# Advertising while using FO? Still natural?



## Mawr (Jan 17, 2015)

Obviously a newbie.. however those using FO in their soap, how do you advertise? Would it still be considered natural? I personally love both EOs and FOs however finding it difficult as far as explaining it besides Handcrafted artisan soap, natural colorants/dye free, scented with pure EO and FO.. 

Othernotes, created a stellar pumpkin oat bastile last night, swirls came out perfect! .


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## Obsidian (Jan 17, 2015)

FO's are synthetic so no, they aren't natural and labeling soap made with it as natural is a flat out lie. Label the soap with EO's as natural, the soaps with FO's as just soap.


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## seven (Jan 18, 2015)

You can call it 98% natural or something similar, based on your calculation of how much FO in your formulation.


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## Ruthie (Jan 18, 2015)

You can have a "natural line" and one with F.O.s.  At least that is what I do.


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## pamielynn (Jan 18, 2015)

"Natural" can mean whatever you want it to mean; there is no legal definition. I have come to believe that when people buy "natural" soap all they really want is a superior product to the stuff in the grocery store - made by someone they can talk to, that performs to their standards. 

When I started out, I was all about EOs and unscented soap, but people want soap that smells like strawberries and honey and lilacs. I will tell these folks that those scents cannot be achieved with EOs or mushed up strawberry pulp and they understand and have no problem with the synthetic.


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## Mawr (Jan 18, 2015)

See! That's where I stand.. I made some laundry soap and my husband washed a little bit with his hands and he goes, "you can't smell anything after", had to explain to him despite how much our closet reeks of smell good, it's made with EO. So I guess I'll do a line between natural and FO and just categorize it and definitely label the ones with FO and just offer options..


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## squeakycleanuk (Jan 18, 2015)

I don't use FOs but because I will be using things like preservatives and other things that will make my products not 100% natural, I intend to word it such as natural EOs or natural plant extracts etc, so the natural claim is on specific ingredients rather than the product as a whole


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## reinbeau (Jan 18, 2015)

I make hand crafted soap from wholesome ingredients.  I use essential oils in some, high quality fragrance oils in others, natural colors and micas, pigments, oxides, whatever tickles my fancy.  All clearly outlined on my label.  People love them.  That's all I want.


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## Soap Techniques (Jan 18, 2015)

Mawr said:


> ... those using FO in their soap, how do you advertise? Would it still be considered natural?


 
But is there such a thing as "natural" soap? 
For me, saponin found in nature, is natural. Any soap is a product of a chemical reaction... I guess everything depends on your definition of "natural".


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## Dorymae (Jan 18, 2015)

The word "natural" means different things to different people. I've been asked if my soap was "natural" and I've told people what is in it and specifically stated that I do use fragrance oil. The response from one person was, " that doesn't matter" and from another I got, "so you do use lye- that isn't natural. "

Technically she was right, the lye we use can't be found in nature. Then again neither can olive oil, or coconut oil. 

Natural means different things to different people, I don't call my soap natural - but some of my customers do.


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## SplendorSoaps (Jan 18, 2015)

reinbeau said:


> I make hand crafted soap from wholesome ingredients.  I use essential oils in some, high quality fragrance oils in others, natural colors and micas, pigments, oxides, whatever tickles my fancy.  All clearly outlined on my label.  People love them.  That's all I want.



Exactly!  I like to use FO's in a lot of my soaps, but EO's in others (and sometimes I use a blend).  I feel comfortable calling my EO-scented soaps "all natural," making sure to include full ingredient info in the item descriptions online and on the packaging.  With my FO-scented soaps, I usually tell people that I use natural ingredients, but that they do include fragrance.


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## OliveOil2 (Jan 18, 2015)

Like many who have posted I like to make some soap that use EO and colors that are from herbs, clays etc.  Most of my soaps do contain fragrance oil, mica, and sometimes a blend with EO. I use ingredients that make a nice soap, butters, oatmeal, herbal infusions, but I never advertise the natural aspect. 
There are certain things that I won't use, fragrance with phthalates, colors that are not cosmetic safe, but that is just my decision on what I want in a bar of soap. I think that is what makes handcrafted soap interesting, there are so many different ways to approach making soap.


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## Saponista (Jan 19, 2015)

I think as long as you are upfront about the ingredients in your soap then that is fine. I get annoyed with companies who say that all their ingredients are completely natural then sell products with FO and synthetic detergent to unsuspecting consumers. There are far more of those around than you would expect!


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## TRBeck (Jan 22, 2015)

Fata Morgana said:


> But is there such a thing as "natural" soap?
> For me, saponin found in nature, is natural. Any soap is a product of a chemical reaction... I guess everything depends on your definition of "natural".


Indeed. Once you're extracting essential oils from botanical ingredients via steam distillation or creating absolutes via solvent, you've taken a step or three away from nature. Likewise using caustics - even potash - takes you a step away from nature. I don't buy olive oil taken from olives crushed by the feet of peasant farmers. Natural is a matter of interpretation and degree of difference, and is not a regulated term in any case. As a consumer, I treat the word as white noise. Terms that matter more to me:

- Local
- Organic
- Handmade

Even these labels are misused and have become less meaningful in recent years. I think the key is establishing a relationship with the customer base and then educating (not in a didactic way...it happens, ahem, naturally).


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## JayBird (Jan 24, 2015)

The people who are looking for the "natural" label my also be looking for "vegan." I'm not a seller, so take it for what it's worth. LOL.


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