# Floral FO for someone who doesn’t like florals



## Audrey Chung (May 5, 2019)

I don’t like florals but my friends do. I don’t have to like the fragrance, but do y’all have recommendations for non perfumey florals that women in their early 20s would enjoy? I can’t actually tell if a floral fragrance is good or not, just if it’s weak or strong or gives me a headache. Looking for both cold process friendly fragrances and soy candle friendly FOs. Thanks guys!


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## IrishLass (May 6, 2019)

Welcome, Audrey! 

The enjoyment of a scent is such a personal/individual thing that it's going to be difficult to make specific recommendations for certain age groups. At least for me, anyway. For example, for as many old and young people alike that I know of who love rose or lilac or jasmine, etc..., I can find about the same number of both young and old folks alike that hate all of those. lol

What specific florals do your friends like?   


IrishLass


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## Audrey Chung (May 6, 2019)

Thank you IrishLass! You make a very good point. However, to be honest I’m not entirely sure what they like, which is where I should’ve honestly started... They tend to buy “whatever smells nice at bath and body works” I’ve heard them talking about lavender and another scent which turned out to be iris. I recently took a poll and they said that they like fresh scents. So my guess is they prefer more powdery, florals that lean towards smelling similar to cotton if that makes sense. But then again some of them said they like fruity florals which are entirely different  In the meantime I’ll ask them again for specific florals. Thanks! 
Edit: After thinking about it I realized I was making the assumption that florals are all similar. I mean, I can’t tell the difference but I bet floral lovers can, much like how I like coffee FO to be bitter and not smell sugary. I’ll report back when I know specific flowers they like!


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## lsg (May 6, 2019)

You might try a rose/vanilla blend; but should probably include a vanilla stabilizer to keep the soap from turning dark.  You can also scan the fragrance combinations from suppliers to see what they combine with florals.


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## dixiedragon (May 6, 2019)

Rosewater Lemonade at WSP is wonderful in lotion. Haven't soaped it or candled it yet, but it gets good reviews!


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## RobinRogers (May 6, 2019)

Isn’t Nag Champa a floral? I also like the Gardenia and you don’t have to make it very strong.


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## DeeAnna (May 6, 2019)

Dunno if I'd call nag champa a floral, exactly. It's more of a pungent, exotic wood-resin scent. 

A clean, sweet, strong floral that many people like is Honeysuckle by Nature's Garden or Majestic Mountain Sage. I'm not a big lover of floral scents, and even I like it. NG's Honeysuckle is the one I'm most familiar with, but am starting to use MMS's version. Moderate acceleration. No discoloration.

For a fresh, herbal, slightly floral scent, I like Green Tea by NG or MMS. Again, I have more history with the NG version, but am trialing the MMS one to have an alternate supplier. No accel. No discolor.


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## Obsidian (May 6, 2019)

Eden's garden from brambleberry is a nice floral. It has a lot of green notes and isn't overly sweet.

I like to blend it with stronger florals or stronger herbals to add a softness. One of my favorite blends is sweetgrass and edens garden.

I smelled a hyacinth scented soap at a market that was quite nice. Been meaning to find a FO to try myself


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## jcandleattic (May 6, 2019)

I'm with IrishLass, meaning it's very subjective and hard to determine. Almost everyone I know says they love the scent of Rose, however, when it comes to product, I can't GIVE that scent away because nobody likes it. (and yet, it smells EXACTLY like my rose garden) so go figure. 

Ones that my daughter and I both like in florals are a scent from Aztec called Pink Lilac and Willow - lovely fresh floraly scent, and not overpowering. and we also both tend to like sweet pea.


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## Audrey Chung (May 6, 2019)

Wow thank you all for your responses! I’m definitely intrigued by the honeysuckle, Eden’s garden, and pink Lilac and Willow. I’ll have to look into them and see if I should order samplers. 
Update on what my friends say they like: everyone just said that they like florals, nothing specific except that one of them doesn’t like rose. I get the feeling that crafters are a lot more specific about what we like and don’t like in a scent...


