# Peppermint essential oil



## DMack (Dec 26, 2020)

I’ve noticed from this forum that many soapers complain that peppermint oil fragrance fades fast. I would love to make a peppermint soap with either lavender or lemongrass essential oils and wonder if anyone has managed to get the peppermint to stick and if so how did they do it? I’m looking at CP only

thank you!


----------



## lsg (Dec 26, 2020)

The thread title states, "Peppermint Essential Oil."  But, you mention peppermint FO in the body of your post.  I have not tried peppermint FO, but have not had any trouble with peppermint EO fading.  I do mix it with other EOs or with coconut FO.


----------



## shunt2011 (Dec 26, 2020)

I’ve not had a problem with peppermint EO either.  I do a blend of Peppermint, lavender and tea tree.


----------



## DMack (Dec 26, 2020)

lsg said:


> The thread title states, "Peppermint Essential Oil."  But, you mention peppermint FO in the body of your post.  I have not tried peppermint FO, but have not had any trouble with peppermint EO fading.  I do mix it with other EOs or with coconut FO.


Sorry I meant the fragrance from the essential oil. I’ve not ventured in fragrance oils as I read that alters your water calculation or something and I’m only just starting out



shunt2011 said:


> I’ve not had a problem with peppermint EO either.  I do a blend of Peppermint, lavender and tea tree.


Oh that sounds nice, I have all those as well


----------



## dibbles (Dec 26, 2020)

DMack said:


> Sorry I meant the fragrance from the essential oil. I’ve not ventured in fragrance oils as I read that alters your water calculation or something and I’m only just starting out


Using fragrance oils doesn’t require any adjustments to your water.


----------



## Zing (Dec 26, 2020)

I love using peppermint in moderation -- it can be quite a "tingly/waker upper" sensation in the shower.  I use the low to medium recommendations on eocalc and bramble berry's calculator and almost always blend it with something else.  It doesn't fade for me.


----------



## DawninWA (Dec 27, 2020)

Peppermint doesn't fade for me, either.  I like it mixed with lavender or spearmint.


----------



## SoapMedic (Dec 27, 2020)

no fading here either!  I use it blended with lavender and also I make a blend of Peppermint EO, patchouli, and a smudge of vanilla FO.  Lasts for years...!!


----------



## Becky1024 (Dec 27, 2020)

I use peppermint EO and it does not fade even though I use it at very low levels. I have some bars left that were made 2 years ago and they still smell minty.


----------



## DMack (Dec 27, 2020)

Thank you all I’m feeling much more optimistic about using it now


----------



## The Park Bench (Dec 27, 2020)

Zing said:


> I love using peppermint in moderation -- it can be quite a "tingly/waker upper" sensation in the shower.  I use the low to medium recommendations on eocalc and bramble berry's calculator and almost always blend it with something else.  It doesn't fade for me.


My husband says "it tingles"


----------



## Zing (Dec 27, 2020)

The Park Bench said:


> My husband says "it tingles"


In _all _the places....


----------



## Refael Eran Skira (Jan 30, 2021)

except tingling. does anyone know if a blend of peppermint /spearmint can have a positive effect on the skin?


----------



## eoexpert (Jul 30, 2021)

I will recommend blending peppermint with another oil with a higher boiling/flash point. Peppermint oil blends well with  Eucalyptus* *oil, Lavender oil, Marjoram oil and all Citrus oils.


----------



## Marsi (Jul 30, 2021)

eoexpert said:


> I will recommend blending peppermint with another oil with a higher boiling/flash point.


why do you recommend blending peppermint with an oil with a higher boiling/flash point?


----------



## John Harris (Jul 31, 2021)

Two years ago I made some peppermint oatmeal.  The scent is still there.


----------



## lucycat (Jul 31, 2021)

Although the "tingling" sounds like a good thing it can be very painful for some people.  I would not recommend a straight peppermint because of it.  I also use spearmint in my blends if I want more Mint rather than increase the peppermint EO.   Spearmint doesn't tingle but will fade some and adds a sweeter chewing gum mint scent to the blend.    I like a blend with lemongrass, a bit of cedarwood, peppermint & spearmint.


