Hello I was thinking of making my own aftershave/astringent solution. Has anyone ever done this with sucess? I see alcohol is a part of my Aqua Velva but can I just take any alcohol I choose? Basicly I was thinking of alcohol, glycerine and nothing else. Will that work?
I should propably have mentioned it beforehand. Witch hazel is expensive and very hard to come by here. It's a popular US product that doesn't really have it's going here. That's why I'm thinking of making my own solution.
Ja, jeg har! It is Bay Rum, but the ingredients for scent can be altered. alcohol, glycerin, witch hazel, and fragrance. you could leave out the witch hazel and even add some aloe vera. My homemade bay rum
Oh, I didn't know that. You could try a very small amount of isopropyl alcohol & glycerin to see how it feels. Give it 24 hours to make sure you don't react badly to it. If it feels OK, mix up some more. Just make note of the proportions you use, so you can repeat it or modify it.
I have pure isopropyl (2-propanol) alcohol in house and can get more for, like, very little money. So that is definitely an option. I just need a recipe that is completely scent-less. It should take part instead of my alum. HR's link in another post has scared me quite a bit, although no-one knows the ins and outs 100%. But I think, better safe than sorry later on. I can then use alum on travels instead (my no-liquid policy) as I figure few times a year wont hurt. That's another talk, back to the after shave...: Sara, do you have any idea of the ratio? The isopropyl I have is 99% pure. Great - that was actually part of another thought of mine. Since I can't get Bay rum here (yeah, I live on another planet, I know...) I'm doomed to make my own. Thanks for the recipe - it looks really exciting! Of course I'll have to ditch the WH but I figure it'll work still?
I am not sure of a ratio, as I have never tried this. I suppose I would start with a 1:1 ration & modify from there.
The glycerin available locally here is vegetable glycerin (glycerol) - is that the glycerin I'm looking for or are there wrong and right types?
Being in Denmark I just had to ask, because sometimes the products we get here is in the opposite of what the rest of the world gets Laws and stuff sometimes inhibit the locally available goods. Thanks. It's just around the corner at a favorable price also, so I don't need Amazon for this project.
Man, every recipe I find online contains WH. Enough with the WH What could substitute? I know the average American hasn't put much thought in it, because it's so easily available to you, but I can't be the only non-US citizen that needs an alternative? From what I can read, the WH counteracts the harsh alcohol, soothes the skin.
Aloe vera gel should be possible yes. Can that sub? I've actually just found something regarding WH. They call it distilled Witch Hazel, but I don't know if it's the same as eg. Thayers or the likes?
I don't know if aloe gel would work, but it is known for reducing irritation, so it might be worth a try. And distilled witch hazel is the same as what we use here. "Witch hazel" is a plant. "Distilled witch hazel" is the liquid that is extracted from it.
It's really a sad day when a penguin starts thinking about all sorts of shave potions instead of just rubbing his face in the snow. On a more serious note, I'd use as little alcohol as possible as it will a) burn and b) dry your skin. I'd even go with aloe vera juice instead of the gel b/c the gel tends to contain alcohol and depending what you buy, may also contain menthol and/or lidocaine (topical anesthetic (sp)).
Great, my troubles has been eased then. It's not cheap, per se, the WH, but it's not outrageous either as the other places I've found. Richgem, send some snow and I'll rub away
