Menthol in a Citrus based Aftershave

[todras]

Hello folks, I thought I would ask you all about your menthol preferences, I am working on a very nice summer citrus scent, it has more fine top note citrus than you can poke a stick at and if you like nice acidic, clean and refreshing citrus when it gets warm it will be just the thing.

I have sourced a variety of exotic citrus scents from all over the place (Around 7 or 8 for the , the plus side being is that due to increased quantities and the nature of citrus accords the scent will be less costly to produce than say Alfredus Choice or GL.

So menthol: Some people like menthol, some people love menthol, some like a lot, some like a little and some cannot stand it at all.

I have opened a poll to get your thoughts, my current thinking is that due to the wide variability in Menthol preference I may just provide a free 5ml bottle of menthol so that people can add their own preferred quantity OR provide the option to people to have a quantity of menthol put in their aftershave by me prior to sending it out (free of charge). If I do provide a bottle of menthol and people go overboard with it I am concerned that it may not work out so well

Thoughts, comments, ideas, really welcome...sometimes a little menthol in Summer is just the ticket

 

[nsavage]

I really enjoy abbot of menthol in all of my after shaves so an easy choice for me.

 

[Korbz]

I was going to ask if you had tried menthol in any of your splashes, or if you had a recommended dosage to add?

 

[nathan1983]

I am definitely not a menth head as some others are, but in the QLD summer when the act of lathering raises a sweat a bit of menthol goes down nicely especially if its linked to a fresh citrus scent.

I agree on your thoughts about leaving the addition of menthol to the splash up to the end user. It could end up poorly reflecting on the product as i'm sure I would stuff it up given the chance

 

[todras]

I was going to ask if you had tried menthol in any of your splashes, or if you had a recommended dosage to add?

I have not added any myself to my splashes, but the safe and recommended range for application to the face is 0.2% to 0.6% total vol to solution.

You can do the numbers here

 

[borked]

Not dismissing you by any means, yet is it not 2-5% of the volume weight?
I utilise 5-10% of total volume weight in my personal items.

 

[Sxot]

Methol. Always menthol. When in doubt, add menthol!

 

[Sxot]

It is my understanding, and I could be wrong - very wrong, is that menthol addition can/will/may effect the aftershave in an unintended manner. I would prefer to buy a mentholated A/S so that I know the vendor's intended scent and performance is guanateed, and not effected in any way due to a post production menthol addition... and the more the merrier.

I would be very interested in such an A/S because I already have a number of citrus soaps (SH Citrus Garden is top of the list) that are begging for an accompanying splash.

May I recommend lots of lime. Oh, and sage goes nicely with it too.

 

[todras]

Not dismissing you by any means, yet is it not 2-5% of the volume weight?
I utilise 5-10% of total volume weight in my personal items.

Depending on your source of menthol (oil or crystal) and what you consider safe - yes absolutely you can go right up to a much higher percentage. I need to be careful though if I have a product that people buy as I can be held responsible - probably disappointing to you now that I see your special banner and one of the reasons I was considering giving people their own menthol to add themselves.

Also 5% to 10% menthol is bloody strong - way, way too strong for me

It is my understanding, and I could be wrong - very wrong, is that menthol addition can/will/may effect the aftershave in an unintended manner.

Yes, that is why I am canvassing the idea, if in my testing it effects the scent in any way, shape or form that is undesirable I won't be adding or offering it. If you are knocking out fragrance oil based splash at $15 a bottle then sure, go for it but for what I have planned and the quantity and quality of EO's I will be using I just can't use it if I observe an effect like you are suggesting. I have several concerns as to how it will effect the citrus accord which is a fairly complex one.

To be honest I am just canvassing options as to if people like it, if people do not, and if they do how they would prefer it be contained but at the end of the day if it interferes with or buggers up the scent there is no way I will do it or offer it, people ofc are free to do what they like with their own bottles of splash though

PS @Sxot Clary Sage a possibility and Lime is a definite

 

[Sxot]

Depending on your source of menthol (oil or crystal) and what you consider safe - yes absolutely you can go right up to a much higher percentage. I need to be careful though if I have a product that people buy as I can be held responsible - probably disappointing to you now that I see your special banner and one of the reasons I was considering giving people their own menthol to add themselves.

