# Fragrance per bar?  O.o



## JrVTG (Jan 9, 2011)

Hello all!

Kind of new here, so bear with me.  

But...I'm preparing to start making my own soaps after my Etsy disappointment, only in a much smaller scale.  I don't intend to resell my soaps, but use them personally.  As such, I'll be making only a bar or two at a time.

Long story short, I'm trying to find out how much fragrance oil to use per ounce, if anyone can make a suggestion?  I'll probably be making a half cup bar, and I want it strong, but leaving behind a softer scent on my skin.

So drops, ounces, teaspoons or tablespoons.... how do you measure?

Many thanks!


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## jcandleattic (Jan 9, 2011)

Most people use scent in percentages... 
After going over my notes, for my MP soaps, I would use .5oz per lb. But I would never make anything less than a lb of MP and with the molds I used I would get anywhere from 3-4 soaps per lb...


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## Catmehndi (Jan 10, 2011)

I agree that it would be pretty hard to only do a bar at a time. I suppose you could chop a small quantity off of a larger block and only melt that.

In our classes, we don't add quite as much as is suggested above but you can do your own testing to see what you like best. Sometimes the #drops will be dictated by the strength of the scent - also, some people like lots of scent while others prefer a more subtle perfume.

We recommend about 25-40 drops per pound of soap.
1/2 oz is about 300 drops
As you can see, it's a huge discrepancy so perhaps something in between?

If you put too much, you can always melt again and add more base to dilute the scent.
Remember never to let your base boil!
Good luck!


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## JrVTG (Jan 11, 2011)

Hey, and thank you both for your replies!

Quick question though, Catmehndi...You only use up to 40 drops of fragrance per pound?  That works out roughly to .4% instead of the recommended 3-5%.  Or is my math faulty?  (It may be, I'm suffering from a migraine right now.)

But here are my math notes:
1 drop=0.05 ml

1 ml=20 drops

5 ml=1 teaspoon

15 ml=1 tablespoon

30 ml=1 ounce

Using 40 drops of fragrance, it equals out to 2ml.  2ml converted to ounces is 0.06762.  0.06762 ounces divided by the 16 ounces in a pound turns into .00422625, hence .4%

It may be I'm moving a decimal wrong, or I'm not looking at the percentages correctly, but is that correct?

More opinions are also welcomed as the more knowledge I can gain before I do this next weekend, the better.  ^.^

Thanks in bunches!


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## soapbuddy (Jan 11, 2011)

For a half a cup of soap (8 ozs?) I would start with 40 drops and see if that's strong enough for you. Some fragrances need more, others need less.


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## JrVTG (Jan 11, 2011)

soapbuddy said:
			
		

> For a half a cup of soap (8 ozs?) I would start with 40 drops and see if that's strong enough for you. Some fragrances need more, others need less.



Heya, and thanks for responding!  

Quick question, a half cup of soap would be 4 ounces, so would I use 40 drops for 4 ounces, or for the 8 ounces you mentioned?


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## Catmehndi (Jan 11, 2011)

JrVTG said:
			
		

> Hey, and thank you both for your replies!
> 
> Quick question though, Catmehndi...You only use up to 40 drops of fragrance per pound?  That works out roughly to .4% instead of the recommended 3-5%.  Or is my math faulty?  (It may be, I'm suffering from a migraine right now.)
> 
> ...


No wonder you have a migraine!!! Your calculations are right.
As soapbuddy says, some have a stronger scent than others. The percentages we put are maximum suggested amounts -you're free to play and experiment until you end up with something you like (or something you can sell - we don't always like what we make but if it sells, well, guess you have to keep making it!)


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## soapbuddy (Jan 11, 2011)

JrVTG said:
			
		

> soapbuddy said:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


I calculated the amount for 8 ozs.


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## ChristinaTate (Jan 15, 2011)

Hi, I've been using pipettes to measure mine. I use about 2.5 - 3.5 ml per 4 ounces of soap depending on the scent. If it's strong (like my lily of the valley) I had to go down to 1.5 ml


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## Reveremike (May 14, 2014)

I'll be making my first batch of MP Cocoa Butter Soap and want to add Golden Jojoba Oil and Aloe Fragrance. I'll be Starting with a 1 pound of Soap Base. How much Fragrance does anyone think I should try using on a first batch? Thanks ahead for any help.


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## seven (May 20, 2014)

for mp, i like to use around 2-3% from the total soap i'm using.


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## Seawolfe (May 20, 2014)

Brambleberry has a fragrance calculator for many things, including M & P. I use it all the time, even on scents I didn't buy from there. http://www.brambleberry.com/Pages/Fragrance-Calculator.aspx


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