# Tea tree blend



## wanalearn2soap (Nov 22, 2012)

Does anyone have a nice easy scent blend using tea tree? I making a tea tree soap by request but the tea tree alone is harsh so I'm looking for a nice light blend. Thank you


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## Lindy (Nov 23, 2012)

Try adding lavender to it to sweeten the scent.  Just remember to keep your levels below 3% as these are therapeutic oils and over the counter drugs....


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## wanalearn2soap (Nov 23, 2012)

Ok thank you. I'll try that. I found a blend of sweet orange and tea tree which smelt fairly good it's just that I don't like the smell of tea tree at all.


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## Seifenblasen (Nov 23, 2012)

What are you trying to achieve with your EOs?  You said you have a request for tea tree EO soap but you don't like the smell of it.  As Lindy pointed out, EOs are not just scents, they have therapeutic, and sometimes toxic, properties.

If someone wants the therapeutic properties of tea tree, then it should not matter too much if you don't like the smell (provided that soap is for someone other than you).  Secondly, often EOs smell differently in soap, after saponification, curing, etc. than straight out of a bottle.  Sweet orange, unless you use a 5x or 10x (I have even seen 15x) EO, does not have much staying power in CP soap.  It could also potentially increase photo-sensitivity in people.  

Perhaps if you explain what this soap is for, someone can help you come with with a suitable essential oil blend.


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## wanalearn2soap (Nov 23, 2012)

Goodness I feel as thou I've been scolded by my EO teacher. The soap was requested by my young cousin I HP most of my soap and have not used EO's or FO's because I can't afford them yet, but I did go to whole food and purchase a 2oz bottle of Tea Tree & I had a bottle of Sweet Orange someone gave me. So to answer your quest it's for my cousin I would assume she will wash her face in it. Does that help at all. Also, when I did the FO/EO calulater on the MMS website they suggested combining it with one or two several oils all of which I do not have on hand except the sweet orange.   I certainly do want to hurt anyone.


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## AlchemyandAshes (Nov 23, 2012)

wanalearn2soap said:
			
		

> Goodness I feel as thou I've been scolded by my EO teacher..snip..I certainly do want to hurt anyone.


It's not about "scolding", its about educating. 
We know no one would want to cause anyone harm with their soap, but it IS possible to do so if you are not knowledgable about your ingredients, especially EOs. I'm sure you would feel awful (as any of us would) if you gave your cousin a soap (to use on her face, no less) and she had some terrible reaction.   :cry: 
I noticed that you have posted lots of questions, which is awesome if you wanna learn...you just have to try to be patient and not get ahead of yourself (I have struggled with this myself  ) and be open to other more experienced soapers suggestions. 
You even stated you are starting a new soap business...but you havent gotten the basics down yet. viewtopic.php?f=26&t=31629&p=301352#p301352 
Soap can be a fun hobby, but it is actual chemistry and requires research and accumulation of information that some hobbies may not. Try making soap just for yourself...a nice simple Unscented batch. Once you can confidently accomplish that a couple times, then try one scented with ONE EO that you have thoroughly researched. Before you know it, you'll be able to answer these questions for others.  :wink:


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## Seifenblasen (Nov 23, 2012)

I am sorry if I hurt your feelings.  

Lindy, a certified aromatherapist, and a couple others on this forum keep stressing again and again that EOs are not just fragrances.  While some of them can alleviate certain health issues, some of them can hurt you in more than one ways.

One time I made a beautiful EO blend of clary, vetiver and patchouli because I was going through a crazy stressful period and needed something to help me relax.  I was soaping rather hot, and proceeded to wash my bowls, spatulas, and stick blender in hot water.  Soon I was feeling light-headed, most likely due to breathing in a lot of clary vapor.  It is also quite a powerful hormone balancer - to the point that I don't like to mess with it when I am having my period (it can cause very heavy bleeding).  And certainly it is not something you want to expose pregnant women to.  In addition, when mixed with alcohol (if you drink and use the EO), clary can give you psychedelic dreams.  

I only made a small batch for personal use and gave away a few bars to very close friends, with all kinds of warning, including "friends do not let friends bathe in clary and drive".


