# How to choose a fragrance oil?



## Greggooo (Sep 1, 2021)

Hi there! I am relatively new to soap making. I have had some wonderful batches and some puddings that were nearly useless. I believe that fragrance oils are my biggest issue (I blend around 75-80 degrees and I use the stick blender sparingly). 

My question is: How do you know you're choosing a FO that doesn't accelerate the trace and give a good working time? Are some scents generally faster than others or is it all source?


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## MellonFriend (Sep 1, 2021)

Greggooo said:


> Hi there! I am relatively new to soap making. I have had some wonderful batches and some puddings that were nearly useless. I believe that fragrance oils are my biggest issue (I blend around 75-80 degrees and I use the stick blender sparingly).
> 
> My question is: How do you know you're choosing a FO that doesn't accelerate the trace and give a good working time? Are some scents generally faster than others or is it all source?


There are lots of companies that sell fragrance oils that say how they behave in CP soap.  Whole sale supply plus, Bramble Berry, and Nurture all do.


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## Greggooo (Sep 1, 2021)

MellonFriend said:


> There are lots of companies that sell fragrance oils that say how they behave in CP soap.  Whole sale supply plus, Bramble Berry, and Nurture all do.


Thank you! I will try them! And would mica accelerate at all?


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## Megan (Sep 1, 2021)

Greggooo said:


> Thank you! I will try them! And would mica accelerate at all?


Some colors tend to accelerate more, colors with high titanium dioxide, I find purples and blues accelerate as well. 
For the fragrances, you can go by company notes, and product reviews...but in the end it will be your own testing that you have to rely on.


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## Justcallmewillie (Sep 1, 2021)

Greggooo said:


> Hi there! I am relatively new to soap making. I have had some wonderful batches and some puddings that were nearly useless. I believe that fragrance oils are my biggest issue (I blend around 75-80 degrees and I use the stick blender sparingly).
> 
> My question is: How do you know you're choosing a FO that doesn't accelerate the trace and give a good working time? Are some scents generally faster than others or is it all source?


I’ve always had the best luck with sweetcakes.com fragrance oils as they are made especially for CP soaps. They also tell the buyer what the characteristics of the FO are and what color the soap may turn to after using it. I’m slightly embarrassed to say, but I’ve got about 50-one pound bottles of their FO. Also, they do very well in soy candles


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## Justcallmewillie (Sep 1, 2021)

Forgot…as far as colorants go, I stay clear of regular FD&C food coloring from the grocery because the lye will turn those colors upside down. The use of mica works very well and doesn’t throw a hammer in the crankcase so to speak


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## lenarenee (Sep 2, 2021)

Florals are known for their acceleration and some are quite fast. Some are deceptive and seem fine until they almost instantly become like Crisco (Nurture's fresh cut roses) . So soap with oils and lye solution at room temp, pick one color for that batch and next time you can see if you think you can handle more.

Spice and salt/ocean type scents also have a rep for causing trouble as a fair number of them heat up quickly, which also accelerates.  Be aware that sometime they can REALLY overheat, so read the soap notes and be sure to NOT force gel, insulate or oven process these fragrances. On rare occasion they can expand and "bubble" over the mold.  My worst case was a batch of Salty Mariner that split right down the middle of the mold like an earthquake while I watched!  Fun times!

Have you heard of ricing? Chunks of the soap form in the batter. Usually you can stick blend them into submission, but learning about ricing is something you may want to add to your list. In the meantime a good supplier will have notes on each fragrance listing issues such as acceleration, discoloring, heating, and ricing. 

Good news is, there are also fragrances the slow the batter and give you lots of time to work with.  (although you'll probably have to wait longer to unfold and cut)


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## artemis (Sep 2, 2021)

Greggooo said:


> My question is: How do you know you're choosing a FO that doesn't accelerate the trace and give a good working time?



I read the reviews. I like to know what other soapers have say about how an FO did. The notes the seller provide don't always give the whole picture.


