# First time buying EO - which scent?



## Rahmi (Jul 30, 2019)

So I've found a supplier that's reputable here with prices that are really good, and I'm willing to try few EOs. However I have to order in 1 litre quantity minimum, each. 

My question is, is there some basic EO scent that is a staple in soapmaking? Easy to combine scents and scents that will stick?

I'm planning to get: 
English lavender, because I adore it. 
Cedarwood because I want something earthy and because it's quite cheap
Thyme because I like it and it would blend well with Lavender (I think) 

My thoughts are with these three scents I can make a total of 9 scents. Any suggestions of other scents? I thought of peppermint, but not sure if it would combine well with others? Thanks!


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## Mobjack Bay (Jul 30, 2019)

Rahmi said:


> So I've found a supplier that's reputable here with prices that are really good, and I'm willing to try few EOs. However I have to order in 1 litre quantity minimum, each.
> 
> My question is, is there some basic EO scent that is a staple in soapmaking? Easy to combine scents and scents that will stick?
> 
> ...


Have you looked at the EO combinations at EOcalc?  I would be lost without it!


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## Fiona Robertson (Jul 30, 2019)

Mobjack Bay said:


> Have you looked at the EO combinations at EOcalc?  I would be lost without it!



I never knew about EOcalc, thanks so much for bringing this to my attention!!


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## lsg (Jul 30, 2019)

You might try patchouli.


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## dixiedragon (Jul 30, 2019)

I do love lavender. 

Mint and lemongrass. Patchouli is wonderful but on the $$$ side. But if you can afford a liter of patch, go for it.


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## soapmaker (Jul 30, 2019)

Yes, my thoughts were peppermint and patchouli


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## runnerchicki (Jul 30, 2019)

Lavender, cedarwood, lemongrass, and orange essential oils are the ones I like best in soap (not necessarily all at the same time lol) If you get orange - a 10-fold orange is probably a good idea because regular orange won't stick. A citrus scent can really lift a fragrance blend - the trick is getting it to stick.


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## Susie (Jul 30, 2019)

Lemongrass is the one and only I buy in large quantities.  
Patchouli is a "either you love it or hate it" EO.
Lavender is a good one, if you like lavender.
Mints are great, and blend well with other EOs.


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## MGM (Jul 30, 2019)

Susie said:


> Lemongrass is the one and only I buy in large quantities.
> Patchouli is a "either you love it or hate it" EO.
> Lavender is a good one, if you like lavender.
> Mints are great, and blend well with other EOs.



I second Susie's choices (and happen to love patchouli). Mints are required for me and lemongrass is so fresh and sticks hard (IME).
Wow, buying a litre of each though. I bet if you added up my 60+ EOs, you'd barely get to a litre ;-)


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## DeeAnna (Jul 30, 2019)

I would advise against thyme. Thyme EO has a pungent, rather medicinal odor that isn't the same as the fresh herb. It's not a "plays well with others" kind of scent, to be honest. 

If you plan to use thyme EO in soap, be aware it will accelerate trace A LOT. At least the thyme EO I have used has done that.

If you want an herby, green, spicy scent, a better choice might be rosemary. It's a classic scent and blends nicely with many other fragrances, including lavender and mint.

I also recommend storing EOs in the refrigerator or even the freezer. That is especially true for lavender. Unoxidized lavender is fine for use on skin, but oxidized lavender has a higher chance of causing skin irritation in some people. And oxidized lavender EO can accelerate rancidity in soap. I don't say this to discourage the use of lavender EO, just to encourage people to store lavender and other EOs for best longevity.


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## Anglezarke (Jul 30, 2019)

May Chang (a.k.a. Litsea) and Geranium both hold really, really well.  Petitgrain is another good one, as is Bergamot.


