DIY Body Spray with Essential Oils for Men

Whether you’re a man yourself or looking to make something for the man in your life, this DIY body spray with essential oils offers a naturally scented alternative to store-bought products. Inspired by men’s cologne, this quick and easy recipe takes less than 5 minutes to make, dries quickly, and features woodsy, masculine essential oil scents.

Unlike body sprays and colognes which are often made with artificial fragrance, this natural men’s body spray uses essential oils to create a fresh, woodsy scent inspired by traditional colognes.

The secret ingredient is perfumer’s alcohol, which helps create a lightweight spray that dries quickly without leaving behind a sticky residue. Meanwhile, a carefully selected blend of essential oils provides a fresh scent and natural deodorizing benefits.

With several scent blends to choose from, these fragrances may appeal to those who enjoy traditionally masculine scents, but they’re versatile enough to suit both men and women. They’re also thoughtful DIY gifts for the man in your life who prefers a more manly scent.

So whether you want to freshen up after a hot day or hard workout, or simply refresh your space, learn how to make a deodorizing spray for your body, yoga mat, gym bag, or anywhere you want to keep things smelling fresh, naturally.

DIY Body Spray Ingredients

Perfumer’s Alchohol

Unlike water-based essential oil sprays, which typically require a fragrance solubilizer to keep the oils evenly dispersed, this formula uses perfumer’s alcohol to dissolve the essential oils and keep them blended. This removes the need for a separate solubilizer while helping the fragrance last longer on the skin.

Perfumer’s alcohol also evaporates quickly, leaving behind a lightweight fragrance without a wet or sticky residue.

With an essential oil concentration of approximately 2%, this body spray is like a cologne or perfume, but lighter, with a fragrance load that falls somewhere between a body splash and a mist.

Can you make a body mist without perfumer’s alcohol?

Yes, you can. Simply replace the perfumer’s alcohol with Everclear or another high-proof alcohol or vodka. However, if it’s less than 150 proof, you’ll need to add a fragrance solubilizer such as Caprylyl/Capryl Glucoside to disperse the essential oils.

Essential Oils

For this recipe, we’re combining essential oils that not only smell good but are also known for their odor-fighting and antibacterial properties.

Our main blend, Fresh Mountain Air, creates an earthy, outdoorsy fragrance, but we’ve also included several other essential oil blends later in the article for you to experiment with if you’d like to customize your own natural body spray for men.

• Cedarwood (Virginian) Essential Oil: Unlike Atlas Cedarwood, which is sharper, and Himalayan Cedarwood, which is milder, Virginian Cedarwood has a rich, dry aroma with a pleasantly smoky, earthy depth. This unique oil’s rugged character is ideal for masculine perfumery, helping create a sophisticated scent profile that emulates some high-end designer colognes. Think leather jackets and smoke, if that’s your thing.
• BO Be Gone Essential Oil Blend: BO Be Gone has a pleasantly fresh scent that works well for both women and men. Its grounding Patchouli and Sandalwood notes are balanced by Lavender, Ylang-ylang, and Sweet Orange, creating a well-rounded fragrance that isn’t overly floral or earthy. Plus, it contains a combination of essential oils known for their odor-fighting properties, making it excellent for deodorant spray.
• Black Pepper Essential Oil: This potent oil adds an bold, spicy note to the body mist, with a peppery kick that’s also slightly smoky. It lends complexity and interest to the fragrance, similar to the more layered aroma profiles found in popular men’s body sprays, which often combine notes of cedarwood and spice.
• Eucalyptus (Globulus) Essential Oil: Store-bought body mists with “ice,” “chill,” or “refresh” in their scent names often include eucalyptus. Crisp, cooling, and herbaceous, eucalyptus helps deodorize and neutralize odor-causing bacteria while adding a refreshing kick. Beyond this recipe, it also pairs perfectly with our deodorizing eucalyptus soap recipe.

Fresh Mountain Air Essential Oil Blend

• 5 drops BO Be Gone Essential Oil Blend
• 4 drops Virginian Cedarwood Essential Oil
• 2 drops Black Pepper Essential Oil
• 1 drop Eucalyptus Globulus Essential Oil

Inspired by Simply Earth’s Mountain Air blend, this earthy, outdoorsy fragrance has a masculine edge and a crisp, invigorating quality reminiscent of fresh mountain air.

It features smoky Virginian Cedarwood, Sandalwood, and Patchouli as grounding base notes and fixatives, while a touch of Black Pepper adds warmth and boldness.

Small amounts of Ylang-Ylang and Lavender add subtle floral undertones that soften the blend, and just one drop of purifying Eucalyptus balances the deeper woodsy base with a hint of invigorating fresh herbs.

DIY Body Spray with Essential Oils (Fresh Mountain Air)

• 2 Tbsp (1oz) Perfumer’s Alcohol (see substitutions)
• 5 drops BO Be Gone Essential Oil Blend
• 4 drops Virginian Cedarwood Essential Oil
• 2 drops Black Pepper Essential Oil
• 1 drop Eucalyptus Globulus Essential Oil

Supplies

Glass spray bottle or perfume bottle
Small funnel

Directions

1. Add the essential oils directly into your glass body mist bottle and swirl gently to combine the blend.
2. Use a small funnel to add the perfumer’s alcohol (or high-proof alcohol of choice).
3. Replace the mister cap and twist tightly. Then, give the bottle a vigorous shake to fully incorporate the essential oil blend.
4. Spritz the finished body mist lightly on pulse points such as the wrists, ankles, and underarms, or a light spritz in your hair. Remember to shake well before each use.

