Thread: Homemade Aftershave Tips

looking forward to hearing from you how it went.

I just need to get some info on how long I need to leave the herbs in the alcohol to get a full effect out of them.

I got the 100% pure Aloe Vera gel, a bottle of Glycerin and a bottle of mineral oil (not for the aftershave, but for an oilstone I'll be using on restoring one of my new blades). The only thing missing are the EOs. Therefore, I'll have to ask you gentlemen 2 questions:
1) Where can you get EOs (retail)? Wal Mart didn't have'em. Is GNC a viable option? Sears?
2) How long should I leave the herbs soaking in alcohol before straining them out?

For EO's, go to your regular pharmacy, and leave the herbs for a week or two, shaking gently the jar once or twice a day.

The Wal Mart pharmacy didn't have any. Thanks for the tip on the curing process... I'll get on it tonight, and I should get the EOS within a week... Then I can experiment with the ratios.

Edit. Thanks a lot btw. Been asking htat question over and over and nobody came around to reply lol

Originally Posted by FiReSTaRT

Edit. Thanks a lot btw. Been asking htat question over and over and nobody came around to reply lol

I didn't had the time to answer it before, and I thought I can catch you on the MSN Anyways, I'll have to check my files and confirm that...

Nenad

Another update. The herbs are soaking in about 250ml of alcohol as we speak. It turned green almost instantly. However, I have to leave them in there for a week, since the Bulk Barn is getting the EOs I need on Thursday. Otherwise, I would have been tempted to start mixing tomorrow lol.

Following Nenad's updated advice, I drained the alcohol and decided to mix my first batch without the EOs. It had a nice scent, with especially strong presences of mint/sage, but the chamomile didn't show. The aloe mixed well, but the glycerin seems to be separating and going down to the bottom. I gave it a wicked shake and applied some to my face. The skin was noticeably softer. Tomorrow I'm doing a shave test.

I'll start with the bad news: The glycerin tends to settle to the bottom and requries some vigorous shaking before pouring some AS into my hand.
The good news: The effect is excellent. The alcohol closes the pores and stops minor nicks from bleeding while the glycerin/aloe soothe the skin and leave it very soft. The herbs leave the skin with a nice but unobtrusive fresh scent.

In conclusion: Once I finish using this 150ml batch, I'll try to find a substitute for glycerin. What do you guys think of adding almond oil + vitamin E instead?

Your eo's won't stay mixed either without a modifier, which allows waters and oils to mix without seperating. I'm not sure about the modifier working for the glycerine though as I've never mixed glycerine in an alcohol base. I do use glycerine in lotions, but then I'm using an emulsifier not a modifier.