# Got some new EOs but don't know how much to use



## Norden (May 9, 2014)

My husband got me
Orange
Lavender
Patchouli
Tea tree
And some activated charcoal(colorant)
The only EO I used before was eucalyptus and I use about 1.5 oz for 4 pounds of soap.

I would love to make an orange and patchouli soap but how much should I do?


----------



## lsg (May 9, 2014)

I usually use about .5 oz per pound of oils.  You can google "essential oils and blends for soap."  Here is one link:

http://www.greatcakessoapworks.com/handmade-soap-blog/index.php/tag/essential-oil-blends/


----------



## Susie (May 10, 2014)

Patchouli and Tea Tree are really strong.  I would start with 0.3 oz PPO, or even less.  Lavender is sort of a medium scent, so I would start with 0.5 oz PPO.   Orange(and I think most citrus EO's) is infamous for not sticking, and seizing the soap.  Someone on here(I think) suggested adding 1/2 tsp corn starch PPO to help it stick.  Add the orange to your oils before adding the lye.  You should be able to search for the corn starch trick.


----------



## Ruthie (May 10, 2014)

Orange and patchouli are great together, but the patch. does tend to overpower the orange, so I use a 2 part orange to 1 part patch. ratio.  And even that may be misleading, since I use the 10x orange eo.


----------



## Norden (May 10, 2014)

Thanks so much :] 
What would tea tree be a good mix with? I've never heard of it in a soap before. They all smell so strong lol.


----------



## Susie (May 10, 2014)

I mix mine with lemongrass and clove.  I use about 1 part Tea Tree, 1 part clove, and 2 parts lemongrass.  Tends to smooth out that Tea Tree a bit.


----------



## Norden (May 10, 2014)

That does sounds wonderful! I'll have to get those EOs too. Thank you.


----------



## Saponista (May 12, 2014)

Bramble berry have a fragrance calculator which can be very helpful. 

http://www.brambleberry.com/Pages/Fragrance-Calculator.aspx


----------



## Norden (May 12, 2014)

Saponista said:


> Bramble berry have a fragrance calculator which can be very helpful.
> 
> http://www.brambleberry.com/Pages/Fragrance-Calculator.aspx




Thank you so much, I will definitely check this out.


----------



## LunaSkye (May 14, 2014)

I find it helpful to use drams to make scent combination. It saves money by utilizing a small amount of EOs while allowing me to figure out what works with what. You can also find out how the EOs will marry with one another if you give it a few days to settle. Here are some additional tips that may help if you decide to use a dram for testing:

1. 100 drops of EOs is approximately 1tsp  (by volumn I think), so making a combo with 5 or 10 drops may be a good starting point. I think in terms of percentages when I do this.

2. RECORD EVERYTHING! I can not tell you how many times I made a combo that I disliked just to be thankful that I recorded it anyway.

Lastly, patchouli is strong, so use 1 or 2 drops if you do make a testing dram. I like patchouli and lavender for my skin and it smells nice IMO.


----------



## judymoody (May 14, 2014)

Nice husband!

I also use about .5 ounce of EO per pound of soaping oils, or about 3% of my soaping oils' weight.

Citrus oils do NOT make your soap seize as asserted earlier in this thread.  But they do fade.  I use them at about 4-5%

I would start with a ratio of 3 orange to 1 patch.  The patch will also help fix the orange scent.

Anise, mint, rosemary, lemongrass, cassia (cinnamon), cedar, and clove are pretty modestly priced if you want to branch out.  Camden Grey has good prices, much better than your local health food store.


----------



## Susie (May 24, 2014)

Wholesale Supplies Plus has a good price on lots of EOs.  Watch the prices, though, because I found some of them were not such a good deal.  Like cinnamon leaf rather than cinnamon bark EO.  It does not smell the same.  I made a spread sheet of EOs from different places to get a comparison chart.


----------



## grayceworks (May 25, 2014)

Soap Making Resource has good prices on some EO's (not so good on others, but changes frequently!) And they offer sales often on various sizes, so that sometimes you can get a good bulk deal for the same price as a smaller bottle.


----------



## Norden (May 30, 2014)

I tried the orange and patchouli. It's a very nice combo. At first the orange was extremely strong but now it's starting to fade. 
Just got two new EO's today. Rosemary and Basil.

Not sure if I should mix them together or mix them with something else.


----------



## jules92207 (May 31, 2014)

I love lavender, rosemary and patch together. 3 lavender, 1 rosemary, 1 patchouli. So far that is my favorite floral blend.

I don't take credit for it though, got it from Delores Boone's soaping book.


----------



## pamielynn (May 31, 2014)

Have you been to this website: www.aromaweb.com. I really like it.


----------



## Sheila Pullar (Jun 1, 2014)

Is it always best to mix EO for a stronger sent in your soaps?


----------

