# confused... (maybe i'm just tired)



## phpworm (Oct 1, 2009)

If i'm using 1oz (or 2 tblspns) of EO PPO, and my EO comes in bottles of 10 ml, then that means I'm going to be using 12 bottles of EO per 4 lb batch of soap!? ...That cannot be right. Can it?

I've seen people get away with roughly 4 drops per bar of soap, and a 4 lb batch produces roughly 13 bars (52 drops). I was also under the impression that one 10 ml bottle of EO can give you between 200-250 drops, so...

Where am I going wrong here?


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## Bnky (Oct 1, 2009)

Depending on the essential oil, an average % will be from 4 to 9%.  (Use .4 ounce for strong oils - Clove, Cinnamon, Ylang Ylang.  Use .7 oz for average oils.  Use .9 oz for citrus oil).  

Your batch is 64 ounces of oil (4 pounds) & 2 tablespoons of EO = 1 oz.  
64 ounces x 4% = 2.56 oz   
64 ounces x 7% = 4.48 oz 
64 ounces x 9% = 5.76 oz

There are appox. 14.786 ml in 1 tablespoon, and each bottle you have is 10 ml.  Using twelve 10 ml bottles - 120 ml divided by 14.786 = 8.115 tablespoons.  There are two tablespoons in an ounce - 8.115 divided by 2 = 4.05 oz.  

I hope I haven't confused you, but it does look like you are within range.  Good luck with your batch!


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## phpworm (Oct 1, 2009)

I'm within range? ...If an average bottle of essential oil costs between $5-$10 (let's just say the ones I'm using are $10+), then you're telling me I need to spend at least $120 just to scent 13 bars of soap?

I thought I would get at least two or three 4 lb batches out of one bottle of EO. That's insane...


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## Bnky (Oct 1, 2009)

phpworm:  Where are you buying your EO's?  Check online at different sites for EO.  You'll be able to find much better prices then $5 - $10 for 10 ml.   Check in fragrance and EO for a number of suppliers names.


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## phpworm (Oct 1, 2009)

Example:

Lavender essential oil

amazon: $5.45 10 ml
mountain rose: $6.50 1/2 oz
essentialoil.com: $7.26 5 ml

Where are you buying _your_ EO's? And either way, you're talking about almost one entire bottle of EO per bar of soap.. As potent as EO's are I'm just having a hard time wrapping my head around this.


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## TheSoapyEwe (Oct 1, 2009)

Try www.wholesalesuppliesplus.com or www.brambleberry.com for eo's


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## phpworm (Oct 1, 2009)

Okay.. So, if I'm using a specialty oil that isn't popular, I'm pretty much being forced to charge $20+ per bar of soap to make my money back.. Wow..

Thanks for confirming, even though it isn't what I wanted to hear.


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## AshleyR (Oct 1, 2009)

EO's are extremely pricey... even from some of the cheaper suppliers.

I'm not sure how so many people are able to use the more expensive EO's and still sell their soap for $5/bar.

I only have a few of the cheaper EO's and have been using a lot of FO's lately. It's not what I wanted to do, but FO's are a fraction of the cost of EO's. I don't know anybody that would be willing to pay $10+ PER BAR of EO soap if I made it with the really nice EO's.


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## carebear (Oct 1, 2009)

phpworm said:
			
		

> Example:
> 
> Lavender essential oil
> 
> ...



I buy many of my essential oils from New Directions or Essential Oils University.

At EOU a pound of Bulgarian Lavender (my preference) is about $75 so that's about $10 worth in a 2# batch.  I get 9 bars out of a 2# batch so that adds just over a dollar to the cost of each bar.

(wow the price of Lav has risen!)

MANY use Lavender 40/42 which is about $30 per pound so would cost about 42 cents to the cost of each bar.

(costs do not include shipping of the EO)

You can get the EOs more cheaply in bulk, and sometimes on forums like this one we run co-ops (group purchases) to take advantage of that.


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## Bnky (Oct 1, 2009)

Phpworm:  I've recalculated and I don't believe you will need that much EO.  My brain was not calculating properly...too many numbers & conversions.  Calculate your percentage of EO based on per pound of oil (not ounces).  I knew this, but forgot to divide the 64 by 16.  So:
4 lb x .4 = 1.6 oz (or 9.936 tsp or 3.31 tbl or 48.973 ml) 
4 lb x .7 = 2.8 oz (or 16.8 tsp or 5.6 tbl or 82.805 ml)
4 lb x .9 = 3.6 oz (or 21.6 tsp or 7.2 tbl or 106.46 ml)
So the highest percentage would be 3.6 oz of EO, therefore your numbers were over.  I hope this helps and I haven't confused you more.  Please check my numbers to confirm.  Good luck with your batch.


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## carebear (Oct 1, 2009)

not quite, bnky - those were %s above

so 9% of 4lbs (in ounces) = .09*16*4 = 5.76 oz 
and 7% of 4lbs = 0.7*16*4 = 4.48 oz

but the easiest way to do it all is that (except for citrus) you will use between 0.5 and 1 oz per pound of oils.

Lavender I do at 1 oz per pound, so for a 4# batch I use 4 oz.


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## IanT (Oct 2, 2009)

carebear said:
			
		

> not quite, bnky - those were %s above
> 
> so 9% of 4lbs (in ounces) = .09*16*4 = 5.76 oz
> and 7% of 4lbs = 0.7*16*4 = 4.48 oz
> ...



I think I used .7 ppo for my last batch (is that what you told me I think?? .. ) anyway, that PM was pushed out of my box but whatever amount I added was awesome.. lol.. 100% OO, 2.9% Lavender Bulgaria, 1.4% Lavender Buds ground finely.

Now soapmaker said to add .50 oz of fragrance based on 1.0lb of oil... 

this is a 1.5lb total batch weight...makes 4.8 bars


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## Bnky (Oct 2, 2009)

Carebare:  You are right, I am having a blond moment.


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## gekko62 (Oct 18, 2009)

I never go higher than 5.5%,even with citrus. So 5.5% of a pound is .88oz(25g)
Most I use at 3 or 4% .All the ppo confuses the bejeezuz out of me being a metric girl,but roughly to a pound of oils thats just under .5 to just over .6oz(14-17g)
Don't forget either that a ml doesn't equal a gram.Thick eo's weigh more than thin(patch more than orange eg).But that doesn't really make much of a diff at small amounts.
It would work out expensive if you're buying 10ml bottles at the health food store,but buying 50-100ml size even,from an online supplier,even with postage works out a fraction of the cost.I get 100ml Orange eo for $5.50AU,most others between $10-18/100ml,postage 9 bucks.At the HF store,15ml is $12.BIG difference..really pays to shop around. :wink:


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## soapqueen (Oct 22, 2009)

I am really surprised at the large amount of E.O.s others here are using. I tend to use between 2-3% (weight of oils). Am I missing something?


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## artisan soaps (Oct 22, 2009)

..


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