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Can you add fragrance/essential oil to a cologne?

post #1 of 14
2/3/13 at 1:40am
Thread Starter 
If there is a cologne you feel would be improved with the addition of one certain note, Will the fragrance oil or essential oil mix properly with the existing cologne? What would be the best way to go about doing this?
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post #2 of 14
2/3/13 at 4:07am
I've tried this. It kind of works but I don't recommend it. I gave a cologne of mine more citrus top notes and vanilla base. Of course it's difficult to predict since you won't know the formula. I wasn't totally happy with the result just because the original toilette had notes in I didn't like so much, and though they faded a little, they were still there. I also found it difficult to change the balance of the existing perfume, I had to add a lot of oils to it, and even then it didn't take it so well. Of course I'm a noob, some of the more experienced here will be able to give more insight into this.
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post #3 of 14
2/3/13 at 7:12am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Crusher_ View Post

If there is a cologne you feel would be improved with the addition of one certain note, Will the fragrance oil or essential oil mix properly with the existing cologne? What would be the best way to go about doing this?

In principle, yes you can, in practice it's often difficult to re-balance as Ambolt has said. Also with fragrance oils it will depend on what the carrier is: it may or may not be ethanol soluble and fragrance oils are often too diluted to really work in this context anyway. Essential oils will usually dissolve perfectly as long as they are genuine, with only a few giving difficulty.

What I would recommend instead is to make an ethanol solution of the additive you want and wear it layered over your chosen cologne. If you find a combination you like you might then try mixing it, but really doing this sort of thing is a bit like taking a print of an original oil painting and painting some more oils on the top of it: the results are rarely as good as the original painting, much less better.
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post #4 of 14
2/3/13 at 4:08pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Chris Bartlett View Post

In principle, yes you can, in practice it's often difficult to re-balance as Ambolt has said. Also with fragrance oils it will depend on what the carrier is: it may or may not be ethanol soluble and fragrance oils are often too diluted to really work in this context anyway. Essential oils will usually dissolve perfectly as long as they are genuine, with only a few giving difficulty.

What I would recommend instead is to make an ethanol solution of the additive you want and wear it layered over your chosen cologne. If you find a combination you like you might then try mixing it, but really doing this sort of thing is a bit like taking a print of an original oil painting and painting some more oils on the top of it: the results are rarely as good as the original painting, much less better.


Thanks for the reply Chris, appreciate the information

Do you have a link to any recipes for mixing an ethanol solution? the steps involved and any other ingredients that are required ect?
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post #5 of 14
2/3/13 at 4:21pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Crusher_ View Post

Thanks for the reply Chris, appreciate the information

Do you have a link to any recipes for mixing an ethanol solution? the steps involved and any other ingredients that are required ect?

This blog post gives advice on how to go about it, but with a single ingredient it's really straightforward: the only complication is working out the best dilution to use & that's best done by experiment: start at 10% and increase or decrease until you're happy with the result.
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post #6 of 14
2/3/13 at 5:01pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Chris Bartlett View Post

This blog post gives advice on how to go about it, but with a single ingredient it's really straightforward: the only complication is working out the best dilution to use & that's best done by experiment: start at 10% and increase or decrease until you're happy with the result.

Thanks for that.. Ive been doing my research on all this and am considering attempting my own blend now.. In a nutshell is this roughly an accurate breakdown of the blending ingredients?

Fragrance concentrate - 10%
Fixative (Glycerine) - 3%
Ethanol - 87%

Im happy to attempt this and have found the scents I would like to incorporate but my only concern is I think I may have trouble acquiring ethanol alcohol locally.

If I were to use a fractioned coconut oil as the carrier instead do I need to add a fixative? Will fragrance oils mix with this oil? Will the mixture be able to be used in a atomizer? Will this diminish the projection of the scent?

Thanks for any answers
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post #7 of 14
2/3/13 at 5:10pm
I'm afraid oils won't do it. They are too heavy to spray, and do you really want to spray yourself with oil?