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## earlene (May 6, 2019)

jcandleattic said:


> I'm with IrishLass, meaning it's very subjective and hard to determine. Almost everyone I know says they love the scent of Rose, however, when it comes to product, I can't GIVE that scent away because nobody likes it. (and yet, it smells EXACTLY like my rose garden) so go figure.
> 
> Ones that my daughter and I both like in florals are a scent from Aztec called Pink Lilac and Willow - lovely fresh floraly scent, and not overpowering. and we also both tend to like sweet pea.



Well, I love Rose scented soap.  I love it for myself.  I used to have a bar of Rose scented soap in my upstairs bathroom in which the scent lasted about 3 years!  That is until a guest decided to leave it floating in bathwater one time.  The scent just totally disappeared.  I don't know why just at that time, but before that, every time I used it, the fragrance was exceptionally welcoming.  After it lost it's scent, it was just plain soap.  I only hope the Rose FO I have purchased lasts so well, but since I haven't made a lot of Rose scented soap myself, I don't yet know.


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## GlenS (May 6, 2019)

New to the scene but have found that the strength of the scent causes me headaches. But medium to light scents I like the Honeysuckle FO. 
Good luck


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## BrightMeadows (May 6, 2019)

DeeAnna, I'm curious as to how close the MMS Green Tea is to NG's. I was going to try it, but it is so much more expensive, and if they are quite similar, I won't bother.


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## atiz (May 6, 2019)

I am usually not a huge fan of florals, but one slightly floral sweet scent I really like is BB Wildflower honey. It is more of a sweet honey scent than a straight floral, but definitely has some floral notes. No acceleration, but very slightly discolors (1% vanilla). I would think people who like "florals in general" would also like it.


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## kharmon320 (May 6, 2019)

I really steer away from florals (personally) but I do love Be Delicious Blossom from WSP.  It is a perfume dupe but it's really a lovely fragrance.  Light, floral, slightly perfumey, but not overwhelming.


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## Saponificarian (May 6, 2019)

I like Orchid and Pink Amber from WSP. The cleanest floral I have ever used. Pink lilac and willow from Aztec is really nice too.


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## cmzaha (May 7, 2019)

I have to agree that Orchid and Pink Amber is nice.


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## KiwiMoose (May 7, 2019)

Go fresh or fruity floral for young ‘uns I reckon. 
Ideas:
Cherry blossom 
Wild currant and sandalwood is nice ( I think it’s from Natures Garden)?
Himalayan Bamboo (candle science)
Mix some Jasmine FO with with a citrus like Bergamot and Neroli from Candle Science. Half and half
I’ve used all of these and they are ‘fresh’.


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## shunt2011 (May 7, 2019)

I'm one who really dislikes florals.  I do make Lavender & Lilac as I have a lot of customers who use it.  I found Lavender Marshmallow (B&B) at Just Scents.  It's one of my favorite candles to burn and so far it's sticking in soap and smells really good too.   I made the soap in January. 

I also like Peach Magnolia Raspberry (NG)
Blackberry Magnolia (Micas and More) - This is a bit weak in CP.


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## Saponificarian (May 7, 2019)

cmzaha said:


> I have to agree that Orchid and Pink Amber is nice.



We seem to like the same FOs! I l have loved every single FO you recommended especially  the Tobacco leaf and Amber you recommended from WSP.


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## DeeAnna (May 7, 2019)

BrightMeadows said:


> DeeAnna, I'm curious as to how close the MMS Green Tea is to NG's....



I'd pick one and stick with it. IMO, the MMS Green Tea is not greatly different than the NG version. 

