How can I turn a bar of soap into cologne?

May 26, 2014 9:32 AM

I received a nice bar of soap as a holiday gift and I really like the particular cedar wood smell. So much so that I want to convert it, one way or another, into a wearable fragrance. How can I do this?

(The soap in question.)

I'm game to try any DIY techniques, and can obtain required supplies. I am willing to sacrifice part or all of the bar of soap as needed.

As a fallback, I'd consider a made-to-order solution, either based in Los Angeles or online, that you've had success with.

Thanks!

posted by Mr Yak to Clothing, Beauty, & Fashion (9 answers total)

Just to let you know that your link goes to their general page, not to the specific soap.

Does the packaging list ingredients? If you can tell what essential oils are used, you can actually make scents yourself (that last one is a youtube link).
posted by miorita at 10:13 AM on May 26, 2014

You can't. Not in any reasonable way at least. There are lots of cedar based scents out there. Kind of on trend at the moment. Find a fragrance store and sample.
posted by JPD at 10:17 AM on May 26, 2014 [3 favorites]

Aura Cacia makes a cedarwood oil. Check your local Whole Foods.
posted by dywypi at 10:50 AM on May 26, 2014

The soap is made by Kala, and you could either convince them that a cologne would sell, or you can try concocting one from cedar wood essential oil, etc..
I like cedar as a scent, but if it's not blended with something else, there is a danger of smelling like pencil shavings, but that's just me.
posted by Ideefixe at 11:13 AM on May 26, 2014

If you can figure out the fragrances used, I go to wacko in los feliz to buy oils. They have essential oils and tinctures (not technically essential oils, but strongly scented and cosmetic grade extracts of floral and earthy things that dont make oils- cucumber, green grass, peach, firepit smoke) of over 100 scents. I buy several small vials - they are about 5 bucks apiece- and mix them to make my own perfume. They last a long time on the shelf and on your skin. At wacko you can also smell everything before you buy it, so you could also just go and smell a few if you cant figure out the exact oils rrom the soap label.
posted by holyrood at 12:25 PM on May 26, 2014

If you are in Los Angeles, you could take the soap to one of these shops where they can help you find a close match: The Scent Bar, Strange Invisibles, Le Labo, or anywhere else on This List.
posted by conrad53 at 12:30 PM on May 26, 2014 [2 favorites]

I think your best bet is to store this bar of soap among your clothes so they pick up the scent.
posted by Night_owl at 4:53 PM on May 26, 2014 [1 favorite]

There are several brands of insect repellant that use cedar oil as a base (this is one). I'm sure anthropologies mixes their scents a bit, so you might replicate the scent more easily with essential oils and blending, but this one is already available in a sprayable form and as a bonus deals horrible death to arthropods...
posted by theweasel at 8:33 PM on May 26, 2014

Response by poster: Thanks for the help! It sounds like there's no way to go directly from soap to cologne, but I appreciate the suggestions of how to seek out similar fragrances or oils. I'll start searching around in LA.

In the meanwhile, I took your advice, Night_owl, and the soapy cedar is wafting through my closet.
posted by Mr Yak at 7:39 AM on May 27, 2014