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## Tara_H (Sep 2, 2021)

Greggooo said:


> How do you know you're choosing a FO that doesn't accelerate the trace and give a good working time?


Doing your own testing is definitely best since your recipe can affect how the FO behaves.  I had some very interesting and unexpected results when I started testing systematically!


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## Justcallmewillie (Sep 2, 2021)

Tara_H said:


> Doing your own testing is definitely best since your recipe can affect how the FO behaves.  I had some very interesting and unexpected results when I started testing systematically!


Remember which brands were the worst? Lebermuth was the worst for soaps that I recall. Doesn’t like lye. Best imho is sweet cakes. Not only do they perform flawlessly in both soy candles and soaps, but their fragrances are all spot on and none of those cheap sickly yucky fragrances


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## Cat&Oak (Sep 2, 2021)

Justcallmewillie said:


> Remember which brands were the worst? Lebermuth was the worst for soaps that I recall. Doesn’t like lye. Best imho is sweet cakes. Not only do they perform flawlessly in both soy candles and soaps, but their fragrances are all spot on and none of those cheap sickly yucky fragrances


Not all of Sweetcakes fragrance oils perform flawlessly. I had extreme seizing and ricing with two of their florals and acceleration (manageable) with a few more. They don't provide reviews and their descriptions mostly tell how great the fragrance oils smell, not how they perform. I will say they do smell high quality. When I reached out to customer service about the two florals I never got a response which left a bad taste in my mouth.


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## lenarenee (Sep 2, 2021)

Justcallmewillie said:


> Remember which brands were the worst? Lebermuth was the worst for soaps that I recall. Doesn’t like lye. Best imho is sweet cakes. Not only do they perform flawlessly in both soy candles and soaps, but their fragrances are all spot on and none of those cheap sickly yucky fragrances



I’m afraid it doesn’t work that way for fragrances. One brand is not better than another (for acceleration). Some even get their fragrances from the same manufacturer. So far you’re had good luck with Sweetcakes, and that’s great.  I didn’t have the same luck as you. Other factors like recipe, water, and temperature affect how your fragrance works.

However, in general I suggest being very careful ordering from places that focus on candles simply because they buy what their main customer base needs….fo’s that work in candles. Be sure to look for reviews from people who’ve tried them in soap.

Although right now, I’d completely avoid fo’s from Wooden Wick Co., because the majority are not suitable for cold process soap at all. WW has tried to differentiate themselves from other supplies with their unique fragrances.  They have some gorgeous fragrance but those of us who’ve tried to cp soap them had soap on a stick and severe ricing. Hot process soapers report the fragrances don’t stick well,; understandably as WW co. uses a lot of essential oils in their blends.   Save them for candles or MP soap.


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## cmzaha (Sep 2, 2021)

There simply is not one company better than the other when it comes to fragrance performance, which is why it is best to read the customer reviews and purchase samples in order to test a fragrance such as floral, water type, and spicy. Of course, that is not all the type of fragrances that can cause problems such as acceleration and pricing. This is a do what I say not as I do recommendation. I never purchased less than a lb and never took the time to test or at least very seldom, because I just did not have the patience. I will rescind a little of what I just said, I did test fragrances for California Candle Supply for a couple of years. 

I happen to like a lot of Natures Garden fragrances and the prices are good. While Sweet Cake Fragrances are very nice they are also very expensive, the same as The Sage which has very nice fragrances that are also very nice but costly.


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## Justcallmewillie (Sep 2, 2021)

Cat&Oak said:


> Not all of Sweetcakes fragrance oils perform flawlessly. I had extreme seizing and ricing with two of their florals and acceleration (manageable) with a few more. They don't provide reviews and their descriptions mostly tell how great the fragrance oils smell, not how they perform. I will say they do smell high quality. When I reached out to customer service about the two florals I never got a response which left a bad taste in my mouth.


