Comments on: DIY Bay Rum Aftershave

By: Lawrence Wright

Lawrence Wright — Tue, 04 Jun 2013 23:40:52 +0000

How could you call your recipe “Bay Rum” if you don’t use those 2 important ingredients.although I’m sure there are a lot of combinations for after shave recipes that will smell great. Rum has a unique flavor and odor of its own. Try this test at a bar or party some. Get 4 people to help you. Have one person drink slowly a shot of rum, one person a shot of whiskey, one person a shot of vodka, and one person a swig of beer. (Now this is before theyve had any drinks) then smell there breath.you will be able to tell the difference I obtained my first bottle of Bay Rum in the early 70′s, and have always wanted more. It was in a short brown bottle, shaped like a rum barrel. I do not remember the brand. But now I’m going to making some.

By: HOWARD STEEL

HOWARD STEEL — Fri, 10 May 2013 15:28:11 +0000

DOES ANYONE KNOW THE EFFECT OR USE OF MAGNESIUM POWDER ADDED TO BAY RHUM FORMULA. THANK YOU

By: Kelly

Kelly — Mon, 15 Apr 2013 01:24:56 +0000

I sell bay leaves. And bay essential oil at super affordable prices. How’ 4 oz of bay leaves for $4.50 sound. :) The real deal and this is not a scam. I am a soap maker and I sell supplies to soapers. Email to riverhousebotanicals we can do paypal. My soap page on facebook is Riverhouse Bath and Body.

By: jayne

jayne — Fri, 05 Apr 2013 12:24:10 +0000

Just ordered my 30 leaves from Thummim Farms down in Barbados. Should take about one month to arrive here in the north. Had to try the real thing before going the essential oil route. Was told by the owner (manager?) that adding glycerine would “fix” the sc ent. Loss of scent is an issue with soap, so I do not doubt what he says. The cost was $28.50 with shipping included. Also was advised to add the essential oil at the end of the process to adjust the scent to my liking. Both glycerine and essental oil can be purchased readily through http://www.thesage.com or http://www.libertynaturals.com. Very excited for product to arrive. Regarding the addition of tobacco, this, too, can be purchased as a fragrance oil or maybe even a n essential oil. Try http://www.wellingtonfragrance.com.

By: Lisa

Lisa — Sun, 31 Mar 2013 06:20:47 +0000

Meagan,
Oils, such as essential oils, coconut oil, even cooking oils, can oxidize or go rancid when exposed to air, light, heat, metal ions, and enzymes called lipoxygenases.
Vitamin E acts as an antioxidant, which will keep the oils in your aftershave from going bad and help extend shelf-life. Check out the .pdf on Lipid Oxidation from Ohio State’s Food Science department for more info.

By: Gilbert Henry

Gilbert Henry — Mon, 25 Mar 2013 02:13:31 +0000

Essential oils are definitely the preferred ingredient for a consistent (natural) product. Otherwise, there is no way to know exactly how much of each ingredient is making its way into the finished product.

By: Joseph

Joseph — Fri, 08 Mar 2013 22:27:27 +0000

EDIT
After commenting to Burt’s Bees that they were nuts for discontinuing their Bay Rum products, I took matters into my own hands.
I am researching various recipes and approaches and have started my first batches. First of all gents, it is virtually impossible to find the fresh or dried leaf. None of the natural foods stores or herbalists around my area have them…or have even heard of pimenta racemosa. I’ve tried contacting natural foods stores and herbalists in Florida thinking that the trees actually grow there but nobody seems to have any idea of how to get the leaves- although nurseries sell small trees at reasonable cost…if you’re ever driving around down there and want to pick one up- they are available. Maybe you want to start a farm to supply all this pent-up demand? (they won’t grow anywhere north of southern Florida- Southern California though).

The bay laurel leaf sold for cooking, to my mind, just does not smell right for this application. The word “bay” is the only similarity as far as I can tell. Maybe because I use it in soups and cooking; it just smells like “where’s the chicken?!” So that’s out for me.

I did find one online source for the leaves but $22.50 for 30 leaves (PLUS shipping) is just a bit crazy for something that’s legal. Also, although they say “30 leaves, they also call it 20 tea bags in the same description. So go figure. Link below.
http://www.thummimfarms.com/item/simply-fresh-tropical-teas/west-indian-bay-leaves-pimenta/lid=15611374
(Thummim Farms)

Anyway, unless you’re in the Dominican Republic, Jamaica or at least Florida, and have a tree field guide and some time to explore, you ain’t gonna get leaves. So next on the list for me is Aura Cacia Bay Oil (pimenta racemosa). Pretty affordable. Check amazon. Also, if yo ugo into a whole foods store/coop, they often have a little display rack of tiny bottles of essential oil from this (and other ) companies. The big benefit is obviously that you can crack them open and smell them. Some possibilities on my list for various blends are (aside from bay oil):
Patchouli
Cedar Oil (yes!)
Sandalwood (pricey)
Frankincense (nice…PRICEY!)
Clary Oil
Lemongrass
Orange
Balsam Fir Needle Oil
Clove Oil

Plus: Grated Ginger, Juniper Berries, whole cinnamon, whole allspice…

good enough to eat!

Everclear (about 190 proof alcohol) is available in liquor stores in some states. I know in Rhode Island it is just sold off the shelf. In Vermont it is semi-legal. As long as you claim you are not using it to drink, and fill out a form stating this, you can purchase for around $11/liter I think.

Recipes call for varying proportions of alcohol/rum/water. Or just alcohol:water if you’re dealing with other fragrances. Seems you want a good base of alcohol for blending the oils and then thin it back with distilled water. Adding a few drops of glycerine is supposed to “fix” the essence and preserve the shelf life.

Disappointing that there’s really no leaf available but there are several manufacturer’s of bay oil out there so don’t despair

I’m also going to try to replicate the “lotion” quality of Burt’s Bees Aftershave Balm. I’ll report back after I’ve made some progress..

By: Corry Geale

Corry Geale — Fri, 08 Mar 2013 09:48:38 +0000

I came across Bay Rum when it was recommended by the cat breeder for my (quite hairless) Devon Rex cat – so it is harmless, and smells wonderful. I now want to make Bay Rum soap – I’ll be hunting for the essential oil in Brisbane, Australia.
Great fun and some science lessons in the comments above. Love it.

By: Kerry Maxwell

Kerry Maxwell — Mon, 28 Jan 2013 04:21:26 +0000

Been pondering making my own Bay Rum for some time, so picked up a bottle of Humco for reference. Richard Rivers above cautions against denatonium (bitrex), which this contains as a denaturant, but I can find nothing that indicates a health risk. It did get me thinking about incorporating gentian root or bitters into any home recipe I arrive at. In a addition to ginger, some of the more off-the-wall ideas I have are for celery root, kelp , dried shiitakes and Lapsang Souchong. Probably not all at once.

By: Steve

Steve — Wed, 09 Jan 2013 20:00:52 +0000

If you want to find a good bay rum with a traditional scent, look into Ogalalla Bay Rum. They have aftershave, deoderant, shave soap, etc..
They’re worth the look.