----------



## Zany_in_CO (Jul 31, 2021)

TelAvivSoapCompany said:


> except tingling. does anyone know if a blend of peppermint /spearmint can have a positive effect on the skin?


I think you may be on to something. I can't say for sure, but I use it in my best-selling (lye-based) Liquid Hair and Body Shampoo and it seems to stimulate the scalp as well as rinsing squeaky clean. 

I use *MMS Fragrance Calc* for the amount to add.


----------



## Catscankim (Jul 31, 2021)

Zing said:


> In _all _the places....


Imma just gonna put this out there…peppermint altoids.

Anywhooooo back to the topic. I have tried two or three peppermint fo for christmas soaps (mind you i only have one xmas season under my belt as far as soap making goes). They all contained vanilla, which discolors, so in my experience I do not like the fo because of discoloration.

I have bars with peppermint/lavender EO that i made a year ago and they still smell wonderful. I am gonna stick with the EO. Peppermint is fairly cheap as far as essential oils go…


----------



## DeeAnna (Jul 31, 2021)

Marsi said:


> why do you recommend blending peppermint with an oil with a higher boiling/flash point?



Because many people think the flash point temperature is related to how fast the fragrance evaporates. In other words, a scent with a lower flash point supposedly will evaporate a lot faster.

The _vapor pressure_ is the property that does predict a chemical's tendency to evaporate quickly or slowly. High vapor pressure = fast evaporation.

Unfortunately, vapor pressure info (and boiling point info) for fragrances is often hard to find. Flash point temperatures are easy to find, however, because sellers have to know the F.P. temps to ship these chemicals safely.

Awhile back, I compared the flash point temperatures and vapor pressures of 55 fragrance oils to see for myself whether there was a useful relationship between F.P. and vapor pressure or not. The fragrance oils had a wide range in the flash point temperatures (from about 130 F to over 200 F), but there were only small differences in their vapor pressures. In other words, a fragrance that has a high flash point temperature doesn't evaporate any much faster or slower than one with a low F.P.

Another tidbit that I thought was interesting is _all _of these fragrances have vapor pressures that are at least 20 times lower than water and 35 times lower than ethyl alcohol (ethanol, grain alcohol). I (and I'm sure others) have the perception that fragrances evaporate really fast ... but they really don't.


----------



## Zany_in_CO (Aug 1, 2021)

DeeAnna said:


> In other words, a fragrance that has a high flash point temperature doesn't evaporate any much faster or slower than one with a low F.P.






 Another addition to my DeeAnna's Tidbits File!


----------



## eoexpert (Aug 2, 2021)

Marsi said:


> why do you recommend blending peppermint with an oil with a higher boiling/flash point?



DeeAnna is correct regarding vapor pressure and yes, unfortunately this information is not tested/provided by suppliers. Flash point is mentioned in the MSDS/TDS sheets so is a better way to select a lower vapor pressure oil. 

Flash point is a measure of the temperature where the vapour created by a liquid ignites readily. For this to occur sufficient vapour pressure is needed near the surface.

Also fragrance oils have a low vapour pressure due to the solvents/plasticizers added to them. But natural Essential Oils dont have any such additives and the vapor pressure will differ a bit. With citrus/mint oils having a VP (lower flash point) due to higher terpene content.

Blending with a high flash point/low VP/ Base note essential oil (or even a fragrance oil) effectively reduces the VP of the blend and hence help the oil last longer.

One thing that some major cosmetic companies do is use fixatives. Which are actually skin safe solvents (for eg, Isopropyl myristate) which are non-volatile and blend with the essential oils before adding to the soap/cosmetics. This helps the fragrance last extremely long comparatively and imparts a longer shelf life to the final product.


