Aftershave alchemy!

[bishop]

Cue the guy from the Thomas Dolby song....SCIENCE!

I've been reading up on the homemade aftershave business here, and I thought I'd try my hand at this. I used other posts of formulas as guides, and came up with a basic blend for my first try:

1 part Thayer's original witch hazel
1 part aloe vera gel for the first try
6-8 drops of peppermint EO

Not bad, although I won't know for sure until my shave tomorrow. I tried it with just a face washing and it seems to be ok. I think I'd add more witch hazel and less aloe gel on the next batch.

Any suggestions from other AS brewers?

On a side note, I must say that Thayer's WH beats the pants off Dickinson's. I bought the original and the lavender and I love both!

[bishop]

Tried the new aftershave today after the morning shave. Not bad! The lavender witch hazel has replaced the Dickinson's WH that is in the usual routine, and the custom AS has replaced the Proraso balm. These work well together.

I think it's going to take a while to get used to this, though...my allergies seem to be interested, so to speak, in the new formula. Not anything of alarm, but I can tell I've introduced something new and a little more aromatic to my face. In terms of the feeling, it is quite nice. My wife loves the smell and the feeling of my face, and it is quite soothing. The peppermint oil really gives me a nice tingly feel.

EDIT: After further review, I've poured out about 3/4 of the formula into an empty Proraso jar and have mixed in more WH and aloe gel. The peppermint really goes a long way, and I'm getting a headache. I probably went with 1.25 parts WH and 0.75 parts aloe gel. It is thinner but has an even better scent, and it isn't sticky on first contact like the first batch.

[bishop]

Today I applied this aftershave by gently rubbing it in with my fingertips, rather than just sort of patting and wiping like I usually do with ASB. Wow! It makes the good stuff work even better...a feeling that the aloe and WH is getting in a little deeper and soothing from within, and the dash of peppermint oil is giving me a nice little tingle.

[BroJohn]

Jonathan --

A mix that I stumbled into is 4:1 - WH:aloe gel. This mix has the consistency of a light machine oil. Coats the face nicely, works well, relieves irritation, nice to skin, easy to mix, cheap. I haven't scented it though --maybe some day I'll try that.

-- John Gehman

[bishop]

Jonathan --

A mix that I stumbled into is 4:1 - WH:aloe gel. This mix has the consistency of a light machine oil. Coats the face nicely, works well, relieves irritation, nice to skin, easy to mix, cheap. I haven't scented it though --maybe some day I'll try that.

-- John Gehman

Hmm...I will try that when I decide to mix another batch. I need another glass bottle from Whole Foods, and my coffee supply is low, so we should be going soon.

In your experience, would the thicker 1:1 mix be a good companion to the 4:1 mix, perhaps using them in different situations? I hate to mix a new batch when what I have works so well, but I don't want to miss out on something that might be even better. And my wife would throw me out of the house if I ditched another batch of aftershave. "This way I'll save money, dearest..."

[BroJohn]

In your experience, would the thicker 1:1 mix be a good companion to the 4:1 mix, perhaps using them in different situations?

Well, Jonathon, I don't have any experience with the 1:1 mix... The only reason I ended up at that 4:1 ratio is because the consistency 'seemed right' at the time. It coats the face well yet dries readily, so it's pretty convenient to use. If you're happy with the 1:1 mix stay with it; I suspect that about any ratio of WH to AloeGel would work just fine, so I wouldn't bother chasing after a mythical perfection.

As I recall, I was looking for relief to the 'burn' resulting from a product sensitivity at the time, so I wasn't inclined to scent the mix at all. Perhaps one of these days I'll pick up some EO's and give it a go..

-- John Gehman