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## cmzaha (Jul 30, 2019)

I was going to say the same as DeeAnna and nix the thyme. You will never use 1 litre of the stuff, it overpowers everything. I would add in Litsea (May Chang) because I find it much nicer than Lemongrass. In fact if I do use Lemongrass I always add in some Litsea, because it helps anchor the Lemongrass and smells delicious. With the mention of Petitgrain, I find it also very pungent and needs to be used in very small percentages. Germanium is nice but accelerates in soap and is quite expensive, but maybe for you, the price is more affordable than here. Cedarwood is also nice to have around and mixes well, Patchouli is a love it or hate it and I do think Lavender is necessary.


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## dibbles (Jul 30, 2019)

I like Litsea better than lemongrass personally, but a lot of people do love lemongrass. Lavender and mint is a nice combination, as is lemongrass and mint. I love patchouli and it blends well with everything IMO (unless you don't like it - then it blends with nothing). I use a 10x folded orange and that does stick, but my experience is that not folded orange and lemon fade quickly. Rosemary is nice, and combines well with mint.

If I had to pick 5 they would be peppermint, litsea cubeba, patchouli, lavender and 10x orange.


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## Rahmi (Jul 30, 2019)

Thanks all! 

EOcalc is great! I think I'll settle for lavender, rosemary and mint.


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## Marilyn Norgart (Jul 30, 2019)

anise is a fav and it mixes great with lavender or orange.  I love spearmint and I just bought some ylang ylang that I really like too. oh and bergamot.  bergamot, orange and cedarwood is awesome together


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## Dawni (Jul 31, 2019)

Rahmi said:


> Thanks all!
> 
> EOcalc is great! I think I'll settle for lavender, rosemary and mint.


When I first bought EOs I could only afford 6... I settled with one each of the "categories" so a citrus (lemongrass), a floral (lavender), a woodsy (cedarwood), a herby (rosemary), a mint (spearmint) and an earthy (elemi, close to frankincense). I haven't grown my collection much since then but those 5 alone gave me many combinations already.


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## KiwiMoose (Jul 31, 2019)

I use May Chang ( litsea cubeba) in almost every batch.  It's a good mixer with any fruity or floral, or nice on its own, and sticks well. I also LOVE patchouli and it sticks well in soap. Lavender can fade I have discovered. Lemon grass and spearmint are lovely together. Patchouli and sweet orange are lovely together. If you want a herby one, then Rosemary is nice with lemon grass or spearmint. Yes Bergamot is a goodie, and I LOVE Ylang Ylang but it fades dreadfully, so i have recently stopped buying the EO and instead use an ylang ylang FO. You need to consider getting a floral of some kind, and i don't regard lavender as a floral, I regard it as more of a herby scent.  Patchouli is slightly floral I guess. That geranium sounds good - might try that one myself. Good luck!  Such a hard decision.


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## Rahmi (Jul 31, 2019)

Between peppermint and spearmint, what's the difference? I don't remember them being too different, but I haven't smelled them side by side. Are they pretty much interchangeable? Spearmint seems to be much lower cost.

Dawni, your list seems to be what I'm getting close to. Minus the elemi 

Thanks!


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## Dawni (Jul 31, 2019)

Rahmi said:


> Between peppermint and spearmint, what's the difference? I don't remember them being too different, but I haven't smelled them side by side. Are they pretty much interchangeable? Spearmint seems to be much lower cost.
> 
> Dawni, your list seems to be what I'm getting close to. Minus the elemi
> 
> Thanks!


To me the spearmint is a sweeter minty scent than peppermint. And "feels refreshing" more than peppermint, but that's just me.

To second what the others said, I like lavender but it doesn't stick around for long in soap compared to geranium for example, but I use it everywhere (lotion bars, body oil, room n linen spray, surface cleaner), and it's safe for kids so I always keep a bottle..

Elemi is our local alternative to frankincense, which costs more, but both are similar. They're also called resinous EOs, along with myrrh and benzoin.

Earthy is what some classify patchouli as.

My staples now also include lemon and tea tree, which I also use in other stuff.


