# Recipes and scent retention



## jofa (Mar 4, 2018)

I'm relatively new to soapmaking, and I've been frustrated because I can't seem to make almost any FO stick. 
The other day, I was watching a Royalty Soaps video, and Katie said that so and so recipe had a "great scent retention". And it got me thinking. Is that a thing? 
And, if it is, which base oils are the best to anchor EOs and FOs?

Thank you!


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## cmzaha (Mar 4, 2018)

No it makes no difference what recipe you use. It comes down to fragrance/eo usage rates and quality of the fragrance oil used. I have tried the gamut of things such as clays and found it a scent fades it fades no matter what you do. Essential oils are infamous for fading.


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## DeeAnna (Mar 4, 2018)

I agree with what Carolyn said.

There are two things I've found to help scents last. First is to find scents that stick, and the second is using enough. Some scents just don't last very long, no matter how much you use, and there's no point in using them. And if you only use a dab, the scent is going to be faint from the start and goes downhill from there.


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## Kamahido (Mar 4, 2018)

How much fragrance are you using?


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## jofa (Mar 4, 2018)

Thank you Cmzaha and DeeAnna, I'm glad to hear that, since I like my recipe and, besides, it's very simple.

Kamahido, I always use the maximum allowed for each FO/EO, so I don't think it's a problem of amount. 

I don't know if it can be the cure conditions, since I live in a extremely hot and humid area and I try to use a AC (24/7) do the soaps won't get sticky or a dehumidifier, but the latter can't control the heat.


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## penelopejane (Mar 4, 2018)

Try 6% or the total batter amount not ppo.
Look at reviews for ones that hold in CP soap.

EOs except for a few don’t stick very well.


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## DeeAnna (Mar 4, 2018)

Another thing to keep in mind, assuming one uses enough and uses scent that sticks, is that the strength of the scent can vary while the soap cures. The soap usually has a strong smell for the first few days or so when there is a fair bit of fragrance right at the surface of the soap. The aroma can oddly become weaker (and almost disappear!) during cure. By the time 4-6 weeks are past, the scent often comes back to a pleasant strength. By that time, I want my soaps to be packaged to best preserve the scent for the long haul.


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## lsg (Mar 5, 2018)

I don't really have trouble with my EOs sticking.  If I use citrus EOs, I usually add an anchor such as litsea cubeba or vetiver.  Cedarwood makes a good anchor for orange essential oil, along with a little clay.


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## Susie (Mar 5, 2018)

I've also found that many scents fade from the outsides of the soap, so once you use it a time or two, the scent comes right back.  When I give away a bunch of soap to people other than immediate family, I "wash my hands" with the bars to bring back the scent, get rid of soda ash, and gloss up the outside of the bars.


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## jofa (Mar 5, 2018)

penelopejane said:


> Try 6% or the total batter amount not ppo.
> Look at reviews for ones that hold in CP soap.
> 
> EOs except for a few don’t stick very well.



The problem with that is that many FOs have a lower limit. But if it's higher I'm gonna try it!

Thank you DeeAnna, Isg and Susie, those are great tips!

I find BB FOs are working better for me. Do you have any prefered company?


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## DeeAnna (Mar 5, 2018)

jofa said:


> The problem with that is that many FOs have a lower limit. But if it's higher I'm gonna try it!



One of my rules of thumb is to not use scents with unusually low IRFA recommendations. It's not worth the risk -- to the people who use my soap and because there's a higher chance of no or low scent retention.


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## jofa (Mar 5, 2018)

DeeAnna said:


> One of my rules of thumb is to not use scents with unusually low IRFA recommendations. It's not worth the risk -- to the people who use my soap and because there's a higher chance of no or low scent retention.


 
That's so, so true, DeeAnna. You end up thinking "but this FO is gonna be stronger than the others", but usually it's not. I'm gonna do that from now on.


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## toxikon (Mar 5, 2018)

It's definitely tricky to find those magical FOs that stick for years. It takes some trial and error.

