# Any benefits left after EO evaporation?



## Eugene (Mar 17, 2019)

Hi! We have all heard of the benefits of essential oils. Adding essential oils to soaps make them smell "natural" and good. However, we also know that the scent of essential oils will evaporate over time in soaps. Let say after a few months when the scent of the essential oils has faded or almost disappear in total, do the benefits of the essential oils still remain in the soaps (in the absence of their scents)?


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## lsg (Mar 17, 2019)

I don't know the answer to your question.  However, I usually use blends and my soaps seems to hold their scent until used up.


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## Eugene (Mar 17, 2019)

lsg said:


> I don't know the answer to your question.  However, I usually use blends and my soaps seems to hold their scent until used up.



My soaps are still holding up on their EO (essential oil) scent until used up, but the scent is getting thinner and weaker if compared to how they smelled in the beginning months.

I’m just wondering, as the scent of EO and its blends get thinner and weaker in later months, are the EO benefits getting lesser too? After all, EOs are generally used in aromatherapy, and that means scent matters.


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## DeeAnna (Mar 17, 2019)

_"...EOs are generally used in aromatherapy, and that means scent matters...."_

Haven't you just answered your own question?


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## soapmaker (Mar 17, 2019)

Eugene said:


> I’m just wondering, as the scent of EO and its blends get thinner and weaker in later months, are the EO benefits getting lesser too? After all, EOs are generally used in aromatherapy, and that means scent matters.



That would make sense but I know there has been discussion on whether the benefits of EO holds up at all after going through the soapmaking process as E.O.s should not be heated. Not sure anyone knows the answer for sure.


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## Eugene (Mar 17, 2019)

DeeAnna said:


> _"...EOs are generally used in aromatherapy, and that means scent matters...."_
> 
> Haven't you just answered your own question?



Hahahaha! That was my personal answer, without any supporting facts. I’m just wondering if there’s any “more official” answer to the question, that if the strength of EO goes together with its scent.



soapmaker said:


> That would make sense but I know there has been discussion on whether the benefits of EO holds up at all after going through the soapmaking process as E.O.s should not be heated. Not sure anyone knows the answer for sure.



I read too in many places about it too, but haven’t actually come across any that talked about the benefits of E.O.s after their fading scent in later months.


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## reeeen4 (Mar 18, 2019)

This is a copy and paste from another thread I posted in


> When distilling EO heating up an EO to a high temperature would be lethal for the thermolabile constituents and the aromatic compounds. It varies a lot for the type of EO also some you would want to heat over 40-60c (104-140f) and others not over 80-100c (176-212f)....
> Also some of the compounds of EO are essentially alcohols which evaporate when exposed to air


 So yes essentially oils can dissipate when exposed to air and the saponification process can damage the essential oil as well through heat. But I think it’s something that has to be assessed on the case to case basis like the benefits of Lavender oil that comes through the smell because the smell is relaxing and has a lot of benefits for stress relief and if that is what you’re trying to accomplish then putting lavender oil in it may not be the best idea because the smell of lavender oil dissipates somewhat by being exposed to the air and possibly through the saponification from what I understand. But if you were after the skin benefits of say chamomile or calandula EO I’m unsure if they last through the process either. If you made a HP soap and put them at the end once the soap had cooled slightly then I think it would possible. But I’m not 100% sure.


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## Eugene (Mar 18, 2019)

reeeen4 said:


> This is a copy and paste from another thread I posted in
> 
> So yes essentially oils can dissipate when exposed to air and the saponification process can damage the essential oil as well through heat. But I think it’s something that has to be assessed on the case to case basis like the benefits of Lavender oil that comes through the smell because the smell is relaxing and has a lot of benefits for stress relief and if that is what you’re trying to accomplish then putting lavender oil in it may not be the best idea because the smell of lavender oil dissipates somewhat by being exposed to the air and possibly through the saponification from what I understand. But if you were after the skin benefits of say chamomile or calandula EO I’m unsure if they last through the process either. If you made a HP soap and put them at the end once the soap had cooled slightly then I think it would possible. But I’m not 100% sure.



Perhaps this is why people are using fragrant oils instead of essential oils now to scent their soaps, as FO prices are much cheaper and more lasting, if the effect of EO will diminish upon its scent dissipation. 

The reason why I asked this question was that, if the benefits of the EO remains even its scent dissipated, then a simple wrapping and keeping of my soaps will be sufficient. Else, I will need to look for ways to prolong the scent of EO to retain its benefits, such as sealing the soaps inside vacuumed bags. 