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## wanalearn2soap (Nov 23, 2012)

No hurt feeling here. The scolding remark was a joke.


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## wanalearn2soap (Nov 25, 2012)

Shawnee,  I've read everything I can find on soap making. I do have the basics or at least I feel certain I have the knowledge to create a quality safe bar of basic soap without EO's which is what i have done until the request. For some reason you felt the need to tell me I'm not qualified to have a small business without knowing who I am or where my background. 
 The link you provided I have read multiple times. But, thank you anyway.  BTW, Back when I was young I made soap the old fashion way with my granny and I do remember that well.


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## DragonQueenHHP (Nov 25, 2012)

I for one love the smell of Tea Tree Oil 
a word of warning in regards to the Sweet Orange in a soap for washing the face, citrus oils should not be used on the skin within 12 hours of exposure to sunlight or ultraviolet light. If you choose to use one of these oils on your face, really should use it only at night.


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## Seifenblasen (Nov 25, 2012)

wanalearn2soap said:
			
		

> I've read everything I can find on soap making. I do have the basics or at least I feel certain I have the knowledge to create a quality safe bar of basic soap without EO's which is what i have done until the request. For some reason you felt the need to tell me I'm not qualified to have a small business without knowing who I am or where my background.
> The link you provided I have read multiple times. But, thank you anyway.  BTW, Back when I was young I made soap the old fashion way with my granny and I do remember that well.



Let's take a step back.  It is true that we don't know your background, but one of the things mentioned in the thread "Are you ready to sell?" has to do with shelf life.  Unless you are using the exact formula your grandmother did, you don't know what your soap is going to be like 12, 18, 24 months down the road.  And since we now have all those wonderful ingredients like shea butter, mango butter, silk, clays, etc. which were not readily available in your grandmother's days, we use them.  I noticed that you tried to make a luffa soap.  

It is good to experiment with new formulae and new ingredients, but simply because the soap looks like a success when you are done with curing, doesn't mean it will remain good later.  I have been making soap for a little over a year now, most of the time I come up with my own formulation.  I have given some to family and friends but are hesitant to sell.  Once my castile went rancid after 4 months.  Fortunately I was able to do a quick "re-call" as I know who had them.  (And fortunately my friends are very forgiving).  Since then I would always keep at least a bar of every soap I make and check it from time to time for rancidity and DOS.  I also put a few cured soaps in the bathroom cabinet - the warmest, most humid place, with the idea that if they would survive in that environment without going bad, I can then use that same formulae again.

If you feel like you are ready to sell, nobody here could really stop you.  And it is not like we are in competition.  Shawnee is pretty established in somewhat of a niche market (using EOs, and historical/folklores as inspiration) and I am sure she has a steady client base.  I don't sell, but my friends whom I barter with are very loyal "customers".  So whether you sell or not doesn't really matter to us - we have nothing to gain, nothing to lose.

We are trying to tell you to hold off a bit because we don't want you to have angry customers with rancid soap they bought from you, and we don't want you or anyone to get sun burnt or skin rash because of some ingredients you use.  That's all.


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## judymoody (Nov 25, 2012)

I make a facial soap for people with oily skin which has a combination of lavender and tea tree EOs as well as clay and finely ground oats.  It smells medicinal but in a nice way, at least to me.

For facial soap, a low % of fragrance (or none at all) is best as the skin is most sensitive there.  I normally fragrance at 3% of oil weight (about .5 oz PPO) but for facial soaps, between 1-2% or unscented.  And I agree with the recommendation about citrus oils.

If you want a source of more affordable EOs, try on-line suppliers like Brambleberry, The Scent Works, 1 Raw Plant, or New Directions Aromatics.  MUCH cheaper than Whole Foods or your local health store.


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## AlchemyandAshes (Nov 25, 2012)

wanalearn2soap said:
			
		

> Shawnee,  I've read everything I can find on soap making. I do have the basics or at least I feel certain I have the knowledge to create a quality safe bar of basic soap without EO's which is what i have done until the request. For some reason you felt the need to tell me I'm not qualified to have a small business without knowing who I am or where my background.  The link you provided I have read multiple times. But, thank you anyway.  BTW, Back when I was young I made soap the old fashion way with my granny and I do remember that well.



