# Coffee fragrance in soap



## penelopejane (Dec 12, 2017)

I don't drink coffee so I'd like some opinions please:

Would coffee lovers like a coffee soap scented with a coffee fragrance oil?
Or would that be yucky?

Would a light masculine scent be better?


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## mommycarlson (Dec 12, 2017)

Hi Penelopejane,
I have scented my coffee soaps both ways, unfortunately I have not found a coffee FO that does not discolor so maybe someone knows of one, I'll be watching this thread to see if there are any.  I finally gave up on the coffee FO's and used "Blue Sugar" the last time I made a coffee soap, the white stayed a lovely white and the soap smells really nice, I think you can do whatever you want to do


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## osso (Dec 12, 2017)

I think the dicolor goes well with coffee soap. I like WSP espresso for a good coffee FO.


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## Susie (Dec 12, 2017)

Coffee FO with a dark brown soap and some white (no FO) slightly swirled through and poufed up on top is a lovely gift for a coffee drinker.  Even non-coffee drinkers like the smell and appearance.


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## cmzaha (Dec 12, 2017)

Coffee fragrance soap is one of my worst sellers, and I stupidly made another batch thinking a Moklata fo would be okay and sell. Nope will have those darn soaps forever.


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## Zany_in_CO (Dec 12, 2017)

Essentials by Catalina in California has a nice selection of Coffee FOs:

https://essentialsbycatalina.com/fragrance-essential-oils/coffee

I have not tried any of them but I tried their coffee butter a few years ago and the fragrance was awesome.


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## DeeAnna (Dec 12, 2017)

A coffee scented soap wouldn't really trip my trigger -- I really don't care to smell like food, so food scents in soap aren't too appealing. I enjoy the visual play when people make soap that looks like a cup of coffee, but I don't need the riff to extend to the scent as well.


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## shunt2011 (Dec 12, 2017)

I had a coffee scented soap once and it was a terrible seller. Couldn't give it away for the most part.   I generally scent it with something other than a coffee scent.  But, I don't care for food scent in my soaps. I do make one with coffee, coffee grounds and a rosemary mint fragrance for a garden soap.


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## penelopejane (Dec 12, 2017)

Thanks everyone. I think I’ll go with the majority and my own preference and steer away from it in soap. 

Thank you for your help.


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## Nanditasr (Dec 12, 2017)

I don't drink coffee either. I like the smell of coffee in dessert or liqueur, but I would hate to apply that smell all over myself. For that matter, I love to eat chocolate, but I would find it cloying to apply a chocolatey smelling soap. Citrus scents are generally a safe bet. Or those pine-like scents.


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## randycoxclemson (Dec 12, 2017)

I don't drink coffee, but I like the smell and since of the 50 or so batches I've made over the past 18 months only two have scents that actually stay on my skin post shower, I think I'd be safe making a coffee-scented bar.  It would be refreshing in the shower and then after that, like everything else, I'd just smell like skin.  

I have tried it with coffee, but of course the lye changes the coffee scent in the water (or added to the oils) into something very much non-coffeelike.  I don't know if I want to test out various coffee FOs, but if I see one that gets so many positive comments, maybe I'll give it a go.


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## Nanditasr (Dec 13, 2017)

randycoxclemson said:


> I have tried it with coffee, but of course the lye changes the coffee scent in the water (or added to the oils) into something very much non-coffeelike.



That is so true -- no matter what I use in the decoction -- rosemary, orange peel, whatever, it has no smell of the original!


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## MissE (Dec 13, 2017)

I'm a little surprised at how unpopular the coffee scent seems. I have been looking forward to making coffee soap!


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## Nanditasr (Dec 13, 2017)

MissE said:


> I'm a little surprised at how unpopular the coffee scent seems. I have been looking forward to making coffee soap!



Yes, that is sad. But we human beings often seem to make a distinction between a smell/flavour we'd like to eat. vs apply. I remember National Geographic running an article, probably three decades ago, on the sense of smell. There were scratch-and-sniff panels, and readers were asked to vote on whether they found the smell appealing, whether they would eat something smelling like this, and whether they would apply it. There was very little intersection between the latter two -- just a few fruity fragrances.


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## Saranac (Dec 13, 2017)

I think it's all about perspective.  I used to work in a bakery and every Friday I would walk into the bank with my paycheck and hear one compliment after another about how good I smelled--even though I thought I stunk!  After all, not many people want to smell like a walking jelly donut. . . . but the smell of one wafting through the air is a different story.

