Cologne can be hit or miss. It is a very common gift for men, especially fathers who enjoy wearing cologne or aftershave. Due to personal preference and powerful or varying scents, picking the right cologne can be tricky. Not to mention, most commercial colognes contain synthetic fragrances, which can include carcinogens, respiratory irritants, environmental toxins, and more harmful substances. 

Making your own cologne with all-natural essential oils ensures a product that you can use safely and confidently. Don’t worry, because essential oil colognes will not make you smell awful, or like you just stepped out of a wild animal’s cave. In fact, the cologne recipes in this article may help you smell like freedom, the wild, and volcanos. Well, to each their own regarding the scents!

Some Cologne Notes

It is helpful to understand a few notes before you mix up your essential oil blends. You need to understand fragrance notes, which are divided into three classes: top, middle, and base. The top note is the first scent you notice after application, but it is also the quickest to fade. That leaves you with the next lasting scent, the middle class. Finally, the bass class is the scent that lasts the longest. A general formula is 10-15% for the top note, 25-30% for the middle note, and 55-65% for the base note. You can adjust the ratios any way you please, but that is simply a suggested starting place.

Nightlife

Getting ready to have a night on the town? Apply this gentlemanly blend that has notes of citrus with a perfectly earthy smell of vetiver. Researchers state that the essential oils in this blend help to support immune function and promote positive feelings. The recipe is as follows:

• 3 drops of lemon essential oil (top note)
• 4 drops of cardamom essential oil (middle note)
• 4 drops of ylang ylang essential oil (middle note)
• 6 drops of vetiver essential oil (base note)

Earthy 

Crave the smell of the woods? This simple blend is great to apply for any time of day, as it helps you smell like a flannel-wearing, ax-yielding lumberjack. Frankincense and copaiba are great for reducing stress and anxiety, making this a great workday cologne. The recipe is as follows:

• 4 drops of lemongrass essential oil (top note)
• 6 drops of copaiba essential oil (middle note)
• 8 drops of frankincense essential oil (base note)

Outdoorsy

This is the go-to blend for anyone who loves the outdoors. Because this blend contains cedarwood essential oil, you’ll smell like you lathered yourself in pine trees. Don’t worry, though, because it has a citrusy zest, giving this blend a refreshingly manly scent. This recipe is as follows:

• 3 drops of lemongrass essential oil (top note)
• 3 drops of basil essential oil (middle note)
• 4 drops of cedarwood essential oil (base note)
• 6 drops of Douglas fir essential oil (base note)

Office

Great to wear during the workday, this blend of essential oils has beautiful notes of citrus and the woods. The essential oils help to ground your emotions, balance the mood, stimulate the brain, and promote focus. The recipe is as follows:

• 4 drops of wild orange essential oil (top note)
• 6 drops of sandalwood essential oil (middle note)
• 10 drops of frankincense essential oil (base note)

How To Make DIY Cologne

This is an easy method for a homemade spray cologne using the above essential oil blends. To make the spray cologne, use a glass spray bottle, the essential oils, vegetable glycerin, and witch hazel. 

Instructions:

• In a two-ounce glass spray bottle, combine the essential oils and 1/2 tsp of vegetable glycerin.
• Top off the rest of the bottle with witch hazel, screw on the top, and shake well. 
• Spray on the chest, wrist, or neck when ready to use and make sure to shake before each use.

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When you learn to make DIY products, consider your holiday gifts covered. Be it a bath bomb for Mother’s Day, a shaving butter for Father’s day, or candles for Christmas, DIY gifts are greatly appreciated. Depending on the holiday or birthday, you can fill a small basket with different homemade goods for that person. 

What is one of the most popular gifts that men receive on birthdays, Father’s Day, or Christmas? Cologne is very popular and it is a much better alternative to socks, underwear, or razors, even though those products are useful. Smelling great, however, is potentially the greatest gift of all. You may not have fragrances, alcohols, and other cologne ingredients on hand, but you can get your hands on masculine essential oils. There are essential oils that create more “manly” aromas than others. 

What Essential Oils Do Men Like?

Every single person is different, so there are certain scents that appeal more to some than others. Additionally, people have varying sensitivities to the intense aromas of essential oils. For this reason, you always want to ask the person about the essential oils, or at least the type of scents, that they prefer. Some people despise patchouli, while others can’t seem to get enough of it. Sandalwood essential oil, for example, has a woody, rustic aroma that is frequently used in beard balms and oils. It usually goes with the lumberjack or outdoorsy type of scent!

Typically, you want a manly blend of essential oils to contain a subtle floral aroma, but you don’t want it to overpower the blend. Lavender essential oil, for example, may tuck in without dominating the blend. Ylang ylang, magnolia, and rose essential oils, on the other hand, will overpower the blend because of their strong aromas. Below, you can find great essential oil blends for men that you can use in diffusers, perfumes, soaps, beard oils, and more. 

