Hi all, Here's another thread I also started on Badger & Blade, but I figured some of you might be interested as well. I hope you don't mind. After looking for some homemade Bay Rum recipes, I decided to give it a go. My recipe is largely based on some others I found on the Badger & Blade-forum and elsewhere, more specifically this one and this one. I've never smelled actual Bay Rum, so I'm not quite sure if my recipe smells like traditional bay rum, but I really like the smell of mine, as do my friends. Alfons' Bay Rhum You'll need: 200mL alcohol (I used 94% grain alcohol, though pure ethanol or perfumer's alcohol is preferred) 3 cloves 1,8g fresh lime zest 1,8g fresh orange zest 40 drops of witch hazel tincture (not sure about the concentration, add to taste) 10 dried allspice berries (or ca. 30 drops of Pimenta racemosa (Bay leaf) essential oil) 0,8g of dried cinnamon (I pinched off a small piece of a cinnamon stick) A pinch of dried rosemary A pinch of freshly ground ginger 450mL water 0,6g allantoin 5 drops of pure glycerin Procedure: Put the alcohol in a glass jar Add cloves, allspice (or Pimenta oil), lime zest, orange zest and witch hazel Let rest for about 9 days, shaking occasionaly In another jar, put 450mL of water, together with the glycerin & allantoin. Shake well. Add the contents of the water/glycerin/allantoin jar to the alcohol jar, together with the cinnamon, rosemary and ginger. Shake well. Let rest for a day or two. Filter through a coffee filter, put in a glass bottle, make a nice label, and apply! The result is a refreshing aftershave with a great smell. The allantoin and witch hazel should greatly reduce any irritation from shaving, and together with the glycerin should result in a soothing & moisturizing aftershave!
So I tried this recipe out a few days ago. And well results so far are really inconclusive seeing how it's only been a few days. But I did a little reading on making aftershaves and nearly everyone says to store in a dark place wile everything infuses into the liquid. Or use a dark colored bottle. Why? I keep thinking about Summer Sun Tea brewed on the windowsill. I would think it's the same premise, right? Quite a few sites say to put the concoction into the fridge. Will something spoil and mess everything up if I leave it out? Also why is in this recipe step 5 necessary? why can't you mix it all together at the same time? Thanks for any insight. C. S. Budzi
I don't see any Bay in this. Shouldn't it have bay berries, bay oil, or something similar to add the bay scent? To Budzi - The separate jars are because the alcohol will extract oils better when more concentrated. Maybe other reasons also, but that's the big one AFAIK. The dark environment is because UV rays can change some chemicals and might cause unwanted changes given the spices chosen (sorry, don't know specifics on this case). Sun tea doesn't mind the UV, but that a plant specific thing.
I used a dark bottle as well. I'm not sure about the fridge thing; I kept mine at room temperature. I made a couple of different batches and tweaked my original recipe somewhat by adding some more bay oil, keeping out the lemon & lime zests, adding extra cinnamon,... Some smell better than others, so you don't be afraid to experiment yourself! This is because allantoin is more soluble in water than it is in alcohol, and even more in water + glycerin (see page 3 on this site (google cache)) The step makes sure that all the allantoin can easily be dissolved. Bay laurel is not the same as the Bay rum tree where bay rum is made from. If you can get Pimenta racemosa oil, that'll work best. However, Allspice (Pimenta dioica) berries belong to the same plant family as the West Indian Bay tree and have a similar scent, so can be used as well.
Definitely gonna try my hand at it!! Since I make my own beer, might give a try to making my own bay rum. As with all recipes...finding the right quality ingredients is always the key to a successful product (plus a great deal of patience!!) Take care all!!! Nick
This looks like a good recepie Alfons, may I ask where you can get allantoin? I am in Ireland and can't find it anywhere....
I don't know where to get it in Ireland, but assuming it is approved for international transport from China to Ireland, buy it here: http://www.bulkactives.com/allantoin.htm
Well I can't find the link now. BUT: http://www.mpbio.com/product_info.p...77&selecttab=&family_key=05206440&country=103 Once there, you are presented a link to buy through a local distributor page, which takes you here: http://www.mpbio.com/distributors.php?osCsid=336b5e5761c2d958f0bf37ccc23e4834
thanks again jeff. I found some a little closer to home too. Don't know how i missed this one in past searches: http://www.aromantic.co.uk/buy-allantoin-powder-uk.htm
Would it be possible to make this recipe without the alcohol? Something like replacing it with witch hazel was what I was thinking, but is there something that would be wrong with that?