I mostly buy my FOs from WholesaleSuppliesPlus and Nurture Soap. I have a few WSP-FO soaps that still smell super strong after a year or longer. Their Love Spell FO is one that comes to mind - excellent sticking power. 

All you can really do is read the reviews, use them at 5-6%, and hope for the best!


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## jofa (Mar 5, 2018)

toxikon said:


> It's definitely tricky to find those magical FOs that stick for years. It takes some trial and error.
> 
> I mostly buy my FOs from WholesaleSuppliesPlus and Nurture Soap. I have a few WSP-FO soaps that still smell super strong after a year or longer. Their Love Spell FO is one that comes to mind - excellent sticking power.
> 
> All you can really do is read the reviews, use them at 5-6%, and hope for the best!




It's definitively tricky. And for me it's even trickier, since I have to import the fragrances, usually paying a shipping cost almost equal to the value of the products. So it's amazing to be able to rely on a forum like this.


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## DeeAnna (Mar 5, 2018)

Have you checked out the SMF Fragrance Oil Reviews? Click the link at the bottom of this message.


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## jofa (Mar 6, 2018)

DeeAnna said:


> Have you checked out the SMF Fragrance Oil Reviews? Click the link at the bottom of this message.



Not yet, DeeAnna, but I sure will.


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## earlene (Mar 6, 2018)

I had a store bought soap that was Rose scented that retained it's scent for a very long time, at least two or three years into my using the soap.  I savored that soap and only used it rarely, letting it dry out completely between uses.  Then one, day to my horror,  I discovered that the scent was gone after a visiting relative let her daughter soak in the tub with that bar of soap each day over a week's time.   I assumed that because the bar was saturated for so long while they visited, that the fragrance just washed right out of the soap.  I don't know; it may have been due for a permanent fade; but the coincidence was too much to ignore a possible link.  After the poor bar of soap finally dried out, it was cracked and brittle like it had never been before.  One day, I may find that soap again for sale and see how long I can milk that Rose fragrance with proper care of a bar of soap.  I sure wish I knew what that manufacturer used, because that was one long lasting fragrance!


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## cmzaha (Mar 6, 2018)

Susie said:


> I've also found that many scents fade from the outsides of the soap, so once you use it a time or two, the scent comes right back.  When I give away a bunch of soap to people other than immediate family, I "wash my hands" with the bars to bring back the scent, get rid of soda ash, and gloss up the outside of the bars.


That is quite true, but trying to convince someone the scent will return if they are looking to buy does not always work. Rosemary and Eucalyptus are two that fade for me enough in 6 months that customers do not buy them. I have tried anchoring Orange with a bit of Patchouli or Cedarwood and in the end all I smell is the Patch or Cedarwood, no noticeable orange. They also do not come back after using them. Vetiver I find sticks forever and I love it, in small amounts but prefer to keep it for leave-on products since it is pricey.  Lemongrass fades for me but mixing with Litsea helps. I have a fantastic fragrance "Tonic" dupe, IL know this one I think, that does not smell until it is used and it is beautiful and clings for a little while. Problem I cannot convince very many to try it because they cannot smell it. The customers I have convinced have come back for more! I am with DeeAnna if the fo has a low usage rate I simply will not buy it


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## jofa (Feb 26, 2022)

DeeAnna said:


> Have you checked out the SMF Fragrance Oil Reviews? Click the link at the bottom of this message.


 
Hello, DeeAnna, this thread is soo old, but I came here looking for that FO excel file and can't find it anymore. Do you know if it's still active or if it still exists?
Thank you,
Joana


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## DeeAnna (Feb 26, 2022)

@jofa -- I'm sorry to say I do not manage the Fragrance Oil Review anymore. You will need to contact an admin to get an update on its status.


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## jofa (Feb 26, 2022)

Hey DeeAnna, thank you anyway!
I'm gonna contact them.


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