# How much Essential oils???



## Ayisha (Nov 17, 2015)

Hello ladies and gents (if any )

I am very new to soaping, made one Hot Process batch which I think turned out pretty well. I have watched a lot of videos and I have started reading up on it as well. The one thing I am still confused about how much essential oil needs to be used? I have bought some from Canada and now I bought some of the doTerra brand and it is expensive! I thought you just use a few drops and that's it? I know it depends on the batch size, but even then...

Which brands do you guys use? And of course, my mystery, how much :think::-|?


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## shunt2011 (Nov 17, 2015)

Hello and welcome.   Essential and Fragrance Oils all have percentage rates that can be used.  Most Essential oils are more more than .5% PPO (per pound of oils).  However, you will want to be careful with Cinnamon, peppermint etc as they can be very uncomfortable with use as well as others.  I don't personally use a lot of EO's as I didn't have much luck with them sticking.

As for using DoTerra just don't.   They are crazy expensive and no better than what you could purchase from a reliable  supplier for way less money.   Same quality.    I highly suggest doing a bit of research on this site for more information and suppliers.  

I'm sure others will pop in with some shopping recommendations and other advice as well.


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## Earthen_Step (Nov 17, 2015)

Ayisha said:


> Hello ladies and gents (if any )
> 
> I am very new to soaping, made one Hot Process batch which I think turned out pretty well. I have watched a lot of videos and I have started reading up on it as well. The one thing I am still confused about how much essential oil needs to be used? I have bought some from Canada and now I bought some of the doTerra brand and it is expensive! I thought you just use a few drops and that's it? I know it depends on the batch size, but even then...
> 
> Which brands do you guys use? And of course, my mystery, how much :think::-|?



Welcome to soaping!  doTerra is far too expensive for soaping IMO.  Here is an essential oil calculator to aid you (http://www.brambleberry.com/pages/Fragrance-Calculator.aspx).  The amount can vary on what kind of essential oil, and how strong you want it to be.  I'm sure many more people will chime in, I'm about to head out.  Hope this helps some, have a great day!

^In the time I took to write this Shunt already chimed in!  What an awesome group we have here 

Here are a couple EO sources:
http://www.brambleberry.com
http://www.bulkapothecary.com
There are many more out there, just google around.


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## DeeAnna (Nov 17, 2015)

Even using reputable suppliers that price their EOs fairly, it's just plain going to be expensive to use most EOs in soap -- there's no way to get around that. Scent is usually your single most expensive ingredient. A lot of new soapers are determined to use only EOs, but I'd say a fair number eventually switch to fragrance oils (FOs) to get a decent scent in their soaps without the high cost. 

I figure on the average, it costs me about $0.40 per gram of EO and about $0.05 to $0.10 per gram of FO. When you're looking at using maybe 30 grams of fragrance per 1000 grams of fats -- that's a 3% dosage per pound of oils (ppo) -- the cost quickly adds up.

I use EOs in my other products -- lotions, balms, etc. -- and mostly FOs in my soaps. Some EOs, such as the mints, are fairly inexpensive, so I use them in soaps too.


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## Margo (Nov 17, 2015)

*EO Use in Soaps*

I don't use EO's in my soapmaking very often because of the high cost.
Besides, the scent doesn't last long on the skin and I consider this a waste of good essential oils.

Rather, I prefer to make perfume and skin care products using essential oils

Happy perfumer and soaper

Margo


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## dixiedragon (Nov 17, 2015)

I also use the BB essential oil calculator. You said you bought some from Canada - are you in Canada?

Heres's a Canadian supplier I often see recommended:
http://www.saffireblue.ca/shop/fragrance-oils


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## Ayisha (Nov 17, 2015)

*You guys are awesome!*

I am amazed at the response rate here! I am so hooked. So it is not weird that I am stuck on the EO as a new soaper . I can see the point with the smell, basically you just wont get the nice smell u want, but what about the benefits? For example the tea tree EO in soap, would it still be beneficial? like lets say as an anti bacterial soap?

My biggest challenge is that I am an expat in Saudi Arabia so my access is very limited and shipping is crazy expensive here. I met a lady who orders doTerra and that's how I came across it.