Now that I spend most of my time peddling my soapy wares around town, I often put on whatever lotion I'm trying to spot-light.  During the fall season I had a pumpkin spice full of vanilla and cinnamon, and everyone loved it--on me, that is!  Do you think I could actually sell it?

IME, people seem to be more willing to try/buy foodie scents in hand soap, but when it comes to all-over body soaps and lotions, they tend to pass.  Of course there are exceptions.  Citrus fragrances come to mind, and lately I've had a hard time keeping products scented with SOS's Apple (McIntosh) in stock.


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## saratk (Dec 13, 2017)

I think this is a very personal preference. I make a mocha scrub bar with coffee essential oil (Liberty Naturals has a reasonably-priced Roasted Coffee e.o.) and used coffee grounds that people really love. I think there's something about the aroma of coffee coupled with the brisk sensation of the scrub (coffee grounds are surprisingly exfoliating) that folks find invigorating.


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## mx5inpenn (Dec 13, 2017)

I use coffee grounds and coffee scent that everyone loves for a garden/kitchen hand soap.


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## cmzaha (Dec 13, 2017)

saratk said:


> I think this is a very personal preference. I make a mocha scrub bar with coffee essential oil (Liberty Naturals has a reasonably-priced Roasted Coffee e.o.) and used coffee grounds that people really love. I think there's something about the aroma of coffee coupled with the brisk sensation of the scrub (coffee grounds are surprisingly exfoliating) that folks find invigorating.


They do not have a Coffee EO, they do carry a Coffee SCO2 extract and a couple of coffee absolutes to the tune of approx 2k-4k per lb.


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## SunRiseArts (Dec 13, 2017)

lol I personally love sweet, bakery, and alcoholic scents.  Go figure.

My favorite coffee scent is café cubano from Indian candle supply.  However it goes espresso (very dark).  But you can probably scent it with whatever you want.  

I hate using coffee grounds, but I do make my coffee soap by adding instant coffee to my lye water.  Turns out amazing.  BTW coffee is really good to fight cellulite.


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## Nite Hawk (Dec 13, 2017)

I am the odd one out, I love the smell of coffee, even though I don't hardly ever drink the stuff-- sometimes gives me the shakes -sometimes terrible- 
I would be careful using citrus EOs can cause photo sensitivity...probably would get away with Fragrance though...

sunrise arts,--how do you use the coffee to get rid of cellulite??


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## Rune (Jan 3, 2018)

I bought a coffee shower gel from Yves Rocher for my sister (as a part of a christmas gift). I have been stealing that shower gel, because it smells fantastic! 

I originally thought that a coffee soap would not be something special. Good to drink and smells great, but not something for a soap. I bought it just because it was fairly cheap and I had to have something extra in the gift for her. But now I know better, coffee in soaps is fabulous! Absolutely fabulous!

So I have decided to make a coffee soap. The first one will be a pine tar soap, with a special pine tar traditionally handmade in my local area, that I have managed to find. The pine tar scent is very strong and overpowering. I like it, though. But I think I will twist it a little bit. Add some more dimensions to it. So I will add a little bit of coffee and vanilla fragrance oils. Maybe something more, I don't know. Or maybe just coffee and tar, and not any vanilla? Black coffee and tar, with no sugar and no vanilla. Yes, it must be like that. Rough and wild, coffee brewed over a bonfire just outside a pine tar-treated log cabin. I just have to buy the coffee fragrance oil first. 

I think you should make your coffee soap. If some find it hard to sell, maybe you are more lucky than they are? Maybe your coffee soap will be legendary and everybody wants it? You don't know before you have tried. You can always use it yourself if it doesn't sell. And give it away for christmas gifts. So it will not be wasted anyway.


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## Nanditasr (Jan 4, 2018)

Rune said:


> I think you should make your coffee soap. If some find it hard to sell, maybe you are more lucky than they are? Maybe your coffee soap will be legendary and everybody wants it? You don't know before you have tried. You can always use it yourself if it doesn't sell. And give it away for christmas gifts. So it will not be wasted anyway.



That is a fantastic idea; your description is so good that you now have me tempted to try it!
I don't sell mine anyway, so nobody will look a gift horse in the mouth. :smile: Besides, I think people can judge the soap more objectively if it's given gratis. If they pay for it, there's a tendency to judge whether the soap was good _at that price_.
Are you planning to use only fragrance oil, or also coffee decoction in the lye? And do you plan to use coffee grounds?
I am anyway planning to add cocoa powder (or chocolate itself) to my next batch, so maybe I'll try mocha!


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