# Fragrance Oil scent fade help



## CamBamBoom (Dec 19, 2018)

Hi All,

I am just beginning my cold process soap making journey and had a question about scent fading. I've read here that it can be a hit or miss depending on suppliers. For the seasoned makers, was there something you changed within your recipe or process to help the scent come out more ..i.e adding an additional oil type and decreasing an existing ones percentage  ? Or did you just have to test and retest different ones using the same recipe to find a fragrance that worked ? Any help is much appreciated !

Have a great Day


----------



## shunt2011 (Dec 19, 2018)

Nope, I use tried and true fragrances now.  I read reviews on the website and here in our Fragrance review.   When trying something new I try to make small batches to test.  If something doesn't stick or last or there's other issues I don't make it again.


----------



## CamBamBoom (Dec 19, 2018)

shunt2011 said:


> Nope, I use tried and true fragrances now.  I read reviews on the website and here in our Fragrance review.   When trying something new I try to make small batches to test.  If something doesn't stick or last or there's other issues I don't make it again.



Thanks for the input  I suppose that's just the way I have to go!


----------



## lenarenee (Dec 19, 2018)

You can't blame it on the supplier necessarily, as long as you're working with a "real" bath and body company like Brambleberry, WSP, Peak, etc.
Some fragrances stick in soap, and some don't.   There are even a few that work very well for some soapers, but don't for others.  For one example, Nurture's Satsuma has quite a few fans here - so I bought a one lb bottle of it only to find that it completely faded  in my soap (used at full strength) in 3 months.


----------



## CamBamBoom (Dec 19, 2018)

lenarenee said:


> You can't blame it on the supplier necessarily, as long as you're working with a "real" bath and body company like Brambleberry, WSP, Peak, etc.
> Some fragrances stick in soap, and some don't.   There are even a few that work very well for some soapers, but don't for others.  For one example, Nurture's Satsuma has quite a few fans here - so I bought a one lb bottle of it only to find that it completely faded  in my soap (used at full strength) in 3 months.



 Thanks for your response! Looks like I'm gonna be testing a lot more before I can fully commit to anything.


----------



## IrishLass (Dec 19, 2018)

Yep, it's a bit of a "trial and error" pain, but the best way to find your keeper FOs is to put different ones to the test in your formula. You do have help, though- in the form of fragrance oil reviews. We have a *review chart* right here on the forum, that our fellow forum member DeeAnna maintains, and there's also *TheScentReview Board* site. I would peruse through those before deciding to purchase anything.

When you purchase, buy the smallest bottle- usually 1 oz..... and test them in 1-lb batches. Sometimes FO vendor sites have awesome sales on their sample 1 oz bottles of FO, which are awesome to get in on....keep an eye out for those and take advantage of them whenever you can. 


IrishLass


----------



## CamBamBoom (Dec 19, 2018)

IrishLass said:


> Yep, it's a bit of a "trial and error" pain, but the best way to find your keeper FOs is to put different ones to the test in your formula. You do have help, though- in the form of fragrance oil reviews. We have a *review chart* right here on the forum, that our fellow forum member DeeAnna maintains, and there's also *TheScentReview Board* site. I would peruse through those before deciding to purchase anything.
> 
> When you purchase, buy the smallest bottle- usually 1 oz..... and test them in 1-lb batches. Sometimes FO vendor sites have awesome sales on their sample 1 oz bottles of FO, which are awesome to get in on....keep an eye out for those and take advantage of them whenever you can.
> 
> ...



Thanks so much ! I'm sure the chart and Scent Review Board is exactly what I need


----------



## dixiedragon (Dec 19, 2018)

CamBamBoom said:


> Thanks so much ! I'm sure the chart and Scent Review Board is exactly what I need



BTW, Wholesale Supplies Plus is having an end of year sale now.


----------



## CamBamBoom (Dec 19, 2018)

dixiedragon said:


> BTW, Wholesale Supplies Plus is having an end of year sale now.



 Oh really ! I need to check them out then


----------



## penelopejane (Dec 19, 2018)

If you have a tiny mold - like an ice cube tray - you can make a small batch of soap and carefully work out the volume of each cube and put enough FO in to each tiny volume to make up 5% of oils to test them.

So a one pound  batch can make  10 or more different testers.
Some FOs sound great in their description and reviews but turn out to be real duds.

If you really like a scent find someone who reviewed it in SMF reviews and also liked it. You will probably find that their “nose” is similar to yours and you will like and dislike the same things. This saves a lot of time.

But be aware that different recipes do change scents. As does overheating a soap.

I also avoid anything that accelerates or rices.  Life is too short to bother with these.  There are lots of great ones that stick and perform well.

Having said that if some say it performs well and some say it accelerates look a bit deeper - did they soap at room temp or 110* etc.


----------



## CamBamBoom (Dec 19, 2018)

penelopejane said:


> If you have a tiny mold - like an ice cube tray - you can make a small batch of soap and carefully work out the volume of each cube and put enough FO in to each tiny volume to make up 5% of oils to test them.
> 
> So a one pound  batch can make  10 or more different testers.
> Some FOs sound great in their description and reviews but turn out to be real duds.
> ...



Yes so true! Cotton Candy and Lavender sounded so good in the descriptions , but didn't turn out so well in the soap I made. I will definitely be using the SMF reviews and comments in the future!


----------



## Rick Potter (Dec 30, 2018)

Downy Unstopables In-Wash scent beads.   Over the years I've tried Essential oils and fragrance oils.  Recently discovered a cheap super strong scent that has worked well in our CP soaps.  I use 1/2 cup per 3lb log and melt/stick blend into the oils before adding lye.  Really strong long lasting scent.  Our family has used the scent bead soap for over a year and love it.


----------



## penelopejane (Dec 30, 2018)

That product has perfume dispersant, perfumes (unspecified) and dyes (unspecified). You don’t know how much of each fragrance you are using and you don’t know if they or the other ingredients are skin safe.

It seems a little risky to me.


----------



## Rick Potter (Dec 30, 2018)

Yea I too had the same considerations.  However if its safe for your clothes which are against your skin it couldn't be too bad.  We've been using the beads for quite some time with no problems.  We have had more problems with the varying qualities and strength of Lavender oils.  1/2 a cup of beads gives 3 pounds of soap a nice soft slight scent.

Give it a try.  Couldn't be any worse than soap that's lye heavy.

Cheers,
Rick


----------



## Rick Potter (Dec 30, 2018)

Unspecified?  Seriously?  With all the toxic items we touch and consume each day we should worry about  a little fragrance?  We don't live in a sterile bubble these days.   I'd say a bag of beef jerky has more toxins than a little laundry fragrance.


----------