Have any of you used EO in bath bombs or solid bath bars?

Cant wait to start testing creams and massage bars!


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## DeeAnna (Nov 17, 2015)

Just washing with soap alone without any scent is antibacterial. Some people use tea tree and other EOs in soap with the goal of health benefits, but I suspect a lot of the benefits come from simply using a well formulated, gentle soap with a minimum of ingredients. But that is just my personal opinion, not fact -- you'll see a lot of soapers who feel strongly otherwise.


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## dixiedragon (Nov 17, 2015)

Deanna has a good point - soap doesn't sit on the skin long enough for the EOs to really do their job. That being said - my aunt swears by my coffee soap with Tea Tree EO as her gardening soap. She used to get small infections on her hands after digging in the dirt (she doesn't wear gloves) and swears that washing with that soap stops that from happening. So, my opinion is that EOs that have anti-fungal, anti-bacterial properties can have some benefit even as a wash-off product.

BTW, Google Aleppo soap. You may have access to (relatively) cheap Bay Laurel oil (not essential oil) and be able to make Aleppo soap! That is something that's VERY pricey here in the US.

I would go to craft shows and farmer's markets and look for soap makers, and see if they can recommend a source for FOs.


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## Ayisha (Nov 17, 2015)

Thanks for all you insight ladies! I know lady who also used to do a lot gardening and also would get very rough hands and cuts as well. She used to clean with a liquid oil soap and if would heal her hands! So yeah a good quality soap maybe the answer!

Thanks again, excited about this new adventure


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## Spice (Nov 17, 2015)

Ayisha said:


> I am amazed at the response rate here! I am so hooked. So it is not weird that I am stuck on the EO as a new soaper . I can see the point with the smell, basically you just wont get the nice smell u want, but what about the benefits? For example the tea tree EO in soap, would it still be beneficial? like lets say as an anti bacterial soap?
> 
> My biggest challenge is that I am an expat in Saudi Arabia so my access is very limited and shipping is crazy expensive here. I met a lady who orders doTerra and that's how I came across it.
> 
> ...


I use essential oils. I cant handle a fragrance, I can be blind-folded and can smell out a fragrance, no kidding. Eo's are expensive and I have been torn between eo and fo because of that. Then there's the question of benefits. An eo's scent does fade, however, I have noticed that when I use the soap, it's scent is still there. There is no benefit to a fragrance...period. The only benefit is money, it will be up to you what you want to use. I use eo in bath bombs too. Peppermint like shunt said is strong. I had a person scared out of their wits because they felt a tingling sensation in their feet and other parts of their anatomy. Cant get that with a fragrance.


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## DeeAnna (Nov 17, 2015)

I wish there was a good body of research to show whether EOs in soap really do much, whether good or bad. I haven't stumbled across much, unfortunately, so that's why I'm somewhat skeptical at this point. I'm quite ready for my skepticism to be proven wrong, however.

That said, if the look and feel and smell of my tea tree and coffee "gardeners soap" encourages people to wash their hands thoroughly and prevent small infected cuts, what's not to like about that?  Maybe the tea tree is truly helpful; maybe it's just washing a few seconds longer to enjoy the pleasurable feel and scent -- whatever it is, it does seem to work!

PS -- Some FOs contain essential oils in small or large part, because some EOs are less expensive or more suitable than the man-made equivalent. Some suppliers have a specific area for FOs like this and list the % of EOs in the blend, so this is one way to keep costs down while staying as "natural as possible" with your scents. Here's an example: http://www.wholesalesuppliesplus.com/fragrance-oils/fragrance-essential-oil-blends.aspx Or you can make your own, as I recently did with a rose FO blended with a mint EO.


