a 50 percent ratio - 50 percent product and 50 percent Witch Hazel. Some use distilled water instead of Witch Hazel. You may want to try both and see which one works for you. I personally like the thought of using Witch Hazel and getting some astringent with the new product afte rmixing.

The final "trick" is to put in a tablespoon or two of Wintergreen Alcohol (the green stuff available from Walgreens or CVS or many other stores) to mellow out the notes and tones of the fragrance. I had to do this with Pinaud Lilac Veg because it's just too strong for my nose right out of the bottle. But like all things YMMV.

I actually have a bottle of 50 percent Wintergreen alcohol in my shaving den to use as an aftershave if I want no scent but a bit of the fresh wintergreen. Walmart sells 50 percent Wintergreen alcohol. The other stores have 70 percent alcohol by volume, so I cut that with distilled water to bring it down to 50 percent. It makes a great aftershave on its own.

Left bottle 50 percent Wintergreen Alcohol, Middle Bottle Pinaud Classic, Right Bottle Witch Hazel


-Zip

I have several Ogallala Bay Rum products, and I would like them to be a bit stronger in smell. Funny how opinions differ. Ogallala Bay Rum company was started not that long ago by a guy in Ogallala NE and made in the basement IIRC. Grew to such popularity it was moved to an actual building. I used to talk to the owner/creator but they have grown so much that they no longer sell directly to the public. Says something about their products.

I met my wife in Ogallala, NE in 1993 and growing up went to many movies at either the drive in or the downtown theater in Ogallala. Old cow town that was the end of a long cattle drive from Texas to the shipping docks of the Union Pacific Rail Road. Cowboys would get a bath, a straight razor shave and copious amounts of Bay Rum after shave and head off to the saloons to spend money on whiskey, gambling and women.

Witch hazel is one of it's main ingredients, and if too strong a scent, just cut it a bit with that. How much? Just use a little and shake and try until you find your right "sweet spot". I've even added just a dash of grain alcohol to it to help with facial disinfection after the shave, but one must be cautious as too much EToH will make for a more unpleasant burning sensation.