My notes: "_...NG Green Tea is a bit sweeter and slightly more floral than MMS Green Tea, but I can easily live with either one...._"

The NG version is certainly less expensive than MMS, but if I'm low on this FO and need to order from MMS but don't need anything from NG, I'll get the MMS Green Tea. At MMS, shipping is included for orders over $200. I usually order enough to meet that limit, so this softens the price difference on the FO.


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## Susie (May 7, 2019)

If you find that certain scents give you headaches, try phthalate free FOs.  Cured mine right up.  

I don't like a lot of florals, either.  I do, however, like Magnolia, Honeysuckle, Gardenia, and any of those combined with Lily.  

I also like some not-so-floral herby scents such as Aroma Therapy and Herb Garden.  All are from Nurture Soap, I think.


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## amd (May 7, 2019)

@Lin19687 do you remember what the name of the NG scent is? I think it was Aloe & Lilac, but I can't find it. That was an appealing floral scent for people who don't like florals.


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## Lin19687 (May 7, 2019)

Personally if someone doesn't like Florals, Do not get them florals.  Get them something that is Fresh.  Like a Cucumber melon or something.

I hate florals but love Cucumber melons and fruit scents.  Also Fresh Air or Mountain Air scents


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## MGM (May 7, 2019)

Lin19687 said:


> Personally if someone doesn't like Florals, Do not get them florals.  Get them something that is Fresh.  Like a Cucumber melon or something.
> 
> I hate florals but love Cucumber melons and fruit scents.  Also Fresh Air or Mountain Air scents


I love actual cucumbers and melons, but have found only one cucumber (or melon) scent that I can even tolerate let alone seek out. And I find that what other people call "fresh", I call "overwhelming laundry detergent fragrance".
@Audrey Chung , it depends how much you love your friends....are you willing to buy multiple bottles of fragrances that give you a headache just for them to say "Mmmmm, nahhhh". I'd say, make soap to please YOURSELF and if someone else likes it, bonus. Or, at least start that way, until you have too much soap for yourself ;-)
Or, start with lavender...it's a pretty standard crowd-pleaser. I combine mine with a little bit of anise/licorice and it's just delightful. Talk about fresh!!!


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## amd (May 7, 2019)

Lin19687 said:


> Personally if someone doesn't like Florals, Do not get them florals.


I think the problem is not that the customer(s) don't like florals, but rather the OP doesn't like florals which makes it hard for her to know which ones are really good because they all stink to the OP. I have the same problem with lavender, it all stinks to me, so I have to rely heavily on other people to tell me what is a good lavender.


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## KiwiMoose (May 7, 2019)

shunt2011 said:


> I'm one who really dislikes florals.  I do make Lavender & Lilac as I have a lot of customers who use it.  I found Lavender Marshmallow (B&B) at Just Scents.  It's one of my favorite candles to burn and so far it's sticking in soap and smells really good too.   I made the soap in January.
> 
> I also like Peach Magnolia Raspberry (NG)
> Blackberry Magnolia (Micas and More) - This is a bit weak in CP.


Peach magnolia Raspberry sounds nice!  I can get NG over here in NZ but they don't seem to stock that one - maybe I'll ask about it?  How does it perform @shunt2011 ?


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## shunt2011 (May 7, 2019)

KiwiMoose said:


> Peach magnolia Raspberry sounds nice!  I can get NG over here in NZ but they don't seem to stock that one - maybe I'll ask about it?  How does it perform @shunt2011 ?



It’s been pretty easy to work with.  I’ve been able to get 2-3 colors in it.


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## Obsidian (May 7, 2019)

If I was going to make a soap for a friend that had a high chance of making me ill, I would make absolutely sure they will take it all even if they don't care for it.

You could also send them to a suppliers website and have them pick a FO that sounds good to them.

Floral isn't a good enough description. I like florals but there are some I really dislike.


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## KiwiMoose (May 7, 2019)

shunt2011 said:


> It’s been pretty easy to work with.  I’ve been able to get 2-3 colors in it.


