# Problems scenting Liquid Soap



## Carl (May 16, 2020)

I'm having major issues when I try to scent my liquid soap.  Just about every oil I use, fragrance or essential causes if to thicken quickly and become an unpleasant jelly.  PS20 and PS80 both made it worse.  I am referring to my soap that I have left after I have diluted my soap paste.  It's a very lovely soap and is wonderful unscented.  If I take it and use it as a base and mix it 25% to 75% water and then scent it, it works perfectly fine in foamers.

Unfortunately I can't get this soap to dilute properly up front.  Kind of like Brommer does and he puts the Peppermint in that bottle.  Well when I put the peppermint in mine it turns to almost jelly.

I'm trying to figure out where I can  be going wrong;.

My base recipe is 30% Coconut, 60% Olive, 5% Castor, %5 Sweet Almond

I do not use Glycerin or sodium lactate and I super fat at %2

After a few hours, I have a beautiful paste.  I then leave it in the crocpot and weigh it and then start diluting from there.  Once I get to the point where I know it can only take an oz or two more, I go slower.  At this point I'm done (when all the paste is fully dissolved). 

My final product is gorgeous.  In most cases I can even see through the bottle.  If I throw this soap into a foamer with water and scent, I get 100% SUCCESS.

If I try to scent the soap before further dilution I get turned into jelly.

What do I have going on here?


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## Zany_in_CO (May 17, 2020)

The only thing I can think of is that you may not be using the correct amount of EO? Or not enough water for the former amount?

First, go to *MMS Fragrance Calc* to determine the amount of Peppermint EO  to use:

For *8 oz. of finished LS*, I add 2.5 mls Peppermint EO
Warm the soap for 45 seconds in the microwave before adding fragrance to incorporate easily. (If a film forms on top, I spritz with alcohol and stir gently to dissolve.)

For *32 oz. Foamer soap*, further diluted at 25% soap /75% water, I warm half the water before adding the poly 80, stir until clear, then add 2 teaspoons of Peppermint EO. Add that to the soap base in the 32 oz. container. Fill with the remaining amount of water to make 32 oz total.

OR, as described *here**.*

*ETA: *_It's Dr. "Bronner's", not "Brommers". _


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## Carl (May 17, 2020)

Thanks Zany.  
I've never used this calculator before but it's a little different than some of the others that I have been using.
For example if you look at the MMS calculator for peppermint EO and an 8oz bottle of liquid soap you get .08 ounces for strong (this is 1%).

Put the same parameters in the Brambleberry calculator and you will get .24 (3%) for 1st distill Peppermint and .12 (1.5%) for 2nd.

Somewhat of a significant difference if you ask me.


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## Zany_in_CO (May 17, 2020)

The difference in calculators is subject to the difference in product. Not all (peppermint for example) EOs are the same. Doesn't make sense, I know. But there it is.


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## Susie (May 19, 2020)

Even EOs from different batches from the same supplier can act very differently.  And not all EO/FOs will be good in both bar soap and liquid soap.  Some will do spectacular in one, but cause utter disaster in the other. 

The best advice I can give you is to run small test batches.  Figure out how much scent you need to add to 28 ml (1 oz) of diluted soap and scent just that much.  You will save a lot of soap that way.  

I do find that FOs are less inconsistent than EOs.  EOs can vary quite a bit just because it is from a farmed and harvested product, and there is nothing as inconsistent as farming.

Keep good records using the names of the suppliers, dates bought, lot numbers if available, etc.


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## abughoush.khalid (May 22, 2020)

Dr. Bronners Soap is more coconut than olive oil since it lists coconut before olive oil. You can get a hint on ingredients concentrations based on order listed, try to use 100% coconut oil and perform a trial with your EO concentration and then check if thats a factor. 

If that doesn't work then try to source another source of your EO or use an extract instead.


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