My experience with them was a very long time ago so perhaps they changed formulas and then they had very very good customer service. So, that was around 1997 maybe?  I’ve always had excellent experiences with sweet cakes


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## Justcallmewillie (Sep 2, 2021)

lenarenee said:


> I’m afraid it doesn’t work that way for fragrances. One brand is not better than another (for acceleration). Some even get their fragrances from the same manufacturer. So far you’re had good luck with Sweetcakes, and that’s great.  I didn’t have the same luck as you. Other factors like recipe, water, and temperature affect how your fragrance works.
> 
> However, in general I suggest being very careful ordering from places that focus on candles simply because they buy what their main customer base needs….fo’s that work in candles. Be sure to look for reviews from people who’ve tried them in soap.
> 
> Although right now, I’d completely avoid fo’s from Wooden Wick Co., because the majority are not suitable for cold process soap at all. WW has tried to differentiate themselves from other supplies with their unique fragrances.  They have some gorgeous fragrance but those of us who’ve tried to cp soap them had soap on a stick and severe ricing. Hot process soapers report the fragrances don’t stick well,; understandably as WW co. uses a lot of essential oils in their blends.   Save them for candles or MP soap.


Sweetcakes is for soap but I didn’t want to buy more fragrance for the candles so I tried it out and they worked beautifully. I’ll remember WW and thank you for the info


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## lenarenee (Sep 2, 2021)

You’re welcome. And feel free to let us know which Sweetcakes fo’s worked for you! We always appreciate it.


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## Justcallmewillie (Sep 2, 2021)

lenarenee said:


> You’re welcome. And feel free to let us know which Sweetcakes fo’s worked for you! We always appreciate it.


Mango/true mango mix 50/50
Watermelon
Cherry/vanilla mix
Cucumber melon
Cinnamon apple peach
Awapuhi seaberry 
Special edition vanilla 
Dewy green cactus
Indian summer
Mandarin orange made it chunky
Jasmine
Wildflowers
Lumberjack
Plum
Do not use blueberry in either soap or candle cause it smells like taint after dry down


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## Justcallmewillie (Sep 2, 2021)

Another company I had luck with is from New Jersey called Shemen or ShemenTov. Their lemon verbena is scrumptious as is their lavender. If one orders from them, ya have to call in the order. Old fashioned but fine fragrances and EO


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## lenarenee (Sep 2, 2021)

Justcallmewillie said:


> Another company I had luck with is from New Jersey called Shemen or ShemenTov. Their lemon verbena is scrumptious as is their lavender. If one orders from them, ya have to call in the order. Old fashioned but fine fragrances and EO



I got you confused with the op who says he‘s fairly new at soaping and my post was written as such, so I hope I didn’t insult with information you didn’t ask for.

Thanks for the list of fragrances…there’s several that look interesting. Always wanted to try awaphi seaberry.


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## Justcallmewillie (Sep 2, 2021)

lenarenee said:


> I got you confused with the op who says he‘s fairly new at soaping and my post was written as such, so I hope I didn’t insult with information you didn’t ask for.
> 
> Thanks for the list of fragrances…there’s several that look interesting. Always wanted to try awaphi seaberry.


No offense taken. Awaphi seaberry smells like a fruity herbal essence. I’ve got plenty of this and can send you some if you want. Send me a DM. I’ll never use all this FO. In LS, I’ve found many cloud the soap. I’ve also not much experience with LS either but I’ve tried Sangria and Raspberry and both clouded it to creamy brown or creamy white


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## Cat&Oak (Sep 2, 2021)

lenarenee said:


> You’re welcome. And feel free to let us know which Sweetcakes fo’s worked for you! We always appreciate it.



I will add mine

Oatmeal, milk and honey (well behaved)
Karen's ocean rain (mild acceleration)
New mown hay (well behaved)
Sandalwood (mixed with Masculine Musk moderate acceleration)
Lavender breeze (well behaved)
Clean Type (really amazing)
Grapefruit ginger (well behaved)
True Rose (seized)
Worlds best magnolia (out of control ricing)

My recipe has a lot of hard oils so that certainly didn't help.


