Ok, this is an odd question…..

VikingChick · Dec 20, 2023

…but has anyone ever tried using cologne as a fragrance oil for lotion? My daughter is here and we’re wanting to make some lotion for her husband. He loves Polo cologne and we plan to get some for him…and then I thought, could we make Polo-scented lotion for him? I’ve honestly never considered it, and a quick google search doesn’t reveal much. So I thought I’d ask y’all’s opinions! Google did tell me that cologne is approximately 2-5% FO/EO. Would I account for that extra 95-98% in my oil phase, do you think? I guess I could do my calculations such that the 2% equals the customary 1% of FO that I’d use...

AliOop · Dec 20, 2023

My concern would be the amount of alcohol in the cologne, which could be very drying on the skin.

If you do try it, make a very small batch first. Based on the ingredient list, I'd take a guess at how much extra water the amount of cologne needed will add to the recipe, and subtract as much of that as possible from the water phase (making for a thick cream instead of a lotion).

After everything else has been emulsified and cooled to about 140F, then try blending in the cologne. That should be warm enough for some of the alcohol to evaporate, and hopefully keep the emulsion stable, as well.

In case the results aren't what you want, WSP has Polo Red for Men.

VikingChick · Dec 21, 2023

Ah, true - I didn’t think about the alcohol in cologne (clearly I have no idea what’s in cologne….i guess figuring that out should be step one). The FO does seem like an easier choice.

Thanks!

nadsnads · Dec 22, 2023

I usually make a thick body cream for everyday use. I'll make a big unscented batch and scent smaller quantities as i go through it.

I often use my favorite perfume as a scent. I'll typically only use a few spray pumps on a 3oz jar, so the quantity added is way below .5%. Since my body cream is thick, it doesn't cause any issues with the emulsion stability, and since the quantity is so small I'm not worried about diluting the preservative.

I'd recommend making a small quantity at a time, and using "eau de parfum" over "eau de toilette" since perfume is much stronger and you'll need less of it.

Of course the much better and safe to gift option would be to find the matching fragrance oil. If you look up "polo type fragrance oil" you can easily find several suppliers. Make sure you do your research on the supplier though, they don't all deliver the same quality.

not_ally · Dec 22, 2023

If you decide to use an FO, I would check Save on Scents, they do a LOT of dupe FOs. I think the closeness of the match may vary, you can order a sample pack of five very small sample/sniffie vials of different FOs for less than $10, I think (it's been a while since I've ordered from them). I have worn Jo Malone's Lime Basil Mandarin for years, and their FO is an amazing, close match, I use it to make body butter/lotion and now just skip the actual perfume.

ETA: I always order in the "extreme" strength. Expensive, but you don't use much of it in making B&B stuff. They have reviews on most of the scents as well, although it is not as important (w/r/t morphing in use, acceleration, etc.) in cream/lotion as it is with soap, of course. You mostly want to see if people think it matches the original. In your case I'd get one of the sniffie sample sets and see what you think.