10 Essential Oils For Men

By Mark Piatt

Updated on October 12, 2020

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Ok guys, when you think of essential oils, you usually think of your wife or girlfriend using a diffuser in the restroom, bedroom, or maybe the living room to get rid of the “manly” aromas.  She fills up the house with the flowery aromas or maybe the citrus aromas. 

Now do not get me wrong, being a guy, I like those smells – but I know not every guy will agree with me on that

The fragrance produced by certain essential oils feature more woodsy and earthy aromas that have a more masculine scent preferred by men.  You will find many of these masculine aromas in colognes for men.

Of course, I am not trying to stereotype anyone, and I know that each person has unique preferences when it comes to aromas.  But when you look at cologne for men, those fragrances tend to revolve around more traditionally masculine scents. 

We are going to look purely at the aromatic qualities of the essential oils as preferred by men.  

But keep in mind that many of these essential oils even have some extraordinary health benefits.  Some of these benefits are backed by science while some of these benefits are based on personal experiences that others have had. 

Before we get started, a little about the safety of using essential oils.

Safety

Essential oils are highly concentrated compounds found in the plants they come from.

Most essential oils are safe to use aromatically around most people.  There may be rare circumstances when an essential is not safe to inhale.  If you are using essential oil in your diffuser and start to experience difficulty in breathing, headaches, or other symptoms, stop using the essential oil.

Also keep in mind that many essential oils are not safe to use around your pets, even when diffusing them.  For a list of unsafe essential oils to use around your pets, check out this article:  Essential Oils For Odor Elimination 

Today I will not be discussing using essential oils to treat ailments by inhaling, applying topically, or ingesting.  I am strictly talking about using essential oils in a diffuser for the aroma.

If you are interested in ingesting essential oils for any reason, it is best to consult with a professional health care provider since many essential oils are toxic at certain dosages and can cause a whole host of health issues if not used properly.

Now that we have the safety out of the way, first, we will look at the essential oils that are considered masculine. Then we will look at some specific blends for men.

DISCLAIMER:

Information provided in this description is for educational purposes only.  For possible treatments of physical or mental diseases, please seek a trained and licensed health professional.  Enchanted Aromatics is not responsible for any adverse side effects resulting from the use of any suggestions, products, preparations, or procedures mentioned or from following historical uses of essential oils.

Masculine Essential Oils

Vetiver
Peppermint
Cedarwood
Juniper Berry
Eucalyptus

Cinnamon Leaf
Frankincense
Patchouli
Myrrh
Cypress, Pine, and Fir

Ok, ladies, so you are really into your essential oils but your guy doesn’t seem to understand what all the craze is about?  Maybe it is because many guys cannot associate themselves with all those fine flowery smells.

But many essential oils do not have that fine flowery smell.

Sure, we call these masculine essential oils, but they are for everyone.  They are for the person who does not want a flowery aroma.  These essential oils feature more woodsy and earthy aromas.

Here is a sampling of some you may want to try. 

Vetiver

Aroma

Vetiver essential oil has a masculine aroma that has smoky, woody, and earthy undertones.  This is one of the most popular notes in male fragrances.  With over 100 compounds found in vetiver, there is no synthetic substitute, so this essential oil is highly prized.  Surprisingly, this Vetiver from Gya Labs smells just like those higher-priced brands that can cost 2 to 3 times as much.

Source

Vetiver comes from a perennial grass that originated in India, but today usually comes from Haiti.  The essential oil is derived from the roots while the grass is used as animal feed. 

Description

Typically, vetiver is a good essential oil for helping someone relax.  As such, it is a great essential oil to use just before bedtime.  

Also, many people believe that diffusing vetiver can help promote a focused environment, so it may be good when you need to study.

Manly products

You have probably smelled it without realizing what you are smelling.

This essential oil is used in many products made for men.  It is known as one of the finest perfumes around.  Nearly one-fifth of all men’s colognes feature vetiver as an ingredient.