Also 5% to 10% menthol is bloody strong - way, way too strong for me



Yes, that is why I am canvassing the idea, if in my testing it effects the scent in any way, shape or form that is undesirable I won't be adding or offering it. If you are knocking out fragrance oil based splash at $15 a bottle then sure, go for it but for what I have planned and the quantity and quality of EO's I will be using I just can't use it if I observe an effect like you are suggesting. I have several concerns as to how it will effect the citrus accord which is a fairly complex one.

To be honest I am just canvassing options as to if people like it, if people do not, and if they do how they would prefer it be contained but at the end of the day if it interferes with or buggers up the scent there is no way I will do it or offer it, people ofc are free to do what they like with their own bottles of splash though

PS @Sxot Clary Sage a possibility and Lime is a definite

Well, I for one will be in for some of this menthol or no, but I really do hope there is some menthol in there!

 

[borked]

If you've not experienced it beforehand, I strongly suggest trying Original Source Lime for a great lime scent, then add menthol to it for an invigorating shower
The two compliment each other well.

 

[todras]

My next issue with including menthol is how much - some people like a little, some people like so much they have special banners under their user-names.

It's a quandary for me, providing that the menthol does not effect my scent composition dosing it up with menthol is relatively simple and the cost of the menthol I can easily absorb but the stumbling block gets back to the quantity, particularly when people are saying they run with 10%!!! which is a massive percentage of overall solution (if they are indeed calculating correct vol/weight).

Not sure what to do here to be honest!

 

[Sxot]

I would guess those running particularly high levels of menthol are in the minority. That said I can't really quantify how much 10% is personally.
How much would MITA have? B-reserve Cool? Antisol? They are the only bench marks I have but can I suggest they are a bench mark for a moderate level of menthol? It is at that level that I would be aiming. Any higher and you would be targeting those with thrill issues, not the average user.

Final thought; you are making this A/S for yourself first. It's not a money making venture so do what pleases you I say.

 

[nsavage]

My next issue with including menthol is how much - some people like a little, some people like so much they have special banners under their user-names.

It's a quandary for me, providing that the menthol does not effect my scent composition dosing it up with menthol is relatively simple and the cost of the menthol I can easily absorb but the stumbling block gets back to the quantity, particularly when people are saying they run with 10%!!! which is a massive percentage of overall solution (if they are indeed calculating correct vol/weight).

Not sure what to do here to be honest!

I would run with the maximum recommended as per your above post (0.6%). Better to be safe when giving to others to use would be my guess. If the feedback is that you need to add more you can obviously do so in later formulations.

 

[todras]

Final thought; you are making this A/S for yourself first. It's not a money making venture so do what pleases you I say.

I absolutely intend to man, my own aftershave will have no menthol whatsoever.

 

[Sxot]

I absolutely intend to man, my own aftershave will have no menthol whatsoever.

Obviously we need to work on that then.

 

[borked]

My suggestion is minimal in the actual products and the option of seperate menthol to add to taste.
Covers a wider percentage of the market.

 

[dewynter]

For Summer - definitely a bit of menthol. Not too much, but enough for nice little cool feeling.

 

[todras]

Ok, I have read the responses here and listened to what people like and their preferences which has been an education - particularly in regard to the ''Menth heads'' wow!

Because menthol is a subjective thing and I want to offer a baseline to get us all on the same page (more or less) what would you all say if I went with the same strength of Menthol that is in the Stirling range? -presuming of course you have used a mentholated stirling splash... the Stirling range is comprable to Dr Jon's - Hydra (non artic) which is Available in Australia btw.

 

[eggbert]

Stirling glacial?

I must admit even I think @borked's usage of menthol is excessive, but the queen of the menth heads will do as she pleases.