Commute Conqueror

Don’t let rush-hour traffic ruin your day. This manly diffuser blend will help keep eyes on the road, while simultaneously promoting relaxation. Consider getting a USB diffuser for the car!

• 2 drops lime essential oil
• 1 drop each: eucalyptus, copaiba, and cedarwood essential oils

Armchair Expert

This blend is for any man who commands the armchair, especially during a Sunday night football game. Settle into the recliner and relive the glory days before watching your team on the tube. 

• 6 drops valor essential oil blend
• 2 drops lemon essential oil
• 2 drops tea tree essential oil

Fresh Cut Grass

If you enjoy looking at lawnmowers and other yard equipment in the hardware store, this is the blend for you. The best part about this blend is that you don’t have to spend hours pulling weeds, weed whacking, or edging the yard to smell like freshly cut grass. Bring the outdoors inside!

• 6 drops citrus fresh essential oil
• 2 drops each: basil, bergamot, and northern lights black spruce essential oils

Afternoon Pick-Me-Up

Leave the energy drinks alone because they aren’t doing anything for your health. Get a diffuser and start energizing your afternoons with the power of essential oils.

• 6 drops orange essential oil
• 4 drops peppermint essential oil
• 2 drops Idaho grand fir essential oil

Man Cave Master

The scent of a man cave may repel the ladies. Uplift your senses with a unique blend of essential oils that screams masculinity. It’s a great blend to freshen up a man cave!

• 6 drops bergamot essential oil
• 3 drops northern lights black spruce essential oil
• 3 drops wintergreen essential oil

Woodshop Master

If you love working with your hands and can tell the difference between cedar, cherry, and pine, this is the blend for you. There is no need to spend a day in the wood shop when you can diffuse a similar blend in the house.

• 6 drops tangerine essential oil
• 4 drops Raven essential oil blend
• 2 drops Idaho blue spruce essential oil

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Don’t you hate it when a guy walks by and leaves behind a trail of pungent chemicals that seem to singe your nostril hairs? The correct and only answer to that question is: yes. Don’t get caught up in fancy glass bottles and cologne commercials with famous actors. Take control of your scent by making your own cologne with all-natural essential oils.

If you want to smell like a woodsy lumberjack who just finished building a log cabin, use essential oils. If you want to smell like freshly cut cedar, freedom, and crisp pine needles, use essential oils. Don’t be ashamed if you want your cologne to smell like frosty mornings or the salty ocean air. Own the scent you desire and wear it with confidence.

Manly Essential Oils

Peppermint Essential Oil

The minty aroma of peppermint essential oil is not only enchanting, but also beneficial for calming the mind and relieving fatigue. In addition to smelling minty fresh, you’ll also help promote mental clarity and decongest your sinuses.

Sandalwood Essential Oil

Sandalwood essential oil gives off a woodsy aroma, and it’ll make whoever’s around you feel cozy and safe, as though they are snuggling by a warm fire. It’s a sweeter oil that has been used for thousands of years, especially in spiritual and religious traditions. Sandalwood helps to improve memory, reduce stress, and stimulate concentration.

Lemon Essential Oil

The beautiful refreshing scent of lemon essential oil will have you smelling like you just emerged from harvesting fruit in a citrus orchard.  The citrus tang of lemon essential oil blends well with numerous essential oils, including lavender, peppermint, eucalyptus, and tea tree. Lemon essential oil is also great for uplifting spirits and decongesting sinuses!

Eucalyptus Essential Oil

Used both medicinally and cosmetically, eucalyptus essential oil emits an earthy aroma to accentuate your rugged side. It has an herbaceous essence, so you’ll smell fresh and clean as well. Eucalyptus essential oil helps to clear the sinuses and is beneficial for the respiratory system.

DIY Men’s Essential Oil Cologne Recipes

DIY All Natural Men’s Cologne

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon witch hazel
• 1 teaspoon vegetable glycerin
• 16 drops peppermint essential oil
• 10 drops eucalyptus essential oil
• 10 drops lemon essential oil
• 4 drops sandalwood essential oil

Instructions:

• Add all of the ingredients to a two-ounce glass spray bottle, screw on the top, and shake vigorously to combine.
• Unscrew the top and fill the remainder of the bottle with water. Screw the top back on and shake well.
• When ready to use, spray away and start smelling great.

If this essential oil blend isn’t for you, here are some other great DIY men’s essential oil cologne recipes.

LumberJack Blend

• 8 drops rosemary essential oil
• 20 drops Northern Lights black spruce essential oil
• 8 drops cedarwood essential oil
• 4 drops lemon essential oil

Forest Blend

• 12 drops juniper essential oil
• 12 drops cypress essential oil
• 12 drops pine essential oil
• 4 drops peppermint essential oil

Mr. Minty Blend

• 16 drops peppermint essential oil
• 10 drops spearmint essential oil
• 10 drops vetiver essential oil
• 4 drops rosemary essential oil

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The word “Perfume” derives from the Latin language and means “through the smoke.” This hints of incense, perfumed incense burned to release their scent of fragrance.

