Let’s face it, fellas: it’s nice to smell nice, and I’m not talking Axe Body Spray. But good cologne can be out of reach; why not take a cue from chemistry?

 A good cologne is a combination of scents, and one of the notes that make it up often stems from essential oils—next time before you spritz, look at the scents that make up the bottle, single out an essential oil, and use it instead. 

This is why you should consider using essential oil instead of cologne:

It’s a power move—and can be a chic moodsetter.

The smell is sharp, isolated, and a much stronger olfactory statement than the cocktail of scents that come off cologne. Not every smell is extremely pointed in a strong way—scents like lavender and mint give off a coller, icier, and calmer smell.

It’s a good bargain.

Essential oils are great for your skin, as they’re often untampered and come straight from the plant. Now instead of one scent, you can break down your favorite, have more than one, and have more of a freedom to mesh scents. It’s a choose-your-own-adventure of smell.

You’ve already been doing it.

You’ll find a lot of men’s colognes use a combination of several scents, and that cocktail will often include bergamot, basil, cinnamon, sandalwood, musk—strong, textured masculine scents. Take your favorite out of the equation and appreciate it for it’s pointed smell. You may find a new side of yourself.