Here is a list of the top 5 colognes for men that feature vetiver as an ingredient.  The table also lists the main ingredients found in each cologne and indicates if the aroma from that ingredient is a top, middle, or base note. 

(Mobile Users – If the table is too wide, you can slide the table left and right.)

Name	Top	Middle (Heart)	Base
Guerlain Vetiver	Orange Bergamot Lemon	Pepper Nutmeg	Vetiver Tobacco Tonka Bean
Roja Parfums Vetiver	Lemon Bergamot Litsea Cubeba	Rose Jasmine Cistus	Galbanum Celery Seed Pink Pepper Caraway Nutmeg Pepper Oakmoss Vetiver Cedarwood Cedar Needles Amyris Labdanum Guaiacwood
Creed Original Vetiver	Bergamot Bitter Orange Mandarin Vetiver Leaves	White Pepper Coriander Pink Pepper	Sandalwood Vetiver Ambergris Tonkin Musk
"Frederic Malle Vetiver Extraordinaire"	Bergamot Bitter Orange	Vetiver Pink Pepper Cloves	Sandalwood Cedar Musk
Tom Ford Grey Vetiver	Basil Grapefruit Lemon Bergamot	Nutmeg Orris Root Pimento	Vetiver Woody Notes Oakmoss Amber

Top notes are considered refreshing and uplifting but are the quickest to evaporate.

Middle notes appear after the top notes evaporate.  These are known as the heart of the fragrance. 

Base notes mingle with the heart notes to create a full-body fragrance.

Vetiver can also be found in various cosmetics and soaps.  And believe it or not, it is also added as a flavoring agent in some beverages.

Peppermint

Aroma

Peppermint essential oil has a potent cool, minty aroma that elicits a cooling refreshing sensation. This peppermint from Plant Therapy is very powerful – you have been warned. A quick note: You really should not be diffusing essential oils around infants, but this is especially true with peppermint essential oil. Peppermint essential oil can trigger respiratory distress and bronchial spasms in young children.

Source

Peppermint essential oil is steam distilled from the leaves of the peppermint plant.  Peppermint is a cross between two other plants – water mint and spearmint. 

Description

With the refreshing smell of peppermint, it is one of those aromas that everyone usually enjoys.  But peppermint does tend to have an air of masculinity to it. 

It is used to freshen breath, so why would it not be good to freshen up the man cave or these stinky shoes?

Manly products

Peppermint essential oil can be found in various grooming products for men including shampoos, beard products, soap bars, body scrubs, and scalp conditioners. 

Cedarwood

Aroma

Cedarwood essential oil has a strong pleasant woody balsamic aroma that is rich and earthy.  Plant Therapy’s Cedarwood has a dry woody aroma that is slightly smoky.    

Source

Most cedarwood essential oils originate from a large coniferous evergreen tree that can grow up to 150 feet tall and has been known to live for over 2000 years.  The essential oil is typically diffused from the stumps and sawdust made from cedarwood-based products.

Description

When many of us think of cedarwood, we think of cedarwood chests.  I worked in the office of a furniture manufacturer, and I always remember that fresh smell of cedar.

For me, the aroma of cedarwood kind of reminds me of walking through a forest while it is raining. 

For some people, cedarwood can help promote a good night’s sleep and can relieve tension.

Manly Products

Cedarwood essential oil can be found in some beard oils, lotions, and soaps.  It is also found in a variety of colognes including Cremo Blue Cedar & Cypress, St. James of London, and Every Man Jack.

A Warning

Be careful when choosing a cedarwood essential oil.  A true cedar must have the genus of Cedrus in the binomial.  The most common type of cedarwood essential oil comes from the genus Cedrus atlantica and Cedrus communis. 

Why is this important?  Some genera of cedar can be dangerous when diffused.  For example, Western Red Cedar (Thuja plicata) can cause seizures, brain damage, and even death in high doses.

