Now’s the perfect time to start making gifts for the father figures in your life! We have a lot of fun ideas that are perfect for any guy in your life. Check out our favorite fragrances and project ideas below.
DIY Beer-Scented Soap
Beer fragrance oil is a very popular choice for soapmakers. With just a few supplies, you can whip up a unique batch of soap that anyone will love using.
What you’ll need:
- 1 fl oz Beer Fragrance Oil
- 1 Mix & Pour Funnel Pitcher
- 2 lbs Melt & Pour Soap Base such as Premium Extra Clear Soap Base
- Soap mold of your choice, such as these basic rectangle soap molds
- Optional: Straight Edge Soap Cutter or Wavy Soap Cutter
- 2-4 micro scoops of mica colorant, such as Bronze or Red Gold
- Small amount of rubbing alcohol
It’s super easy to make soap from a Melt & Pour base. Start by using a soap cutter to slice the soap base into more manageable pieces that are easier to melt down. Soap base can be melted in a microwave-safe dish, in a double-boiler pot or even in a crockpot. Once your base is melted, put it into your Mix & Pour Funnel Pitcher (or another container with a spout).
If you’re using a mica colorant, now is the time to prep it. In a small container, combine 2-4 micro scoops of mica with a splash of rubbing alcohol and stir until the powder is well mixed. Pour this colored mixture to your melted soap base and stir. Additional mica can be added for a more intense color. You can also add mica powder directly to melted soap, but it’s easier to make a liquid mixture with glycerin first.
Next, add the Beer Fragrance Oil. The recommended amount of fragrance is about .3 fl oz per pound of soap. If making 2 lbs of soap, start by adding just over ½ fl oz to the mixture. You can use up to ¾ fl oz for a stronger smelling soap, but make sure you add the fragrance slowly.
Finally, pour the soap mixture into your soap molds. Normally, it’s recommended that you spritz the top of your soap bars with rubbing alcohol after you pour them into the mold. This is done to prevent bubbles on the surface, which are especially visible in clear soap bases. However, if you’re making beer scented soap, we think the bubbles just make it look more authentic!
Once your soap is completely cured, pop it out of the molds and package it in an attractive gift box, such as our Kraft Soap Boxes. Kraft paper boxes can easily be stamped, labeled or decorated in other ways to give your gifts a polished look.
Scented Body Spray
Did you know we have a huge selection of perfume and cologne duplications? You never have to drop a ton of money on high-end perfume again once you start making your own! It’s incredibly easy to make DIY body spray that smells just as good—if not better—than cologne you can buy in the store.
To make body spray, you’ll need some of our Body & Room Spray Base and a few ounces of your favorite cologne scent and a spritz bottle for packaging your cologne. Choose from some of our top selling men’s fragrances below or browse our entire collection of masculine fragrance oils.
- Burberry for Men Type
- Chrome Legend by Azzaro Type
- Drakkar for Men Type
- Ed Hardy for Men Type
- Fifty Shades
- Guess for Men Type
- Mahogany Teakwood
- The Gentleman
The amount of fragrance oil you need depends on how much body spray you want to make. For body spray, we recommend using a ratio of 2-5% fragrance oil to spray base by weight. You can add more fragrance oil for an even stronger smelling spray. Check out our tutorial on making room and body spray for more detailed instructions.
DIY Beard Oil
Beard oil is an awesome self-care product that moisturizes skin while keeping beards looking their best. There are tons of beard oil recipes to choose from, so it’s fun to experiment with different combinations of carrier oils and fragrances. Here’s one great mixture for a carrier oil:
- 5 parts sweet almond oil
- 2 parts argan oil
- 2 parts castor oil
- 1 part jojoba oil
Once your beard oil base is mixed, you can leave it unscented or make it more interesting with a few drops of essential oils or even skin-safe fragrance oils. Many essential oils are great for skin health, and some can even promote beard growth. Eucalyptus Essential Oil is a great fresh-smelling oil, but it also helps stimulate hair follicles and has antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory properties that make it great for skincare.
Many of our fragrance oils are great for beard oil too. Cedarwood & Amber, Twilight Woods (BBW type) or Teak & Tobacco are a few great fragrances to try for beard oil. While all of these fragrances are skin safe, be sure to check the IFRA statements for specific usage information.
When adding fragrance oils or essential oils to your beard oil base, start with 4-6 drops, then test how strong your beard oil smells. Plastic pipettes work great for measuring out a few drops of oil. If working with essential oils, just keep in mind that plastic may degrade with prolonged exposure to the oil.
For maximum shelf life, beard oil should be stored in an amber glass bottle or other dark-colored bottle.