Whoa, Nelly! No need to get so defensive. I was only trying to offer some advice - I'm not sure how I could have said it any nicer. I certainly didn't have any malicious intent, nor was there any ulterior motive behind my advice, besides trying to help a fellow soaper out. If you're not open to any input (not just mine), you will not learn from this forum. There are lots of experienced soapers here willing to offer up their knowledge that they've accumulated from YEARS of experience. I've learned something new everyday since I found this forum, and I've been soaping for years. I'm sure if you take advice without getting defensive, you will too.
And you're right...I don't know you personally nor your background...just as you don't know me or mine. If you did, you would know that my advice was only me trying to be helpful and offering you knowledge I've gained from personal experience. I am not qualified to tell you whether you are qualified to start a business. However, you posted on 8/25/12 that you were new to soaping and wouldn't even "open your bottle of lye until you researched it to the max", 10/15/12 that you were VERY new to the soaping world and substituted Distilled White VINEGAR for Distilled Water, then on 11/22/12 that you were VERY new to soaping...and also on 11/22/12, you posted  "As a new soaper starting a new business this is valuable knowledge." So call me crazy, but I assumed you were NEW TO SOAPING and were starting a soaping business. I just thought maybe a word of caution would be in order.

Take my advice. Or don't. Just know the spirit in which it was given.

By the way...I think it's great that your Granny taught you the old fashioned way of making soap. Mine didn't teach me how to make soap, but she taught me how to make a mean Chicken & Dumplins dinner with Collard Greens on the side...a very important skill in it's own right! (I love my Granny, too) :wink:


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## Maythorn (Nov 25, 2012)

I love Tea Tree oil soap but I don't know that it's real popular straight.  I myself think it smells very clean and wholesome.  Some people have used it on fungal infections and for itchy eczema-d scalp. Peppermint and Tea Tree seems like a good combination if that's a concern and the shampoo I bought of this duo was great.


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## Lindy (Nov 25, 2012)

I just want to add a point here.  I am not of the school that you need to know what your soap is going to be like in 18 or 24 months before you start selling, to me that is taking it just a tad far.  I do think the point is that you do need to know if your recipe is going to create DOS (Dreaded Orange Spot) in any time less than 6 months.  If it hasn't in 6 months it is unlikely to in a longer period of time unless it is being kept in a window, or in extremely hot conditions.  So if you are making a huge amount of soap in your first 6 months then I do feel you are ready to sell.  If you are only making a batch a month for 6 months, then not so much.

I think you are extremely fortunate that your granny actually made soap with you in the homestead way, my grandmother and great aunts took the time to tell me about making it, how they made the lye, etc., etc., but they were unwilling to actually teach it to me, not that I was interested at that age either.

Stay the course, take the time to learn about your ingredients and you will be just fine.


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## wanalearn2soap (Nov 26, 2012)

ALCON:  thank you all very much for your advice, believe me I am grateful.  However, I didn't just begin the venture,  I have read, research, spoken with chemist, spoken with other soap makers and took a couple of classes and read everything I can on the subject.  I will admit chemisty isn't my strong point but I can add and substract, I have never tried to blend EO's and may never try after this.  
My 1st batch was I made about 6 mths ago and I have all but 2 bars of it sitting in my bathroom to see what will happen to it.  So far it has only gotten better I am happy to say.  What surprised me was I felt that I had ask one question and suddenly I become a target for all things negative.  I'm sure I know why and that is between me and God.  
I will continue to work on my formuals, to create and experiment.   I have created all but two one was the salt bar from soaping 101 the other is a shampoo bar from Good Earth Spa.  All I wanted to know was what to put in a blend of tea tree oil.. that was it and suddenly I became the subject of inexperince. And that is true I have not soap for years and years, I don't know everything there is to know but I do know one thing my granny could make a sweet bar of goat milk soap.  Please understand, I want all the advice anyone is willing to share with me... why would I use the name "wanalearn2soap" if I wasn't open to all things good or bad.  Just don't assume you know me as I would never assume I know you other than by the advice given to me and other.  Well God Bless and I am ending this thread on my end.  Have a good day.


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