Ooh! I’ve managed to source it here. I think I’m gonna like it


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## Zany_in_CO (May 7, 2019)

MGM said:


> Or, start with lavender...it's a pretty standard crowd-pleaser. I combine mine with a little bit of anise/licorice and it's just delightful. Talk about fresh!!!


Lavender/Anise   I sold out of it at the first show I did. Some gal bought a bar during lunch time and came back at closing time to buy the 5 bars I had left.

*Grapefruit Lily from Brambleberry* - Smells exactly like tart grapefruit and a sweet Lily. Light and fresh. I'm wearing it now in lotion. Haven't soaped it though.


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## Audrey Chung (May 8, 2019)

Woah thanks for all the recommendations guys. Some of these sound really yummy and let’s just say, I have a lot of browser tabs currently open XD
@Susie thanks, I’ll have to do some research 
@MGM You’re totally right. I had a horror story a couple years ago where I made a few pounds of a floral soap that was ok OOB but horrendously headache inducing-for me-while and after curing. I was scared no one would like it, but thankfully the ladies in my choir loved it! So there’s a happy ending.
Anywho, I’ve decided to try again with florals except with a safer game plan.
I don’t have the biggest budget bc of college but my current plan is to order floral FOs in sample sizes and have my friends rate sniffles on cotton balls before I soap them in small batches, just to help with damage control lol. I just felt bad offering my floral loving friends any fragrance except for florals.
Anyway, thank you all for the lovely recommendations!!!


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## shunt2011 (May 8, 2019)

Another not bad floral is Cantaloupe Lily from Soapalooza.   It's a decent seller for me.  I have 1 customer that buys 8 bars at a time.


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## Susie (May 8, 2019)

amd said:


> I think the problem is not that the customer(s) don't like florals, but rather the OP doesn't like florals which makes it hard for her to know which ones are really good because they all stink to the OP. I have the same problem with lavender, it all stinks to me, so I have to rely heavily on other people to tell me what is a good lavender.



Can't abide lavender.  Can't believe anyone does.  Surely we can't be smelling the same thing they do (like jasmine and the whole skunk/coffee thing).


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## Zany_in_CO (May 8, 2019)

Audrey Chung said:


> I don’t have the biggest budget bc of college but my current plan is to order floral FOs in sample sizes and have my friends rate sniffles on cotton balls before I soap them in small batches, just to help with damage control lol.


SAMPLES: MMS Amazing Dozen - FREE Shipping
https://www.thesage.com/catalog/FragranceOils.html
What a deal! Mix & Match twelve 1 oz. bottles of Fragrance Oils, Essential Oils, Extracts or Flavor Oils. I've found MMS FOs to be high quality and they are a good company to do business with.  Half an ounce of any of the following FOs will fragrance about 20 oz oils/fats. You can add the other half to lotion.  
I use their fragrance calc all the time to determine how much scent to add to the size batch I'm making. It's handy link to have in your tool box:
*https://www.thesage.com/calcs/FragCalc.html*
Here's a few suggestions... mostly oldies but goodies... that I'd recommend. I had a hard time choosing. MMS has so many good FOs.

Amber Romance
Bayberry
Black Amethyst
Cherry Blossom
Coconut Lime Verbena
Cucumbers & Melons
Egyptian Musk
Energy
Eucalyptus Spearmint
Green Tea
Juicy Pear
Juniper Breeze
Lemon Verbena
Lily of the Valley
Lotus (upscale perfume)
Osmanthus (Olive Blossom)
Pink Sugar (Awesome but turns brown)
Red Clover Tea
Sandalwood Vanilla
Sap Moss
Satsuma
Tahitian Vanilla
White Ginger & Amber

ETA: You could also include a 1 oz bottle of Lavender EO & Anise EO to try that blend in soap.