----------



## Mobjack Bay (Aug 2, 2021)

eoexpert said:


> Blending with a high flash point/low VP/ Base note essential oil (or even a fragrance oil) effectively reduces the VP of the blend and hence help the oil last longer.
> 
> One thing that some major cosmetic companies do is use fixatives. Which are actually skin safe solvents (for eg, Isopropyl myristate) which are non-volatile and blend with the essential oils before adding to the soap/cosmetics. This helps the fragrance last extremely long comparatively and imparts a longer shelf life to the final product.



On the recommendation of another SMF member, and after reading about the importance of VP and head space when making perfume, I started storing my EO scented soaps in closed cardboard boxes at about the 6-8 week mark.  After 4-6 months, the soaps still smell wonderful.  Have you tried using isopropyl myristate in cp soap, or can you point me to a source for further information on a method?

ETA: I found a KOH SAP value (202-212) in the LotionCrafter specification sheet, *here*.  Does saponification affect the fixative property?


----------



## Zany_in_CO (Aug 2, 2021)

eoexpert said:


> One thing that some major cosmetic companies do is use fixatives. Which are actually skin safe solvents (for eg, *Isopropyl myristate*) which are non-volatile and blend with the essential oils before adding to the soap/cosmetics. This helps the fragrance last extremely long comparatively and imparts a longer shelf life to the final product.


Good to know! That's a new one on me! Thanks!




ETA: Can you please  tell me  where I might find information on using *IPM* to "fix" EOs in CP/HP soap? Perhaps starting a new thread on the subject?


----------



## Nona'sFarm (Aug 2, 2021)

Mobjack Bay said:


> I started storing my EO scented soaps in closed cardboard boxes at about the 6-8 week mark.


Me too! Also, for smaller batches, I use the take out Panera Bread salad boxes. I punch 2 holes in the box for some air/vapor release and the scent does keep wonderfully.


----------



## Marsi (Aug 2, 2021)

Interesting replies
thank you 

i found a few vapour pressure information pages at the goodscentscompany.com
two examples, peppermint oil (flash point 160F, vapor pressure 0.3 mmHg @ 25C) and a known anchor (scent only) oakmoss phenol (flashpoint 275F, VP 0.01 mmHg @ 25C)
Peppermint: The Good Scents Company - Aromatic/Hydrocarbon/Inorganic Ingredients Catalog information
Oakmoss phenol: The Good Scents Company - Aromatic/Hydrocarbon/Inorganic Ingredients Catalog information



Mobjack Bay said:


> On the recommendation of another SMF member, and after reading about the importance of VP and head space when making perfume, I started storing my EO scented soaps in closed cardboard boxes at about the 6-8 week mark.  After 4-6 months, the soaps still smell wonderful.



practical and simple
thank you


To add
i have seen local brands of expensive cold process soaps sold in lightly sealed cardboard boxes (no sniffy holes or shrink wrap plastic)
they also keep their scent very well



DeeAnna said:


> Because many people think the flash point temperature is related to how fast the fragrance evaporates. In other words, a scent with a lower flash point supposedly will evaporate a lot faster.
> 
> The _vapor pressure_ is the property that does predict a chemical's tendency to evaporate quickly or slowly. High vapor pressure = fast evaporation.
> 
> ...


would the conclusions you drew from testing fragrance oils apply equally to essential oils?



eoexpert said:


> DeeAnna is correct regarding vapor pressure and yes, unfortunately this information is not tested/provided by suppliers. Flash point is mentioned in the MSDS/TDS sheets so is a better way to select a lower vapor pressure oil.
> 
> Flash point is a measure of the temperature where the vapour created by a liquid ignites readily. For this to occur sufficient vapour pressure is needed near the surface.
> 
> ...



i could not find a soap with isopropyl myristate as an ingredient in australia - could you please provide me with an example?
i did find a website with vapour pressure information - i put that at the top of my post for you


----------



## ResolvableOwl (Aug 2, 2021)

Isopropyl myristate is an ester, just like oils are. It won't survive CP saponification, but is cleaved by lye to give isopropanol (volatile) and myristate soap (like coconut and a few other oils do). It has no chance to have any advantage over any other excess oil (unless added into HP as part of post-cook addition).

I guess that's why people aren't wasting it for lye-based products.


----------