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## Justcallmewillie (Sep 2, 2021)

Cat&Oak said:


> I will add mine
> 
> Oatmeal, milk and honey (well behaved)
> Karen's ocean rain (mild acceleration)
> ...


Forgot about oatmeal milk and honey, clean (type) 
Is worlds best magnolia new? Lavender breeze. That new also? I haven’t looked at the site in many moons.‘what does lavender breeze smell like? I’ll trade you 2oz shementov lavender for lavender breeze if you’re game


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## TheGecko (Sep 3, 2021)

Greggooo said:


> Hi there! I am relatively new to soap making. I have had some wonderful batches and some puddings that were nearly useless. I believe that fragrance oils are my biggest issue (I blend around 75-80 degrees and I use the stick blender sparingly).
> 
> My question is: How do you know you're choosing a FO that doesn't accelerate the trace and give a good working time? Are some scents generally faster than others or is it all source?



Many companies have reviews, but I tend to take them with a grain of salt because of the differences in ingredients and temperatures.

What I have learned to do is to buy a small amount, trial or 1 oz, and then make a small test batch.  If it goes well, blessed be the soap gods.  If it doesn’t, then I’m only out a few bucks.


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## Zany_in_CO (Sep 3, 2021)

@Greggooo  First of all, welcome to the Forum!
When you have a minute, please read the following:

*ADVICE TO BEGINNERS*

*HOW I TEST FRAGRANCE*

This is a long one but worth reading. It is entertaining and will save you time and $$$$ when first starting out to make soap:

*WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO YOUR BEGINNING SELF?*



cmzaha said:


> While Sweet Cake Fragrances are very nice they are also very expensive, the same as The Sage which has very nice fragrances that are also very nice but costly.


Spot on! Luv *MMS* and *Sweetcakes* but I rarely use either of those companies any more because they promote the scent without supplying basic info about how their FOs perform. Frustrating really.


Justcallmewillie said:


> I had luck with is from New Jersey called Shemen or ShemenTov. Their lemon verbena is scrumptious as is their lavender.


I've been looking for a good Lemon Verbena & Lavender FO since 'forever'!   Thank you for sharing! 


TheGecko said:


> Many companies have reviews, but I tend to take them with a grain of salt because of the differences in ingredients and temperatures.


  Well said!!


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## Cat&Oak (Sep 3, 2021)

Justcallmewillie said:


> Forgot about oatmeal milk and honey, clean (type)
> Is worlds best magnolia new? Lavender breeze. That new also? I haven’t looked at the site in many moons.‘what does lavender breeze smell like? I’ll trade you 2oz shementov lavender for lavender breeze if you’re game



They change up their fragrance oils occasionally. Lavender breeze is a clean laundry smell, I don't really get the lavender in it. Thanks for the offer but I'm actually out of that scent, I've been using it as a room spray.


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## math ace (Sep 12, 2021)

Some companies do not allow the posting of "negative" reviews.  If the company itself did not test the Fragrance, then you'll have to rely on the customer reviews.  These reviews might not be relevant if the company does but allow negative reviews.

Micas and more is a small fragrance company that tests all her fragrances before stocking them.  She won't stock a naughty fragrance.  Plus, MOST of her fragrances have none to minor discoloration.

She has some excellent fragrances, good pricing, and quick ship.  Definitely worth checking out for a no hassle shopping experience... Don't forget to get your "free soap sample" of a new or upcoming fragrance release.


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## Zany_in_CO (Sep 12, 2021)

math ace said:


> Micas and more is a small fragrance company that tests all her fragrances before stocking them.