Juniper Berry

Aroma

Juniper berry essential oil has a distinctive aroma that is bright and refreshing.   It has a sweet woodsy aroma with a fruity, citrus smell and a hint of spice.  The aroma can be pungent, but, in a good way.  If you are looking for a 5-star juniper berry, you have found it in the Plant Therapy Brand.  

Source

Juniper berries can come from an evergreen shrub or tree grown in the northern parts of Asia, Europe, and the United States.   

Juniper berry essential oil is made from the dark-blue seeds that form on the shrub or tree after the second or third year of the tree’s life.

Description

Juniper berries (that are not berries) are the female seed from a cone.  Unlike real berries, juniper berries are used as a bitter spice.  They are the only spice that comes from a conifer tree. 

Manly Products

One of the main uses of Juniper berry is making gin.  It is also used in a variety of fragrances for men, aftershaves, hand and body soaps, deodorant, and pore cleansing products. 

Eucalyptus

Aroma

Eucalyptus essential oil has a powerful, sharp, fresh, and somewhat medicinal aroma.  The Plant Therapy brand is the perfect eucalyptus smell at a competitive price.  Smells kind of like Vicks vapor rub.

Source

This essential oil comes from plants native to Australia and other nearby islands.  The oil is extracted for its extensive medicinal properties.    

Description

Because of the powerful aroma of eucalyptus essential oil, many people will use this for odor control.  This is an excellent oil to use to reduce the manly yuck that emanates from the toilet.  Try adding 3-4 drops in your toilet before you go do your thing.  Your wife will thank you, guys. 

Manly Products

Healing ointments, vapor rubs, fragrances, and cleaning products.

Many men find themselves getting sore after a hard day’s workout.  Many “rubs” to reduce soreness include eucalyptus oil as the main ingredient. 

Other products include shaving creams, soap bars, shampoos, shower gels, and beard products.   

Cinnamon Leaf

Aroma

Cinnamon Leaf essential oil has a sweet, warm, and earthy scent with some spiciness.  The oil has a deeper and richer spicy scent compared to powdered cinnamon.  But compared to cinnamon oil derived from the inner bark of the cinnamon tree, it is a bit weaker.  Cinnamon Leaf essential oil can be a bit of a hit-and-miss amongst the brands.  I have found that Plant Therapy’s cinnamon leaf always has a wonderful, consistent aroma.  

Source

Most cinnamon leaf essential oil comes from Madagascar. The oil is distilled from the leaves of the cinnamon tree known as Cinnamomum zeylanicum.  The tree can grow 20-30 feet but is cultivated as a bush.  Luckily, the leaves can be harvested without damaging the tree.

Description

Cinnamon is one of the most common spices.  Throughout the centuries, it has been known as a natural cure-all.  Being a powerful smell, a little goes a long way and is long-lasting.

Cinnamon leaf essential oil is used in both perfumes and colognes. 

Manly Products

Soap Bars, aftershaves, colognes, aroma crystals, candles, and incense.  Searching around, you will find there are many bars of soap that have cinnamon as the main ingredient or as a side ingredient.  

Frankincense

Aroma

Frankincense essential oil is reminiscent of pine and lemon combined with a dry, woody aroma.  This distinctive aroma is warm, spicy, and clean.  Why purchase a one-hundred-dollar bottle of frankincense essential oil when you can get a bottle for far less from Plant Therapy?  Do not let the price fool you.  This frankincense is very potent.

Source

Frankincense essential oil comes from the sap of the Boswellia tree.  The white sap oozes out and as it hardens, it turns into a brownish gum.  The essential oil is steam distilled from this gum.

Description

Frankincense is recognized as one of the most prized and precious essential oil.  It has long been believed that frankincense can clear negative energy and bring good fortune.  For this reason, it has been used in religious ceremonies throughout the ages.

Manly Products

You will find frankincense in a wide range of cologne soaps.  It is very common to find a bar of soap with both frankincense and myrrh as their main ingredients.  You can even find it in some powders and deodorants.