Cologne derives from the French word (eau de cologne) meaning “water of Cologne.” Cologne is known today as eau de toilet, meaning “water of the toilet” or “toilet water.” Hmmm! What are we being told here?

Toilet water is “a scented liquid with a high alcohol content used as a skin freshener.”

Ancient people such wore natural fragrances derived from essential oils from flowers. Flowers are Nature’s fragrance and source of fragrance. Many of Nature’s fragrances were derived from flowers from such essential oils as Ylang Ylang, Magnolia Blossoms (Neroli), Rose, Jasmine, Linden, and Lavender. Many other natural scents and fragrances were derived from the likes of Sandalwood, Frankincense, Spikenard, Patchouli, Cinnamon, and Davana whose scents are heavenly or celestial.

However, today we understand perfume to be a solution containing 15% to 30% perfume oils and 70% to 85% alcohol, respectively.

What happened to perfumes between their origin and today? What is the secret? What is the mystery? The answer is: OIL! Yes, oil-based perfumes.

When we look back in history we find that some of the most precious gifts of kings, queens, and other nobility were perfume oils.

However, modern day perfumes and colognes are alcohol based. Alcohol is a toxic solvent, derived from petroleum. Plant-based or essential oils are not.

Oil-based perfumes

Oil penetrates any porous material, e.g. paper, wood, hair, skin, etc.; therefore, oil-based perfumes will penetrate the skin, causing the fragrance to stay. As a solvent, alcohol is a drying agent. Alcohol dries (evaporates) from the most porous material within a short period of time. The difference is that the pleasant, sensuous scent of oil-based perfumes will linger longer in addition to having a therapeutic effect on the body and thus positively impacting human health.

Many of the perfume and cologne ingredients are known irritants and are toxic through skin absorption.

In 1986, the National Academy of Sciences grouped fragrances with insecticides, heavy metals, solvents, food additives and certain air pollutants as the six categories of chemicals that should be given high priority for neurotoxicity testing. According to their report, 95% of chemicals used in fragrances are synthetic compounds derived from petroleum. They include benzene derivatives, aldehydes and many other known toxic substances linked to cancer, birth defects and allergic reactions.

Ethanol is a principal chemical in perfume and cologne (and hair spray, shampoo, shaving cream, soap, and nail polisher) that can cause fatigue, irritation of the eyes and upper respiratory tract, and produce a loss of muscular coordination.

Limonene is another principal chemical found in perfume and cologne (and bar soap, shampoo, hand lotion, and hair spray) that is carcinogenic (cancer-causing). In addition, it can seriously irritate the eyes.

Linalool, also found in perfume and cologne, is a narcotic that causes respiratory disturbances. This chemical contributes to reduced spontaneous motor activity and depression.

Benzyl Acetate is linked to pancreatic cancer, the worst cancer you could develop. Its vapors are irritating to the eyes and the respiratory system. It can also be absorbed through the skin causing systemic effects.

Toulene is used in many perfumes and colognes on the market today. It is a solvent that causes headaches and is a reproductive system toxin. It is on the list of chemicals deemed hazardous under Proposition 65.

Synthetic oils

Synthetic oils such as Egyptian Musk, Arabian Musk, African Musk, Powder, etc. are not better alternatives to perfume and cologne. There are even synthetic versions of natural oils such as Sandalwood, Frankincense, and Patchouli. You can tell the difference between synthetic oils and authentic essential oils by the price, color, smell and density of the oil.

Essential oils

All essential oils do not cost the same. Most are pretty economical and some are diabolically expensive, i.e. Rose, Neroli, Linden, Jasmine, Lotus, and True Melissa. However, there will be noticeable changes in price with essential oils, whereas with synthetic oils (mostly sold on street corners, at flea markets, and in Muslim markets) they are roughly the same in price (c. $5 – $10) despite the fragrance or scent. This is the greatest indicator of purchasing synthetic and unauthentic oils.

Unlike synthetic oils and perfumes and colognes, essential oils are therapeutic and affect us on many levels, including mental, emotional, spiritual, and physiological. They are safe (most of them) to use on the skin as technically speaking, we should be able to eat everything we put on our skin as what we put on our skin is considered consuming or eating in nature.

Remember, essential oils are derived from plants. Many of them can be skin irritants and damage (inflame) skin if directly applied or absent a carrier or base oil, i.e. olive oil, almond oil, etc.

By wearing only natural essential oils, you can help to revive your dulled sense of olfaction that was dulled by smelling synthetic fragrances most of your life.

Wearing perfume and cologne is one of the many reasons folks need to periodically detoxify their body.

If you’re interested, we list health companies that sell healthy alternatives to harmful perfumes and colognes in our “Alternative Diet and Lifestyle Manual” Alternative Diet and Lifestyle Manual available in our On-line Store.

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