# has anyone bought from



## jodym (Feb 1, 2019)

wf-medical on ebay? im still looking for suggestions on ebay sellers of eo oils! thank you!


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## Misschief (Feb 1, 2019)

Is there a reason you want ebay sellers in particular? There are several reputable soapmaking suppliers who carry EOs and FOs in the US. (I'm in Canada) I'm sure some of our American members can point you in their direction (Brambleberry comes to top of mind.)


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## jodym (Feb 1, 2019)

i buy from Camdengrey, Brambleberry and Natures Garden. i always seem to stick with these and are very happy. i need at least 16oz of Lavender 40/42 and was just researching to see if i can get a nice lavender 40/42 cheaper.. i probably need to go up a bit on my bars at market (5.00) to help with the cost as boy have things gone up since last year when i ordered.. i live up here in the boonies of Minnesota, hate its hard to go up to much..i was thinking 6 each or 3 for 15.00 this year..


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## Misschief (Feb 1, 2019)

I sold mine for $5 each last year; this year, I'll be raising mine to $7 or 3 for $20.


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## Clarice (Feb 1, 2019)

I am awaiting an order from New Directions Aromatics.  They have an impressive array of EOs, butters, oils, etc.  I will share thoughts after recipt.  I have had some service issues with Branbleberry, I chalk it up to holiday madness.  

I get a little sniffy at places that do not offer "free" shipping (I live in a "same-day" delivery radius for Amazon - which on some things is free - how crazy is that!!!! -  so I think I am spoiled)

If anyone has thoughts on a good source for almond scent, I would welcome advice.  I found the almond cybillus (sp?) fragrance from Branbleberry to have an edge to it I did not like.

Thanks much all.  Love this forum!


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## cmzaha (Feb 1, 2019)

I know Zany purchases some from Sun Botanicals on ebay. You might message her and ask which one's she likes. I am almost positive she uses their French Lavender, but I could be wrong. I like their Tea Tree Oil, thanks to Zany


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## Clarice (Feb 1, 2019)

i have found bulgarian lavender to be my favorite in massage oil - I have not used in soaping yet.  

Speaking of which, what is the substitution ratio for essential oil relative to fragrance oil?  For example, if you are saying 3.5%, I assume that is a fragrance oil, not the essential oil?  Please correct me!  Thank you


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## shunt2011 (Feb 1, 2019)

Clarice said:


> i have found bulgarian lavender to be my favorite in massage oil - I have not used in soaping yet.
> 
> Speaking of which, what is the substitution ratio for essential oil relative to fragrance oil?  For example, if you are saying 3.5%, I assume that is a fragrance oil, not the essential oil?  Please correct me!  Thank you


It will totally depend on what EO you are using.  I've use 4-4.5% lavender in soap.  Both EO and FO are added at percentages.   You just need to look at their usage rates for the product you are making.


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## Clarice (Feb 1, 2019)

Thank you - and is there a list / reference for usage rates I can access somewhere?  Many of the EOs i have are the little bottles (an ounce I think) you can get at Whole Foods, etc.  Most are 100% EO with no carrier - for example, the organic Sandalwood cost upwards of $50 - I only need a drop in my bath to make me happy - but there is no way I would put a whole oz in soap, I would have to hoard it like gold 

Thanks!


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## jodym (Feb 1, 2019)

thank you guys for any input, im placing an order with Brambleberry, Camden grey and Ng, would just as soon pay and know i will be happy with what i get!


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## jodym (Feb 1, 2019)

Clarice said:


> I am awaiting an order from New Directions Aromatics.  They have an impressive array of EOs, butters, oils, etc.  I will share thoughts after recipt.  I have had some service issues with Branbleberry, I chalk it up to holiday madness.
> 
> I get a little sniffy at places that do not offer "free" shipping (I live in a "same-day" delivery radius for Amazon - which on some things is free - how crazy is that!!!! -  so I think I am spoiled)
> 
> ...


i have some almond cybilla from BB and am very happy with it ! i guess our noses are all different!


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## SoaperForLife (Feb 2, 2019)

Majestic Mountain Sage has a nice honey almond fo


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## Jill B Blasius (Feb 2, 2019)

@jodym @Clarice "Cybilla" is a _person_ who sold fragrance oil. She decided to quit the business and sold her inventory to BB. (https://www.brambleberry.com/fragrance-oil-information.aspx go towards the bottom) I have bought scents of both "brands" from BB and find the Cybilla's just smell different than what I was expecting. They seem a bit weaker, sometimes non-existent in finished soap, even when adding to clays first.  It may be the inventory is old, since I have seen posts about Cybilla sold @ BB that are over five years old. I did like her cucumber melon fragrance better than BB cucumber garden, <-- which smelled like dirt. Sage-Lemongrass Cybilla was nice but was virtually gone after 6 weeks of curing, compared to BB Lemongrass which still had smell after 8 weeks.