Recipe Notes

• Alcohol Substitutions: You can substitute perfumer’s alcohol with Everclear, vodka, or another high-proof alcohol. For a more luxurious option, try sweet-smelling, 100% organic sugarcane alcohol or grape alcohol.
• Resting the Blend: While you can use your body spray immediately, its fragrance will develop over time as the top, middle, and base notes fully meld and mature in the blend. For best results, let it cure for 24 hours before using it for the first time.
• Allergy Test: Before your first use, and especially if you have sensitive skin or allergies, perform a patch test on your wrist to check for reactions or essential oil sensitivity.
• Storage: As with any essential oil spray, store the mist in a cool, dark cupboard away from light and moisture. While clear glass bottles look nice, dark glass or UV-protective glass is technically preferred to protect fragile essential oils from light exposure. Use a glass spray bottle rather than plastic to help prevent the oils from eroding the plastic over time.
• Shelf Life: This body mist can last up to 24 months when stored properly, though its exact shelf life will depend on the freshness of your essential oils.
• Safety: Avoid contact with the eyes and keep the mist out of reach of children. If you’re pregnant or under the care of a physician, consult your doctor before using any DIY recipe containing essential oils.

How to use this Deodorizing Body Mist

Beyond using it as a scented body mist, there are many other ways you can use this recipe to freshen your surroundings and belongings:

• Deodorant Spray: While it won’t stop sweat, this mist’s high alcohol content and special blend of oils help combat body odor-causing bacteria, keeping you feeling fresher longer.
• Air Freshener: Skip those toxic store-brand room sprays, aerosols, or plug-ins. Spritz this mist into the air to instantly refresh your bedroom, bathroom, or other spaces.
• Gear Spray: Neutralize odors in stale gym bags and on yoga mats by giving them a light mist.
• Cooling Mist: Spritz lightly onto your skin to help you cool down on hot or humid days while enjoying its deodorizing benefits. Just avoid spraying it on your face.
• Linen Freshener: This body mist can also be used to freshen up linens and clothing. A light spritz is all you need.
• Sneaker Spray: Refresh smelly sneakers or gym shoes with a quick, odor-busting spritz.

More Essential Oil Blends for Men

If you’re looking for more masculine-inspired fragrance combinations for a men’s body spray, here are some other pre-made blends to try. You can use these recipes as written, or mix and match the essential oils to create your own custom scent.

For a more in-depth discussion or other ideas for oils to use in a body mist, see our post on the best odor-fighting essential oils.

Vanilla Woods

• 5 drops Virginian Cedarwood Essential Oil
• 5 drops Vanilla Woods Essential Oil Blend
• 2 drops Black Pepper Essential Oil

Vanilla Woods is a unique blend of Peru Balsam, Benzoin, and Vanilla Oleoresin. It offers more depth than a straightforward vanilla scent without smelling like a generic bakery fragrance, making it ideal for men’s essential oil blends. Combined with cedarwood and spice, it adds rich sweetness with a subtle molasses-like undertone.

Wildwood Citrus Spice

• 5 drops Lava Essential Oil Blend
• 4 drops Virginian Cedarwood Essential Oil
• 1 drop Black Pepper Essential Oil
• 1 drop Bergamot Essential Oil

Lava is an uplifting, energizing blend combining Grapefruit, Blood Orange, Ho Wood, and Sandalwood essential oils. Its fruity notes are balanced by a rugged, slightly smoky base, creating a rich, layered aroma reminiscent of a luxury perfume or cologne.

Timberline

• 6 drops Timber Essential Oil Blend
• 3 drops Virginian Cedarwood Essential Oil
• 2 drop Bergamot Essential Oil

Ideal for masculine scented body mist, Timber is a carefully crafted blend of Cedarwood, Cypress, Mandarin, Patchouli, Peru Balsam, and Sandalwood essential oils that smells like a designer cologne right out of the bottle. It can be used alone or as part of a blend, blending well with other wood, tree, and citrus oils for a masculine scent.

Cedar and Smoke

• 5 drops Virginian Cedarwood Essential Oil
• 3 drops Autumn Air Essential Oil Blend
• 2 drops Juniper Berry Essential Oil
• 1 drop Bergamot Essential Oil
• 1 drop Black Pepper Essential Oils

Autumn Air combines Lemon, Orange, Balsam Fir, Ho Wood, and Cassia Essential Oils for a unique scent that’s reminiscent of fallen leaves and crisp fall air. Complemented by smoky Virginian Cedarwood, Black Pepper and a hint of fresh, subtly musky Juniper Berry, it’s an outdoorsy fragrance that evokes a forest in autumn.

More Natural Fragrance and Aromatherapy Recipes

For more ways to naturally banish odors and scent your skin, you might also like these aromatherapy recipes:

• DIY Essential Oil Deodorant Sprays
• Cotton Candy Perfume Spray
• Sugar Cookie Body Oil
• Sugar Plum Perfume Recipe
• Lavender Sleep Spray

For even more naturally scented essential oil recipes, follow us on Pinterest, Instagram, YouTube, Facebook, TikTok, and Twitter.

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