Aftershave is an indispensable product in care
skin care for men

Aftershave is another typically men's product that can be made at home. It is not difficult to make and does not require heating, so even beginners can do it.

AFTERSHAVE - RAW MATERIALS

To make aftershave, we will need essential oils in combination with water - as these are
this is a water-based product, it will be necessary to use a solubilizer to allow the water and oil ingredients to be combined. As the aftershave is alcohol-free, it will be less irritating to the skin and can also be used as a perfume if required.

PhaseiNGREDIENCE %

A Demineralised water 60.80
A rosemary hydrolate 30,00
A vegetable glycerine 5,00
B solubilizer Symbio solv clear plus 2,40
B sandalwood essential oil 0,30
B coriander essential oil 0,10
B essential oil lavender 0,10
B essential oil cedarwood 0,30
B preservative Euxyl PE 9010 1,00
spray bottle ---

AFTERSHAVE - PROCEDURE

1.thoroughly disinfect all equipment, containers or packaging that you will use, for example with ethanol.
2. weigh the ingredients of phase A - demineralised water, hydrolat and glycerine into one container, mix well.
3. weigh the phase B raw materials, i.e. the solubilizer, essential oils and preservative, into the other container.
Mix well again and immediately add the phase A raw materials (aqueous mixture).
4. stir the aftershave thoroughly so that the solubilizer is completely dissolved and the individual ingredients are well combined.
5. fill the product into the selected sanitised spray bottle.

AFTERSHAVE - TIPS AND TRICKS

Since aftershave is really easy to make, you don't have to worry about it at all.
However, here are a few tips and tricks that may help you.


If you have trouble dissolving the oils in the water even when using a solubilizer, try increasing the ratio
from 3:1 to 4:1 (essential oils:solubilizer). The resulting product may have a milky or cloudy colour when shaken - it will usually clear up after it has rested. Alternatively, it may remain slightly cloudy especially with larger doses of oils. However, this is not a defect that interferes with the functionality of the product, so only increase the solubilizer content
if the oils are visibly separating from the water.

AFTERSHAVE - RAW MATERIALS AND THEIR IMPORTANCE

Below is an overview of the ingredients and their possible substitutes so that you canyou can customise your aftershave to your liking and make a great product for yourself or as a gift.

DEMINERALISED WATER

Demineralised water serves as the basis for many cosmetic products, including aftershave. Do not use ordinary tap water or boiled water - such water will still contain minerals that can interfere with the stability of the product or preservative.


However, a substitute for demineralised water are floral hydrolates, which you can combine freely to create an interesting product. At the same time, due to the high proportion of water, unlike some commercially available alcohol-dominated products, aftershave will be less irritating to the skin.

ROSEMARY HYDROLATE

A pleasant herbal yet fresh scent is brought to the product by rosemary hydrolat, while this plant helps to soothe irritated skin. In addition, as mentioned above, the floral hydrolate can also be used to replace the entire proportion of demineralised water in a recipe.


If you don't like the smell of rosemary, reach for your favourite hydrolate or combine several. For irritated skin, hamamelis flower water or aloe vera juice are great. If you don't have a hydrolat on hand, use demineralised water.

GLYCERINE

An excellent water-soluble moisturizing ingredient is glycerin. This alcohol is a raw material well compatible with both aqueous and many active ingredients. In products, it helps to increase skin hydration by improving water retention in the skin.


Glycerin is a readily available raw material that is tolerated by a wide range of skin types. Alternatively, you can substitute sodium PCA with similar properties or omit it altogether and use the same proportion of demineralised water.

SYMBIO SOLV CLEAR PLUS SOLUBILIZER

Solubilisers are substances that behave similarly to emulsifiers, i.e. they allow aqueous
and oil raw materials. However, the difference is that solubilizers are designed to disperse a small amount of oils evenly in a significantly larger proportion of water. Thanks to this substance, you can prepare water-based aftershaves or perfumes in the comfort of your own home.


This substance cannot be omitted from the product, as otherwise the water and oil ingredients will not be combined. However, if you have a problem with the oil/water combination, try following the advice above to increase the solubilizer to oil ratio.

ESSENTIAL OILS

This is the part of the recipe where there are no limits to your imagination. Try essential oil blends or use just one favorite essential oil. It's up to you. We've prepared a woody blend of cedarwood and sandalwood combined with coriander and lavender. This fragrance will especially enchant gentlemen with its intense woody and earthy notes.


If you want to expand the palette of available fragrances even further , try fragrance oils. However, as with essential oils, follow the recommended maximum dosage for each oil (e.g. according to IFRA standards).

CONSERVANT

For long-term use of any water-based or water-containing product, a preservative must be used. In this case, Euxyl PE 9010 was chosen as it is well compatible with a wide range of pH values and thus suitable for beginners.


You can substitute another broad spectrum preservative, but be sure to check that it is also active at the pH of your product. Otherwise, the pH will need to be adjusted (some preservatives only work at acidic pH, so you need to add e.g. lactic acid to lower the pH).


However, be sure to add the preservative, as the product will spoil after a few days without it.

WARNING

As mentioned, you can experiment with homemade recipes to achieve the desired properties. However, many factors such as humidity, temperature, quality of ingredients and storage can affect the final result.


Before using any raw material to make a cosmetic product, familiarize yourself with its properties, recommended dosage, storage conditions or safe handling. Any raw material may have the potential to cause an allergic reaction in sensitive individuals, so before using a product, we recommend that you find out if you suffer from an allergy to any of the raw materials or the overall product, e.g. by a skin test.


If you have very sensitive or very acne-prone skin, or other skin and health problems, we recommend that you consult a medical professionalbefore applying a new product to your skin, whether it is a homemade cosmetic product, a pure raw material or a commercially available product.

AFTERSHAVE - CONCLUSION

After the tutorial and the creation of the beard balm, we also come with a tutorial on the creation of aftershave for men,
who prefer the feeling of a freshly shaved beard. We believe that aftershave with natural ingredients will not irritate the skin and will guarantee a pleasant smell.

If you make your own aftershaves or other natural beauty products, be sure to let us know how you get on and add some helpful tips too. Your messages are welcome at marketing@handymade.sk

This great tutorial on making aftershave was provided to us by Ivana Jačalová. Thank you.