 *Micas and More* - 9/12/21: _Anniversary Special! Orders placed this week will have a small _*spoonula*_ added to their orders!_


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## Basil (Sep 30, 2021)

cmzaha said:


> There simply is not one company better than the other when it comes to fragrance performance, which is why it is best to read the customer reviews and purchase samples in order to test a fragrance such as floral, water type, and spicy. Of course, that is not all the type of fragrances that can cause problems such as acceleration and pricing. This is a do what I say not as I do recommendation. I never purchased less than a lb and never took the time to test or at least very seldom, because I just did not have the patience. I will rescind a little of what I just said, I did test fragrances for California Candle Supply for a couple of years.
> 
> I happen to like a lot of Natures Garden fragrances and the prices are good. While Sweet Cake Fragrances are very nice they are also very expensive, the same as The Sage which has very nice fragrances that are also very nice but costly.


I feel better after reading your post as I’m afraid  my patience is low too and tend to not want to reorder a week later if I like it, and will just try to make the best of it if I don’t like it. I think I learn from plunging ahead. My life story… But I’m not at the level where I would think of ordering a pound yet. Getting braver for 8 oz.


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## math ace (Sep 30, 2021)

Basil said:


> I feel better after reading your post as I’m afraid  my patience is low too and tend to not want to reorder a week later if I like it, and will just try to make the best of it if I don’t like it. I think I learn from plunging ahead. My life story… But I’m not at the level where I would think of ordering a pound yet. Getting braver for 8 oz.



When I test my fragrances, and yes, I do test, my testing lasts for many months.  I want to know how the fragrance acts during soap making, but I also want to confirm that the fragrance will stick well pass the 6 month mark.    With me... There is no turn around and order a bigger bottle in a week.  I can't tell you how many fragrances that I've tested that lost their scent in the 90 to 120 day mark.


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## Basil (Sep 30, 2021)

math ace said:


> When I test my fragrances, and yes, I do test, my testing lasts for many months.  I want to know how the fragrance acts during soap making, but I also want to confirm that the fragrance will stick well pass the 6 month mark.    With me... There is no turn around and order a bigger bottle in a week.  I can't tell you how many fragrances that I've tested that lost their scent in the 90 to 120 day mark.


I haven’t sold any soaps other than to a few friends and friends of friends who have insisted they pay for them . I have soaps I’ve kept for three years to check  the scent and color. I have new soaps I’m ready to start selling that I’ve had for 6 months and longer. The ones that have lost their scent or have colors that morphed  I have donated or just given to friends. I guess what I meant was , I just don’t have the patience to buy 1 ounce . Now that I have a lot of soaps built up ,  I feel more comfortable selling to people I don’t know. I just don’t have the patience for one ounce to make.. but again, I buy maybe 4-8 oz depending on reviews and you all , but not more.  I’m so paranoid to make sure it’s the best I can make, that I’ve taken my time and make the same thing more than once to test. I just thought maybe I was weird because I have little patience to buy just 1 ounce. I think , is that wasteful if it smells bad, or doesn’t last?  But, if it doesn’t, I can give it to family , friends, or donate. (Much to my husband’s chagrin when he uses one he has dubbed  “ urinal cake”. )When I read @cmzaha post , it gave me some relief as I applied it to the ounce part.. I’m ADHD, so no patience for 1 ounce, but a lot of patience to test and wait to see how it works, because I can move on while it sits. That goes with colors too. I did a couple of years with ‘natural colors and EOs before moving on to micas and FOs. I’m in it for the trial and error but my brain has to do it all right now. I compare myself and what I want to accomplish to all off you who are artists and proud of wanting the best.  I hope that explains my post better. Actually I think this was a bit of therapy for me 
ETA I know what you mean about turn around.. I bought cotton candy FO from the Sage and thought my grand daughter would love it. It smelled great! 6 weeks  later the scent is very faint. I mailed it today and told my daughter it doesn’t smell as strong. She told me not to worry as the soap was shaped like a kitten from a mold my daughter had sent me. I bought 4 ounces, I will not be buying it again. However, I have 11 grandchildren and lots of molds


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## math ace (Sep 30, 2021)

Basil said:


> I haven’t sold any soaps other than to a few friends and friends of friends who have insisted they pay for them . I have soaps I’ve kept for three years to check  the scent and color. I have new soaps I’m ready to start selling that I’ve had for 6 months and longer. The ones that have lost their scent or have colors that morphed  I have donated or just given to friends. I guess what I meant was , I just don’t have the patience to buy 1 ounce . Now that I have a lot of soaps built up ,  I feel more comfortable selling to people I don’t know. I just don’t have the patience for one ounce to make.. but again, I buy maybe 4-8 oz depending on reviews and you all , but not more.  I’m so paranoid to make sure it’s the best I can make, that I’ve taken my time and make the same thing more than once to test. I just thought maybe I was weird because I have little patience to buy just 1 ounce. I think , is that wasteful if it smells bad, or doesn’t last?  But, if it doesn’t, I can give it to family , friends, or donate. (Much to my husband’s chagrin when he uses one he has dubbed  “ urinal cake”. )When I read @cmzaha post , it gave me some relief as I applied it to the ounce part.. I’m ADHD, so no patience for 1 ounce, but a lot of patience to test and wait to see how it works, because I can move on while it sits. That goes with colors too. I did a couple of years with ‘natural colors and EOs before moving on to micas and FOs. I’m in it for the trial and error but my brain has to do it all right now. I compare myself and what I want to accomplish to all off you who are artists and proud of wanting the best.  I hope that explains my post better. Actually I think this was a bit of therapy for me
> ETA I know what you mean about turn around.. I bought cotton candy FO from the Sage and thought my grand daughter would love it. It smelled great! 6 weeks  later the scent is very faint. I mailed it today and told my daughter it doesn’t smell as strong. She told me not to worry as the soap was shaped like a kitten from a mold my daughter had sent me. I bought 4 ounces, I will not be buying it again. However, I have 11 grandchildren and lots of molds


Sounds very similar to me and what I do!  I do buy the 1 ounce, but that is because I like to test 20 to 30 fragrances at a time.

Over the summer my testing batch size was 50 fragrances split from mainly 3 different companies. I make just 1 bar of each fragrance and then wait... And wait... And wait!  I get ripping mad when the manufacturers discontinue a fragrance after I've invested all this time into the testing.


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## Basil (Oct 1, 2021)

math ace said:


> Sounds very similar to me and what I do!  I do buy the 1 ounce, but that is because I like to test 20 to 30 fragrances at a time.
> 
> Over the summer my testing batch size was 50 fragrances split from mainly 3 different companies. I make just 1 bar of each fragrance and then wait... And wait... And wait!  I get ripping mad when the manufacturers discontinue a fragrance after I've invested all this time into the testing.


WOW!!! Ok, now I actually might could do that! 20-30 fragrances at a time??!! I hadn’t thought of that. Making one bar… I have the 1 pound size .. that was frustrating. Either make enough to give or something.. I dunno. But I could do many one bars! And yes, I get being frustrated with it being discontinued. That’s why EOs are nice but they have their own set of challenges. Thanks so much for the idea. I do have several one bar molds I bought last year! You have helped more than therapy lol!!


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## math ace (Oct 1, 2021)

I donate to homeless shelters.  They love the small size - like 2 to 3 ounces that small of my molds produce.  I also donate to a woman's shelter.  They enjoy the pampering of homemade soap.


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## Basil (Oct 1, 2021)

math ace said:


> I donate to homeless shelters.  They love the small size - like 2 to 3 ounces that small of my molds produce.  I also donate to a woman's shelter.  They enjoy the pampering of homemade soap.


I love that. I’ve mentioned before on other posts , but I send to my grandson in the military to share with his fellow troops. He just got back from a deployment from Saudi and Kuwait. Now I can send them to his base. He’s stationed at Fort Bliss and is one of the assigned troops to be with the Afghan refugees. I won’t even get into that. Anyway, the soap goes over well with his buds! Military is another option for a good soap! They have a lot of skin issues .


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## math ace (Oct 1, 2021)

What awesome idea!  I was just wondering about this same thing yesterday.


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