# EO in lieu of artificial fragrances



## beloved_icecream_bar (Mar 21, 2018)

Greetings! I'm new to soap-making, but have some knowledge on cold process and have been experimenting using only natural ingredients in my concoctions. My issue now is that I wish to make an all-natural soap with either plain apple cider with my lye solution and/or apple puree at trace, though here is my _real _dilemma: 
How to make my recipe smell like apples without having to use artificial fragrance oils. As far as I'm aware this is sort of impossible; I am aware that the cider/puree isn't going to keep a scent. Is there a combinations of eo which will smell at least reminiscent of sweet red apples or apple blossoms (like maybe, geranium, with something else?)? I'm not going at all for an autumn apple spice scent (no cinnamon, no nutmeg ect.), but something like the aforementioned arboreous scents. Any suggestions?


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## Zany_in_CO (Mar 21, 2018)

Hello and Welcome!    The first thing I thought of for an apple-like scent is Chamomile. I used to grow it and when harvesting the buds, it had a light but distinct smell of fresh apple. I just love it. 

There are two kinds of Chamomile EO -- Roman Chamomile and German. The Roman is the one I grew to make baby soap, infusing the buds in oil along with calendula petals. Makes a very pretty soap that's soothing to sensitive skin. German Chamomile EO is aka "Blue Chamomile" and it's expensive. I use the EO in a lotion blend I make for my wholesale customer. It has a pleasant fragrance but not like apples, tho.  I've never used Roman Chamomile EO, just the flower buds, so I can't say whether it smells like apple or not. Hopefully, someone else who has used the essential oil will chime in.

Sounds like a fun project. Good luck!


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## shunt2011 (Mar 21, 2018)

Unfortunately, you're not going to be able to get an apple scent.  That's why many of us don't use EO's.  I know my customers hands down like FO fragrances over EO.  I carry both but mostly FO.   If using apple cider remember to adjust your lye accordingly as well.

Welcome and good luck to you!


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## Zany_in_CO (Mar 21, 2018)

shunt2011 said:


> Unfortunately, you're not going to be able to get an apple scent.  That's why many of us don't use EO's.


A word to the wise. This is so sad, but SO true! That being said, I encourage you to continue your journey. It's a wonderful way to learn about essential oils and their beneficial qualities -- probably put to best use in leave-on products rather than using to fragrance soap that gets washed off in the shower.


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## Millie (Mar 21, 2018)

I smell that apple fragrance in fresh chamomile too! I haven't tried the EOs though. Palmarosa EO has an odd sort of fresh apple & rose fragrance to my nose. Good luck on your endeavor. If you ever want to cheat, I tried a sample of mcintosh apple FO from candlescience and loved it


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## Zany_in_CO (Mar 22, 2018)

Millie said:


> Palmarosa EO has an odd sort of fresh apple & rose fragrance to my nose.


Funny you should mention that, Millie. I agree. Out of curiosity, I went sniffing my stock this afternoon and my palmarosa EO smelled exactly like you described it -- sorta apple rose, or maybe the skin of a red delicious?


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## Millie (Mar 22, 2018)

Hey, that could work. "Apple Peel, Red Delicious"
A while back I was very proud to come up with an EO blend that smelled like green banana peels. I wanted to call it "The Scent of Green Banana". Then I wondered who would actually want to use the soap....


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## Saffron (Mar 22, 2018)

Millie said:


> Hey, that could work. "Apple Peel, Red Delicious"
> A while back I was very proud to come up with an EO blend that smelled like green banana peels. I wanted to call it "The Scent of Green Banana". Then I wondered who would actually want to use the soap....


You could call it Monkey Food, or Little Monkeys.... soap for kids.


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## artemis (Mar 22, 2018)

Saffron said:


> You could call it Monkey Food, or Little Monkeys.... soap for kids.



A while back we bought one of those FOs called "Monkey Farts" for my monkey fanatic. He really didn't like that name, so we started calling it "monkey's lunchbox."


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## dixiedragon (Mar 22, 2018)

I LOVE monkey's lunchbox. That is so cute!

