Whether you deal with ingrown hairs or irritated skin, DIY aftershave can help! By making your own aftershave, you can rule out unwanted harsh ingredients or artificial fragrances that can do even more damage to your skin. Essential oils can help you get the shaving results you want…the natural way! 

This DIY aftershave recipe is customizable depending on your skin type and needs. Let’s get started. 

Choose Your Aftershave Base 

First, it’s important to carefully choose your base. You don’t want to use a product that will clog your pores or irritate your skin. If you’re in a hurry, an easy option is to use a mild, fragrance-free, non-comedogenic lotion that you’ve already tested on your newly shaved skin. All you’ll do is add essential oils to this lotion and apply to skin a few minutes after shaving. 

For a totally natural and botanical aftershave, you can try aloe vera – which is very soothing, or jojoba oil – which is very moisturizing and similar to your skin’s natural sebum. Another mild and nourishing base is Vitamin E oil. You can just mix your essential oils with a few teaspoons of any of these carrier oils and apply to newly shaven skin. Some experts recommend letting your skin rest for 10-15 minutes after shaving before applying aftershave to let pores close and reduce the risk of irritation. 

Which Essential Oils to Use for DIY Aftershave? 

Next, you can choose which essential oils to add to your DIY aftershave. It’s important to choose oils that won’t irritate or burn your skin, while also choosing oils that help your skin recover and feel (and look) great after shaving. Here are a few great options, and remember that you can mix and match! 

Tea Tree – Antibacterial and antifungal. Because tea tree oil disinfects and calms skin, it’s also a great treatment for ingrown hairs and razor burn, in addition to helping prevent these irritations. 

Lavender – Calming and soothing, can help reduce redness. Lavender is antiseptic and anti-inflammatory. 

Frankincense – Helps soothe the skin and promote anti-aging benefits. 

Cedarwood – Antibacterial and antifungal properties. Can help soothe irritation, redness, and itchiness. 

Add about 5 drops of essential oils per teaspoon of carrier oil or lotion base. If your skin responds well, next time you can increase the essential oil ratio if you want. 

You can also make a DIY spray aftershave with witch hazel and a few drops of vitamin E oil or aloe vera gel. Fill a small glass spray bottle ¾ of the way with witch hazel, then add 5-10 drops of aloe gel or vitamin E oil. Next, add 10-20 drops of essential oils and shake well to mix. You might want to test this spray on a small area first, as some people find witch hazel irritating to freshly-shaved skin. 

Here’s to a great shave, and an even better aftershave!