Some fragrance materials also don't dissolve in oil. Your fragrance concentrate may also contain solvents that are not compatible with oil. You can give it a try, but don't add glycerine, that's not oil soluble either. And I strongly recommend against spraying your oily creations...
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post #8 of 14
2/3/13 at 5:51pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by ariodant View Post

I'm afraid oils won't do it. They are too heavy to spray, and do you really want to spray yourself with oil?

Some fragrance materials also don't dissolve in oil. Your fragrance concentrate may also contain solvents that are not compatible with oil. You can give it a try, but don't add glycerine, that's not oil soluble either. And I strongly recommend against spraying your oily creations...

Thought this may be the case..

I've never seen Everclear here in Aus and if I cant get Ethanol what are my other options?
Im pretty sure 40% alcohol is strongest vodka available locally
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post #9 of 14
2/3/13 at 6:09pm
you can try to make a perfume oil with DPG, which can dissolve most aroma chemicals, and just use it like Arabian attars. Cyclomethicone is a sprayable sylicone that evaporates fast, but not all solvents/aroma chemicals are compatible with it. Last resort would be isopropanol, but it stinks...
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post #10 of 14
2/3/13 at 7:55pm
Thread Starter 
Hmm..

Does pure ethanol pose any health hazards?

How are the organic all natural perfumes that use jojoba and coconut oils as their carrier agent dispensed? I thought they use an atomizer?
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post #11 of 14
2/4/13 at 1:58am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Crusher_ View Post

Hmm..

Does pure ethanol pose any health hazards?

How are the organic all natural perfumes that use jojoba and coconut oils as their carrier agent dispensed? I thought they use an atomizer?

For this type of fragrance the preferred solvent/carrier is Castor Oil, as it shows less solubility problems than other fixed oils. It is also possible to get Organic ethanol.
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post #12 of 14
2/4/13 at 6:00am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Crusher_ View Post

Thanks for that.. Ive been doing my research on all this and am considering attempting my own blend now.. In a nutshell is this roughly an accurate breakdown of the blending ingredients?

Fragrance concentrate - 10%
Fixative (Glycerine) - 3%
Ethanol - 87%

Im happy to attempt this and have found the scents I would like to incorporate but my only concern is I think I may have trouble acquiring ethanol alcohol locally.

If I were to use a fractioned coconut oil as the carrier instead do I need to add a fixative? Will fragrance oils mix with this oil? Will the mixture be able to be used in a atomizer? Will this diminish the projection of the scent?

Thanks for any answers

You've got most of the answers here already. But just to clarify: you don't need glycerine. I don't know why this keeps getting recommended, whether you are using oil or ethanol as your carrier it will give you all sorts of solubility problems and it isn't a fixative anyway.

Fractionated coconut works quite well as a carrier but then you can't use anything in ethanol and it won't spray.

I'm sure others in Oz have sourced ethanol so it must be available: there may be something in the sticky thread on Perfumer's Alcohol that would help.
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post #13 of 14
2/4/13 at 10:26am
I've tried it. It works, but I wouldn't mess with any fragrances that were overly expensive as you might ruin them.
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post #14 of 14
2/4/13 at 4:09pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Chris Bartlett View Post

You've got most of the answers here already. But just to clarify: you don't need glycerine. I don't know why this keeps getting recommended, whether you are using oil or ethanol as your carrier it will give you all sorts of solubility problems and it isn't a fixative anyway.

Fractionated coconut works quite well as a carrier but then you can't use anything in ethanol and it won't spray.

I'm sure others in Oz have sourced ethanol so it must be available: there may be something in the sticky thread on Perfumer's Alcohol that would help.


I've managed to find a product similar to everclear which is 95% alcohol that I will attempt to use..

So using this alcohol no fixative is required?
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Basenotes › Basenotes Forums › Fragrance Discussion › Fragrance DIY › Can you add fragrance/essential oil to a cologne?