How to Make DIY Cologne - easy men's cologne recipe

How to Make DIY Cologne | Easy Men’s Cologne Recipe

Did you know that you can make your own cologne that smells just like your favorite designer brands? High-end cologne can be incredibly expensive, but thankfully, it’s easier than you think to make your own great-smelling cologne and body spray at home. And the best part? DIY cologne is a fraction of the cost, and we bet no one will even be able to tell the difference! Follow along as we make this super easy DIY cologne recipe that you can customize with any fragrance you like.

How to Make Cologne at Home

It’s beyond easy to make your own cologne. All you need is some of our Perfume & Cologne Base, a fragrance oil of your choice, spray bottles and a few tools. Alternatively, you can also use Body & Room Spray Base to make your own colognes. To make DIY cologne, you simply mix fragrance with the Perfume & Cologne Base, then pour it into a spray bottle. That’s it!

The only difficult part of this project is choosing what fragrance oil to use. We have tons of great masculine fragrance oils to choose from, including a large selection of cologne duplications from your favorite brands. Here are some of our favorite cologne fragrance oils:

Other masculine scents you might like for a DIY men's body spray include:

how to make cologne

Supplies & Ingredients*

* Quantities are not specified in the ingredient list so that you can make as much or as little cologne as you like. The instructions will explain how to add the correct ratio of fragrance oil to your cologne formula.

Step-by-Step Instructions for Making DIY Cologne

The process of making DIY cologne is very easy. However, there is a little math involved. These instructions explain how to calculate the correct amount of fragrance oil to use depending on the total amount of cologne you want to make.

Part 1: Calculating Your Fragrance Load

  1. Choose a fragrance oil and refer to its IFRA statement (provided on the product page).
  2. Look for the “Perfume” category to determine the maximum amount of fragrance oil you can safely use. You may find it's unnecessary to use the full amount of fragrance allowed for the Perfume category. In fact, true cologne uses just a 2-4% fragrance load. In any case, it is important not to exceed the maximum level allowed. Furthermore, note that the Perfume & Cologne Base can only hold up to 30% fragrance.
  3. Decide how many total ounces of cologne you wish to make.
  4. Determine how many ounces of fragrance oil and Base you need. To calculate how much fragrance you need, multiply the total amount of cologne by the percent of fragrance you want to use. Next, figure out how many ounces of Base you need by subtracting the ounces of fragrance from the total ounces of cologne you want to make.

Example: For this tutorial, I want to make a 2.5 oz bottle of Drakkar Noir (type) cologne. This fragrance can be used at 15.44% in the Perfume category, and I’m choosing to use the maximum amount allowed. To yield a 2.5 oz bottle of cologne, I’ll need 0.38 oz of fragrance and 2.12 oz of Cologne Base (2.5 oz x 0.1544 = 0.38 oz fragrance; 2.5 oz total cologne – 0.38 oz fragrance = 2.12 oz Cologne Base).

Simple Formula:

Total ounces of cologne X fragrance load percent = ounces of fragrance needed

Total ounces of cologne – ounces of fragrance needed = ounces of Cologne Base needed

It’s easy to adjust your recipe to make as much or as little cologne as you want. Simply determine the total ounces of cologne you wish to make and calculate the percentages accordingly. Remember that regardless of the percent of fragrance allowed in the Perfume category, the Perfume & Cologne Base can hold a maximum of 30% fragrance.

Also keep in mind you do not need to use the maximum amount of fragrance allowed in the Perfume category, nor do you need to use the maximum amount of fragrance that the Base can hold. We recommend making a small test batch to determine your ideal fragrance load. Make a tester bottle for each new fragrance you want to use, as every fragrance is different.

Note: This recipe uses "Cologne" as a general term to describe this men's body spray. True eau de cologne is made with a fragrance load of only 2-4%. Read our blog on the different types of perfume & cologne to learn more about what makes each one different.

Steps for Making DIY Cologne

Part 2: Mixing Your Cologne

After calculating the amount of Perfume & Cologne Base and fragrance oil to use, follow these steps.

  1. Set your funnel pitcher on the digital scale and tare it to zero.
  2. Pour the Perfume & Cologne Base into the funnel pitcher.
  3. Add the fragrance oil to the funnel pitcher. You may find it helps to use a plastic pipette to transfer the fragrance oil neatly.
  4. Stir the mixture with a whisk.
  5. Pour the mixture into your spray bottle(s) and put on the cap. Tip: If making multiple bottles of cologne, you can place the bottles on the scale to ensure the same amount goes into each bottle. Tare the scale to zero before pouring so that you are able to fill each bottle to the same level.
  6. Label the bottle(s) accordingly. See Perfume & Cologne Base product page for applicable information.
  7. Your DIY cologne is now ready to use!

DIY men's cologne

We love this project because it’s so easy to do, while also helping you save money on designer cologne. With this men's cologne recipe, you can make as many different types of cologne as you want! Although the cost of this project varies depending on the quantity you make and the fragrance you choose, it’s hands-down the most affordable cologne option out there.

NorthWood is not responsible for any products that you make with our supplies or recipes.

Did you try this tutorial? Tell us how your cologne turned out in the comments below, or share your project on social media with #MadeWithNorthWood. We’d love to see what you made! 

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