Altho I do not care for Lavender for myself, BB lav 40/20 does stick well in soap (again, soaking my clays with it a day before using it). I use fragrances on the low side using the BB calculator thou. I don't like smelling of "perfume" after my shower, like some kid drowning in Axe...

Depending on the cost of my venue, I sell at $6/4-$20 or $7/3-$20. Not a lot of soapers at our summer markets last year, only two of them had other soapers (1 at one & 2 at another - and one was a goat farmer using her own milk).

And down here in the cities I have found no local bulk supplier for any soaping supplies, other than Costco for my oils and Lowes for my lye ($15 for 32oz, which is cheaper than BB with shipping).


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## Susie (Feb 2, 2019)

Don't like lavender at all, so I can't vouch for that, but I use many, many of their EOs.

https://www.pipingrock.com/lavender-oil


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## jodym (Feb 3, 2019)

Jill B Blasius said:


> @jodym @Clarice "Cybilla" is a _person_ who sold fragrance oil. She decided to quit the business and sold her inventory to BB. (https://www.brambleberry.com/fragrance-oil-information.aspx go towards the bottom) I have bought scents of both "brands" from BB and find the Cybilla's just smell different than what I was expecting. They seem a bit weaker, sometimes non-existent in finished soap, even when adding to clays first.  It may be the inventory is old, since I have seen posts about Cybilla sold @ BB that are over five years old. I did like her cucumber melon fragrance better than BB cucumber garden, <-- which smelled like dirt. Sage-Lemongrass Cybilla was nice but was virtually gone after 6 weeks of curing, compared to BB Lemongrass which still had smell after 8 weeks.
> 
> Altho I do not care for Lavender for myself, BB lav 40/20 does stick well in soap (again, soaking my clays with it a day before using it). I use fragrances on the low side using the BB calculator thou. I don't like smelling of "perfume" after my shower, like some kid drowning in Axe...
> 
> ...



Jill, thank you for the info! can i ask about you soaking your clays in your lavender oil? i use Lavender 40/42 in my cold process soap. id like the scent to be stronger altho the ones who buy my lavender/oatmeal soap seem happy with it. how much clay do you use and does soaking help the scent show up more? if you also add some fo lavender with the eo lavender what fo lavender have you been happy with? im ordering my scents tomorrow as well as base oils! i order my base oils from soapers choice they are nice and fast! im ordering my lye off ebay as Camden grey discontinued it. still works out cheaper for what i need. thank you again Jill! i appreciate any input from you!


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## Jill B Blasius (Feb 3, 2019)

@jodym clays help hold the scent. Mix it one day b4 soaping. The amount depends on how I am using the clay and the fragrance calculator.

If I am making a solid clay color soap, I will use 1 tsp PPO and my amount of EO from BB fragrance calculator. Example, 48 oz  (total oil and lye) I would use 3 tsp clay with ~2 oz of EO.

If I am swirling the clay, I use 1 1/2 tsp clay with half the EO. The other half of EO goes into the plain soap, once it's divided in half.

As far as mixing EO/FO, I guess i've never done that? I've mixed EO/EO and FO/FO. Not to say you can't, but EO are usually .85 oz PPO and FO is 1 oz, but refer to the calculator, I don't scent very strong.


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## Zany_in_CO (Feb 5, 2019)

cmzaha said:


> I know Zany purchases some from Sun Botanicals on ebay. ... I am almost positive she uses their French Lavender, but I could be wrong. I like their Tea Tree Oil, thanks to Zany


Pretty good memory there, Carolyn!!! Yup, I've been buying EOs from Sun Pure Botanicals on Ebay for several years and I've never been disappointed. 
https://www.ebay.com/str/sunpurebotanicals
It's a women-owned company located in NM. Shipping is fast and is always calculated to the best price, some items may ship FREE. Customer service is, well, "real"... you can talk or Email and get a "real" person, not just an automaton that happens so often these days. But enough of that. I can't recommend them highly enough. 

I use their High Altitude French Lavender. What's really cool, is the range of sizes. I have several blends that I can order just the amount I need to make the blend, rather than a large bottle of something I only need a few ounces of. They also have the best price I've found for Australian Emu Oil if anyone is interested in that.


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## lenarenee (Feb 6, 2019)

I need some good peppermint and a sweeter lavender. I used to make a triple lavender eo soap but it got way to expensive!  I feel like I'm cheating now that I mix with fo.  