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## Spice (Nov 17, 2015)

DeeAnna said:


> I wish there was a good body of research to show whether EOs in soap really do much, whether good or bad. I haven't stumbled across much, unfortunately, so that's why I'm somewhat skeptical at this point. I'm quite ready for my skepticism to be proven wrong, however.
> 
> That said, if the look and feel and smell of my tea tree and coffee "gardeners soap" encourages people to wash their hands thoroughly and prevent small infected cuts, what's not to like about that?  Maybe the tea tree is truly helpful; maybe it's just washing a few seconds longer to enjoy the pleasurable feel and scent -- whatever it is, it does seem to work!
> 
> PS -- Some FOs contain essential oils in small or large part, because some EOs are less expensive or more suitable than the man-made equivalent. Some suppliers have a specific area for FOs like this and list the % of EOs in the blend, so this is one way to keep costs down while staying as "natural as possible" with your scents. Here's an example: http://www.wholesalesuppliesplus.com/fragrance-oils/fragrance-essential-oil-blends.aspx Or you can make your own, as I recently did with a rose FO blended with a mint EO.


That's right, I forgot about that.  That part that fo have eo in them. For me I cant use them because I super senitive to the smell, I cant even be around perfume. Some of them take away my breath. In one of my past lives, I know I was a dog.


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## houseofwool (Nov 18, 2015)

I'm another soaper that only uses EOs. It is for health reasons. The older I get, the more sensitive I become to synthetic fragrances. A couple of months ago, a coworker was wearing a ton of perfume. She washed it off, but I was about 5 minutes away from going to urgent care because it was hard to breathe. 

I have a strong family history of reactive airway, and I'm confident that is what is going on. I need to schedule an appointment to get an inhaler.


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## Seawolfe (Nov 18, 2015)

Some of my favorite EOs arent so expensive: rosemary, lavender, eucalyptus, mints, tea tree, fir, cedar...


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## spiderpup (Nov 18, 2015)

New Directions Aromatics in Canada has good prices. I've also heard good things about Voyageur Soap and Candle here, too.


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## Ayisha (Nov 19, 2015)

*Using spices*

Thanks ladies for your valuable information.

Just a thought: Why not use spices to make the soaps smell nice? I know maybe some spices might not be good skin but some are? What about "flavoring" the oils?


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## The Efficacious Gentleman (Nov 19, 2015)

Teas, infusions and so on have a really bad track record of surviving through the whole process to leave any real scent.  Some things do, such as some butters or oils, but to what extent and for how long can not be relied on overly much.


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## Susie (Nov 19, 2015)

Spices do not scent soap to any appreciable degree.  They simply don't.  I have tried.  Neither do they lend appreciable scent to oils by making infusions.

I use only EOs, due to sensitivity to most "not from nature" scents.  I end up coughing and sneezing for most of the day (and this is with Benadryl), and getting a sinus headache.  I am taking sinus meds as I type this due to running afoul of a lady's perfume first thing yesterday morning.


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## dixiedragon (Nov 19, 2015)

Ayisha said:


> Thanks ladies for your valuable information.
> 
> Just a thought: Why not use spices to make the soaps smell nice? I know maybe some spices might not be good skin but some are? What about "flavoring" the oils?


 
It takes 1000 pounds of mint leaves to make 1 pound of mint essential oil. And mint is one of the cheapest EOs there is! the amount of essential oil contained in the plant is tiny.

I make a spiced milk and honey soap. I put some allspice, cinnamon, nutmeg and clove into the oils when I am melting them. I get a slight spice scent when I put my nose to the bar. I've put whole cloves on the top of the bar for decoration and scent, but I found them irritating when using the bar and stopped doing that.


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## Ayisha (Nov 19, 2015)

*hmmm*

That's very interesting. I am also a baker and spent a lot of time researching and developing and testing recipes. I failed MANY times, but through failure I got some awesome ad signature recipes .

I think this sounds kinda like that; an adventure. The problem is the waiting time .

I really want to try the cold process soap, but because there is so much discussion and uncertainty about what will survive through the process of curing, I feel like Hot process or French milled is the more "safe" way to go...? 

I am sorry to hear about how sensitive you guys are fake scents, it can be hard to avoid sometimes. Here is Saudi Arabia they have extremely strong scents (which means you don't need to use a lot!) and people put them on like something! Its horrible sometimes and it becomes impossible walking through a mall sometimes. 

Anyway they do have some amazing wood oil scents that could be amazing in the soaps and they have a very good variety of musk as well.

I truly appreciate all the input, it is so nice to able to talk about it with someone who understand what you are doing


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