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## true blue (Jul 31, 2019)

Peppermint is more overpowering than Spearmint and doesn't play as well with others in blends IMO. Of course, it depends on what you're going for. A more medicinal blend - Peppermint. More non-medicinal - Spearmint. Two of my best sellers are Orange & Spearmint and Lemongrass & Rosemary. 
I really like adding either Bergamot or Petitgrain to blends to add a 'fresh' yet not obviously 'citrus' component. Litsea seems to smell more 'citrus' overall than Lemongrass, which has a bit more grassy or green edge that it adds to a blend.


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## Zany_in_CO (Jul 31, 2019)

Rahmi said:


> So I've found a supplier that's reputable here with prices that are really good, and I'm willing to try few EOs. However I have to order in 1 litre quantity minimum, each.


 ACK! If t'were me, the first thing I would do is find a supplier with smaller minimums! Although not specific to India, once again, Kenna of Modern Soapmaking and EO Calc fame, has some good advice about purchasing EOs and where to purchase them:
*Where to Buy Essential Oils for Soapmaking*
I think we have a few other members from India. I would wait a bit before purchasing to see if they have any suggestions for you.


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## penelopejane (Jul 31, 2019)

EOs (and FOs) go off and lose their scent over time. 
How long will it take you to use a litre of 4 or 5 scents? 

For me lavender causes DOS. I just can’t use it.


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## KiwiMoose (Jul 31, 2019)

I prefer spearmint to peppermint - it's a bit sweeter.  I prefer eating spearmints to peppermints too 
I think spearmint probably plays well with others too, but that might just be my opinion.


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## Susie (Aug 1, 2019)

Wintergreen is pricey, but I like it better than even spearmint.  I really don't like peppermint, but when you need just that touch of minty scent without using a lot, peppermint is my go-to.  I never, ever use just the mints alone.  That single note would become overpowering, unlike something like lemongrass or litsea.

And patchouli triggers my gag reflex, so that is right out for me. (I grew up in the 60's, so it has been a life-long aversion.)


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## lucycat (Aug 1, 2019)

I find that more people like peppermint than spearmint.  It is crisper and doesn't have the sweetness.   However, it does provide a "tingle" that isn't always pleasant and I will not make a straight peppermint soap.  Sometimes spearmint is identified too much with chewing gum mints and I have a couple of customers who won't purchase a spearmint blend.  In blends with woody scents I like spearmint better because of the sweetness.   Spearmint and rosemary with a bit of lavender is nice.    As much as I like mints there are plenty of people that don't so purchasing a pound will be a lot of mint unless you really like mint soaps.   

Do you use fragrance oils?   I do have some blends that are EO/FO together.  I use a bit of mint with Yuzu FO;  cedarwood or patchouli can sometime really add to an earthy FO.   As much as I like lavender it is so expensive at current times that I will use a lavender FO with a mint EO.


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## soapmaker (Aug 1, 2019)

Interesting that we all have different experiences. My customers love my Garden Mint which is a blend of Peppermint, Spearmint and Eucalyptus. A very good seller and one that people ask for.


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## shunt2011 (Aug 1, 2019)

I don't use a lot of EO's but do use the following:  Patchouli, Lavender, Orange 10x, Tea Tree, Peppermint, Eucalyptus, Lemongrass and Litsea.

I make a charcoal soap with Lavender, Peppermint & Tea Tree.  And will blend my straight up lavender soaps with a mix of EO/FO as it sticks longer and I've never gotten DOS with it.


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## Dawni (Aug 1, 2019)

KiwiMoose said:


> I think spearmint probably plays well with others too, but that might just be my opinion.


Mine too 


penelopejane said:


> EOs (and FOs) go off and lose their scent over time.
> How long will it take you to use a litre of 4 or 5 scents?


I didn't think about this. But if he stores em properly and uses them always maybe it'll be ok? Maybe he can decant them so he's not always opening the original bottle?

I bought 30ml bottles initially several monthsand I'm only halfway done with them, but that's coz I rarely scent my soaps and when I do they're on the fainter side of the minimum for HP, not CP..

Edit: I checked some online suppliers and their prices for smaller bottles are good, better than they stuff I'm getting here. I've been trying to get SO to bring over a big chunk of mango butter too lols


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