Zany, what else do you know about their company? I didn't find any info about them whatsoever on eBay - their prices are wonderful!  But...maybe too wonderful since they also claim their eo's are "therapeutic", and they sell Rosewood essential oil (endangered and illegal)


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## Zany_in_CO (Feb 6, 2019)

Hiya Karen! Nice to 'see' you. I forgot to mention they have a 99.3% Rating on Ebay. This is just me, but I have no problem with any seller using the word "therapeutic". It's just a buzz word that gets tossed  around like it means something!  Other than that, I suggest you contact Leslie directly with any other questions:

LESLIE HALLOWAY
269 CALLE DEL SOL
MORIARTY, NM 87035-5481

Phone # 505-384-1017
[email protected]

BTW, I didn't know Rosewood EO is endangered and illegal. Do you have a source for that information? I use it in one of my favorite blends. I haven't purchased any lately, tho. Here are my notes on Rosewood:



> Rosewood aka Bois-de-rose oil.
> Botanical Name: Aniba rosaeodora
> Common Method of Extraction: Steam Distilled
> Color: Clear with a Yellow Tinge
> ...


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## MGM (Feb 6, 2019)

New Directions Aromatics doesn't sell rosewood anymore, but a similar blend.


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## lenarenee (Feb 6, 2019)

That's right - New Directions uses constituents from other eo's and try to imitate the same "recipe" of constituents that's in Rosewood.  (good luck trying to understand that convoluted explanation - it's the best I have after 3 hours of sleep and 5 kids who all got out of school early).

Ooh that's great Zany- thanks for the contact info - I can get the facts from the horse's mouth.  And yes, I read through many of the reviews - but they were "generic"....few specifics reasons why they were happy with their purchase. I don't know how to tell fake, adulterated, diluted, eo's from pure ones - until too late.  Those prices are too good to believe - many are considerably lower than big companies who also deal in huge quantities and that makes me think either they got some great business skills, or aren't quite kosher.  So I'm going to check them out because my best source for lavender is BB 40/42, and their price is better.

Am I the only one having trouble with SMF loading pages?

My source: my memory - so I may not have the Rosewood thing completely accurate, but it's a very endangered species and there are laws in it's native areas, as well as the Lacy and something law in the US about importing/distributing an endangered item.


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## earlene (Feb 7, 2019)

Zany_in_CO said:


> Hiya Karen! Nice to 'see' you. I forgot to mention they have a 99.3% Rating on Ebay. This is just me, but I have no problem with any seller using the word "therapeutic". It's just a buzz word that gets tossed  around like it means something!  Other than that, I suggest you contact Leslie directly with any other questions:
> 
> LESLIE HALLOWAY
> 269 CALLE DEL SOL
> ...



https://reverb.com/news/new-cites-regulations-for-all-rosewood-species


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## dibbles (Feb 7, 2019)

Jill B Blasius said:


> @jodym
> And down here in the cities I have found no local bulk supplier for any soaping supplies, other than Costco for my oils and Lowes for my lye ($15 for 32oz, which is cheaper than BB with shipping).



Sweet Cakes for fragrance oils is local if you are in the cities. You can't pick up, but you will receive your order in a couple of days. No soaping oils or lye there though.


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## lenarenee (Feb 7, 2019)

[QUOTE="Zany_in_CO, post: 746314, member: 22120I forgot to mention they have a 99.3% Rating on Ebay. This is just me, but I have no problem with any seller using the word "therapeutic". It's just a buzz word that gets tossed  around like it means something!  Other than that, I suggest you contact Leslie directly with any other questions:

LESLIE HALLOWAY
269 CALLE DEL SOL
MORIARTY, NM 87035-5481

Phone # 505-384-1017
[email protected]

BTW, I didn't know Rosewood EO is endangered and illegal. Do you have a source for that information? I use it in one of my favorite blends. I haven't purchased any lately, tho. Here are my notes on Rosewood:[/QUOTE]


About therapeutic terminology; in my view it's an outright lie. There is no such thing, nor is there any set standard or guideline to determine what percentages of what constituent part of an eo is proven to be therapeutic, and what percentage is harmful. When companies use the term "therapeutic, it also implies that there are un-therapeutic types of essential oils. And again...there is no such standard or definition.  

Companies/people who use the terminology perpetuate misinformation just by using the word. Yes, misinformation is done in all types of marketing - doesn't make it right. Essential oils are being touted as a replacement for medical care and medications. People are getting injured by those who've drunk the Kool-Aid with seeking proper training. I am one of them- and I can name half a dozen others I know personally who were injured enough to need medical care to deal with the use of "therapeutic" oils.  (just in the past year+)

Last year I was preparing to start selling soap I was given some professional advice on branding and marketing. Much of it I found quite distasteful because it was all about "creating a problem that my soap fixes", creating an "image" that would appeal to my chosen market.  This was too similar to lying and manipulation for me. Since then I've been observing the marketing tactics on media sources and am shocked at how much of it does  falsely create or overblow a problem and then tout their product as a fix.   So much fear is wrongfully created - and too much money wasted by the poor consumer.

Capitalism. 

I refuse to be dishonest to make a buck.

Well, if I ever do sell soap I'll need to find someone to help me create a label and brand my honest pragmatic style. I'm still looking.


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