There is a geranium variety that's apple scented and I can find uses for the EO on the internet, but no where to buy it. I used to have one it and its a very nice floral apple scent.


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## beloved_icecream_bar (Mar 23, 2018)

Millie said:


> I smell that apple fragrance in fresh chamomile too! I haven't tried the EOs though. Palmarosa EO has an odd sort of fresh apple & rose fragrance to my nose. Good luck on your endeavor. If you ever want to cheat, I tried a sample of mcintosh apple FO from candlescience and loved it



I went though my collection of oils today and was delighted to find that my chamomile does actually smell extremely reminiscent of green apples as well. I definitely want to get some palmarosa now because those two sound like a sweet combination. 
Thank you for all of the warm welcomes btw!


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## SunRiseArts (Mar 23, 2018)

Kittish, another member who only uses EOs, mentioned once that the cognac EO smells like apples when it cures.


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## beloved_icecream_bar (Mar 23, 2018)

SunRiseArts said:


> Kittish, another member who only uses EOs, mentioned once that the cognac EO smells like apples when it cures.



I did some reading on cognac eo, though it seems somewhat expensive for me right now. It sounds like it would go great in a white wine-themed soap.


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## DianaMoon (Mar 23, 2018)

beloved_icecream_bar said:


> Greetings! I'm new to soap-making, but have some knowledge on cold process and have been experimenting using only natural ingredients in my concoctions. My issue now is that I wish to make an all-natural soap with either plain apple cider with my lye solution and/or apple puree at trace, though here is my _real _dilemma:
> How to make my recipe smell like apples without having to use artificial fragrance oils. As far as I'm aware this is sort of impossible; I am aware that the cider/puree isn't going to keep a scent. Is there a combinations of eo which will smell at least reminiscent of sweet red apples or apple blossoms (like maybe, geranium, with something else?)? I'm not going at all for an autumn apple spice scent (no cinnamon, no nutmeg ect.), but something like the aforementioned arboreous scents. Any suggestions?



Just to add to the experts here, adding scent to a soap is a whole 'nother level of difficulty. I said somewhere else that scent is a matter of art, science & magicke. Creating it is one thing, making it stick is another....it's very complicated. 

I suggest you read up on how perfume itself is created, to get a sense of the complexities involved. Do you have a favorite perfume? Read about it. I read many articles about my favorite perfume (Diorissimo) and how the creator, Roudnitsa, spent years trying to replicate the delicate scent of lily of the valley.  There's a reason that the most famous "noses" are legendary and well-compensated. 

I am inspired by your screen name to create ice-cream bar soap.



Zany_in_CO said:


> The first thing I thought of for an apple-like scent is Chamomile



How long does it last? After solving the problem of creating the scent, comes the issue of making it stick.


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## beloved_icecream_bar (Mar 23, 2018)

DianaMoon said:


> I am inspired by your screen name to create ice-cream bar soap.



Ha, it's totally a Ren and Stimpy reference. He mistakes a bar of soap for his childhood ice cream.

I haven't really used perfume, but I have sampled quite a bit of oils for simple dilutions to use on myself when feeling fancy (simple jasmine, maybe just clove bud, and I have made a bug repellent once with a few eo's in it). I've been clustering the bottles of eo together the same way I do with cooking spices, and from there see what would be the best combinations. Or I dot tiny amounts on my skin. So far, I've mostly been doing more theory than practice as I really begin doing this.


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## DianaMoon (Mar 23, 2018)

beloved_icecream_bar said:


> Ha, it's totally a Ren and Stimpy reference. He mistakes a bar of soap for his childhood ice cream.
> 
> I haven't really used perfume, but I have sampled quite a bit of oils for simple dilutions to use on myself when feeling fancy (simple jasmine, maybe just clove bud, and I have made a bug repellent once with a few eo's in it). I've been clustering the bottles of eo together the same way I do with cooking spices, and from there see what would be the best combinations. Or I dot tiny amounts on my skin. So far, I've mostly been doing more theory than practice as I really begin doing this.



There's lots of info on the net about perfumery.


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