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## bohunk (May 9, 2019)

I asked something similar not too long ago.  One recommended to me is Daisy Chain.  Several suppliers carry it.  I have BBs version; light not too floral.  Haven't soaped with it yet.


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## MGM (May 9, 2019)

Zany_in_CO said:


> Lavender/Anise   I sold out of it at the first show I did. Some gal bought a bar during lunch time and came back at closing time to buy the 5 bars I had left.
> 
> Wow, that's an endorsement. I read about that being the Zum bar fragrance, which I've never smelled, but thought I'd try it. I did it 2:1 lavender: licorice and it was too much licorice. This time I did 3:1 lavender: licorice and it still seems to smell mainly of anise! Still in the mold though, so maybe things will change in a few days. And here I thought that lavender was so strong that nothing could tame it....


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## lucycat (May 10, 2019)

Anise is overpowering and it takes very little to overpower a blend.  Even 5 or 6 to 1 will still have a distinctive anise scent.


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## KiwiMoose (May 10, 2019)

shunt2011 said:


> It’s been pretty easy to work with.  I’ve been able to get 2-3 colors in it.


Look Shunty Look!  Look what I got (top left of photo):


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## MGM (May 10, 2019)

lucycat said:


> Anise is overpowering and it takes very little to overpower a blend.  Even 5 or 6 to 1 will still have a distinctive anise scent.


True, but I find lavender usually overpowering. I guess it's met its match in anise...


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## Lin19687 (May 11, 2019)

KiwiMoose said:


> Look Shunty Look!  Look what I got (top left of photo):
> View attachment 38912



Do you like it?
I for some reason was not so impressed.  Was ok OOB and ok in soap.  Worked better for me in Salt bars for selling.  Well to be honest it sold well in soap too but the Salt bars in that scent flew off the shelf lol


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## shunt2011 (May 11, 2019)

@KiwiMoose - yay. Hope you like it. I like it. It sells pretty well for me when I make it.


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## KiwiMoose (May 11, 2019)

@Audrey Chung 
I had my 25 year old step daughter up from Wellington yesterday and I asked her what flavour soaps she liked. She said fruity. I said she could choose a couple to take home. She chose lime and coconut (which smells mostly of coconut) and black raspberry and vanilla.


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## Audrey Chung (May 12, 2019)

KiwiMoose said:


> @Audrey Chung
> I had my 25 year old step daughter up from Wellington yesterday and I asked her what flavour soaps she liked. She said fruity. I said she could choose a couple to take home. She chose lime and coconut (which smells mostly of coconut) and black raspberry and vanilla.


Lol I’m the same way. I really like fruity scents. I think my first soap was actually black raspberry vanilla scented  I haven’t tried lime and coconut yet though... sounds pretty good


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## glendam (May 16, 2019)

Susie said:


> Can't abide lavender.  Can't believe anyone does.  Surely we can't be smelling the same thing they do (like jasmine and the whole skunk/coffee thing).


I have bought three different lavender essential oils, the 40/42, bulgarian, and population.  The last two smelled very similar and the first time I smelled them I disliked them.  I did not understand the good reviews, smelled more herbal than floral.  However, I like the 40/42 which is more of a sweet floral.  I dislike jasmine and most strong florals though.  I should say that over time, the bulgarian lavender started to grow on me, so I tolerate it but would not use it in soap.


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## KiwiMoose (May 16, 2019)

I bought lavender FO recently - french lavender.  It smells way nicer (sweeter) than the lavender grossi EO that I have. I'm not a lavender fan myself.


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## Diane Marie (May 17, 2019)

Fairy Garden by Nurture Soap 
“Fruity top notes are complimented by middle notes of wisteria and lilac” 
It is very youthful it smells like a pixie stick out of the bottle but it cures to a very nice tart/sweet floral. I love it.


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## Susie (May 17, 2019)

Unfortunately, it is not phthalate free.  I wish they would make more FOs that are phthalate free.  It would open up what choices I have.


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