I know some people might argue that the benefits of the EO on skin might be negligible as the contact time of the soap and skin is so short. Well, let’s see if anybody is saying this.


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## reeeen4 (Mar 18, 2019)

I still think EO have a place though in soaps, especially for people (like myself) who are sensitive to certain fragrances not knowing what fragrances might set my headaches off. For some reason I get headaches from certain fragrances so I stick to EO and don't buy anything with fragrances. So even if a soaps EO's were to loose their 'benefits' I know I would still buy them for their scent.
EO's like bergamot, rose geranium, peppermint, lemon myrtle, tea tree and many others hold their scent in soaps and other products. You can also use 'nature identical' EO's which are meant to me identical to EO's but synthetic, I know nothing about these though.


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## Eugene (Mar 18, 2019)

reeeen4 said:


> I still think EO have a place though in soaps, especially for people (like myself) who are sensitive to certain fragrances not knowing what fragrances might set my headaches off. For some reason I get headaches from certain fragrances so I stick to EO and don't buy anything with fragrances. So even if a soaps EO's were to loose their 'benefits' I know I would still buy them for their scent.
> EO's like bergamot, rose geranium, peppermint, lemon myrtle, tea tree and many others hold their scent in soaps and other products. You can also use 'nature identical' EO's which are meant to me identical to EO's but synthetic, I know nothing about these though.



I have tried to soap with fragrant oils before, but they smell very “fake” to me. 

Anyway, I will continue to soap with essential oils nonetheless, although their prices are high. I did some costings for my soaps, the EO constituted at least 40% of my total ingredient costs! Sometimes I do feel that it’s like burning money as days go by and the scent of EO is getting weaker and thinner, but I still love the atmosphere and smell in my house when I am curing my soaps! The whole house smells like a spa! :-D


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## reeeen4 (Mar 18, 2019)

Could give nature identical EO a try, they are 'apparently' almost identical to real EO's but much cheaper



> Nature identical refers to an oil which has had a component added, either natural or artificial, with a chemical structure identical to that found in nature



quick google and found these:
https://www.newdirectionsaromatics.com/products/nature-identical-essential-oils/
https://www.sunrisebotanics.com/collections/nature-identical-oils


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## soapmaker (Mar 18, 2019)

reeeen4 said:


> I still think EO have a place though in soaps, especially for people (like myself) who are sensitive to certain fragrances not knowing what fragrances might set my headaches off. For some reason I get headaches from certain fragrances so I stick to EO and don't buy anything with fragrances. So even if a soaps EO's were to loose their 'benefits' I know I would still buy them for their scent.


I am one who gets a headache and also nauseous from soaping with some F.O.s. I do use them with the window open and removing them to a friend's house to cure. They love it. I can't wait to get it out of the house.


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## Eugene (Mar 18, 2019)

reeeen4 said:


> Could give nature identical EO a try, they are 'apparently' almost identical to real EO's but much cheaper
> 
> 
> 
> ...



Thanks for the info.


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## lenarenee (Mar 19, 2019)

Just an FWIW:  Robert Tisserand did an interview where he stated that lye does destroy some of the constituents in essential oil.  Lavender is the least affected. I don’t remember which way it goes, but the ratio was 60/40, so roughly half of lavender survives. 

Btw, lavender isn’t relaxing for everyone. There’s a good number of people who don’t like it; I’m one of them and it positively highly irritates me.

 Now frankincense.....love love love!!!  But I won’t use it in soap, too much is wasted. Frankincense  is suffering from over harvesting and predicted to become endangered (some varieties already are).


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## Amy78130 (Mar 20, 2019)

Maybe aromatherapy benefits? Anchoring in some clay seems to help the scent last longer.. Or the ziplock baggie method.



lenarenee said:


> Just an FWIW:  Robert Tisserand did an interview where he stated that lye does destroy some of the constituents in essential oil.  Lavender is the least affected. I don’t remember which way it goes, but the ratio was 60/40, so roughly half of lavender survives.
> 
> Btw, lavender isn’t relaxing for everyone. There’s a good number of people who don’t like it; I’m one of them and it positively highly irritates me.
> 
> Now frankincense.....love love love!!!  But I won’t use it in soap, too much is wasted. Frankincense  is suffering from over harvesting and predicted to become endangered (some varieties already are).


Frankincense is my favorite! Especially in a nice face serum!


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