Patchouli

Aroma

Patchouli essential oil has a powerful musky scent that is heady, woody, rich, sweet, and spicy.  For some people, patchouli organic essential oil is an acquired aroma. Patchouli is one of those essential oils whose aroma can vary widely between companies and even between batches.  So it is difficult to pin down an aroma from a specific company.  Overall, I would say Plant Therapy’s Patchouli has a sweet earthy tone.  

Source

This essential oil is steam distilled from a perennial bush in the mint family. 

Description

Patchouli is a popular essential oil to use during meditation or prayer.  This is because many people find patchouli to be calming and grounding.  For many people, patchouli essential oil provides feelings of relaxation and can help ease away stress, anger, anxiety, and even sadness.  It does this by stimulating the release of pleasure hormones including serotonin and dopamine.

Manly Products

Patchouli is used in various products for men including body perfumes, a large variety of colognes, body powders, candles, hand soaps, room sprays, shampoos, moisturizers, and incense.

Myrrh

Aroma

Myrrh essential oil also has a medicinal quality that is balsamic, making it both stimulating and soothing.

Source

Myrrh essential oil is extracted from the resin of the Myrrh tree, which grows to a height of about 30 feet and is full of thorns.

Cuts are made into branches, which allow the resin to ooze out.  This resin is allowed to dry and harden, at which point it is steam distilled to create myrrh essential oil.

Description

Myrrh has a sedative effect that can help lift negative moods and can give one a feeling of being grounded.  It helps to promote a peaceful environment.  Myrrh can be used alone or mixed, depending on what you are looking for.  Blended with citrus oils, myrrh can produce an uplifting aroma that can be used to promote moments of insight and inspiration.  This oil can give one a sense of spiritual awakening.

Manly Products

Myrrh is found in various colognes, aftershaves, skin balms, lotions, hand soaps, herbal remedies, candles, and incense. 

Other Manly essential oils

OK, so I fibbed.  For essential oil number 10, I decided to list a variety of essential oils that are good for men.

Any of the woodsy-type essential oils would be good.  These include cypress, pine, and fir needle.  Other essential oils good for men include thyme, rosemary, clove leaf, and clary sage.  Many men also like the citrus aromas such as orange, lemon, tangerine, and grapefruit.

Essential Oil Blends For Men

Here are 10 blends you can try that include some of the above-mentioned essential oils for men.  These blends are for a 100 – 150 ml diffuser.  If you are using a larger diffuser, increase these amounts by the appropriate amount. 

Purely Woodsy

• 5 Drops Cypress
• 3 Drops Balsam Fir
• 2 Drops Sandalwood

High Alpine

• 3 Drops Bergamot
• 3 Drops Wintergreen
• 2 Drops Cedarwood

Smelly Shoes Be Gone

• 3 drops peppermint
• 3 drops lemon
• 2 drops orange

Warm & Spicey

• 3 drops orange
• 3 drops pine
• 2 drops frankincense
• 1 drop clove

Locker Room Be Gone

• 2 drops frankincense
• 2 drops clary sage
• 2 drops patchouli
• 2 drops lavender
• 3 drops lemon

Fresh Scent

• 5 drops cedarwood
• 2 drops sandalwood
• 3 drops Orange

Minty Fresh

• 5 drops peppermint
• 3 drops spearmint
• 3 drops rosemary

Woody Romance

• 4 drops patchouli
• 4 drops lavender

 

Lemon Fresh

• 8 drops lemongrass
• 3 drops cedarwood

Walk In The Mountains

• 3 drops spruce
• 3 drops cedarwood
• 2 drops vetiver
• 2 drops bergamot

Conclusion

So guys and ladies, if you are struggling to find an essential oil that the guys like, hopefully, this article helps point you in the right direction. 

Here at Enchanted Aromatics, we sell all the essential oils mentioned in this article. We would love for you to check out what we have to offer.

Have fun and do not be afraid to experiment.

Mark