Homemade aftershave

Another bottle runs out, another recipe is tried in an effort to reduce our dependence on mass-produced goods and chemicals...

I got the base recipe for homemade aftershave here.  I recommend reading the original, since it gives some good background on the various ingredients and their uses/benefits.  I twisted the recipe around somewhat, as you'll see if you compare what's below with the original.

Here what I used:

2 cups of witch hazel extract
1/4 c dark rum (2 oz)
1 cinnamon stick
6 cloves
5 bay leaves
1/2 tsp aloe
1/2 tsp glycerin
25 drops bay rum oil (about 1/4 tsp)
8 drops neroli essential oil (10% dilution)

Put everything into a jar.  Cover, shake well, and let it sit for a month, shaking it every day or so (I probably achieved weekly and it seems none the worse for it).  Strain and bottle (I didn't think that straining it through a sieve was good enough to remove all the little bits, so I strained it through a paper towel laid inside a sieve).

Apply to face after shaving, about a teaspoon per time.

It feels and smells great, and I like the fact that most everything in it came from our kitchen.  I wouldn't drink it, but I like that I could if I wanted with little fear of getting sick -- I wouldn't try that with the store-bought stuff!