# Essential Oil Imposters?



## DonnaC (Sep 16, 2013)

I have a question!! I am from Canada. I make soap as gifts and keep my family well supplied. I have made lots of soap, and have done lots of research on soap and soap making laws in Canada (I would like to open my own soap business next year) I happened upon a soap company a few weeks ago. Their slogan is ''As pure as nature intended'' They are a small company. I had heard complaint about their ingredients from another soap company last year (I chalked it up to a competitive type issue). I am always buying soap at craft fairs and such as I love to support local. Forget about the labelling not being compliant to Canadian law, I am truly suspicious about their ingredients. Their bars are aprox 4 oz each, and some of them contain 'Cranberry Essential Oil' and 'Plumeria Essential Oil'. Is there such a thing?? I think there is a cranberry carrier oil, but not essential. Also, they sell their bars for $4 each (note the approximate size) and many of the bars 'contain' Coffee EO, Vanilla EO, Sandalwood EO, Jasmine EO. Aren't these too expensive to use in a $4 bar of soap??

An example.. this is their Cranberry Fig soap (sundried cranberries and fragrant figs come together etc....):
Ingredients: Organic Olive Oil, Water, Sodium Hydroxide, Organic Coconut Oil, Organic Palm Oil, Organic Soy Oil, Organic Sunflower Oil, Organic Shea Butter, Cranberry Essential Oil, Kaolin Clay, Iron Oxide 

This doesn't sound right to me. Where are the 'fragrant figs'?
I am not naming names, but this gives all small soap companies a bad name. This kind of marketing is confusing and deceitful. Or maybe I am just being ridiculous, or maybe I am just plain wrong. I need some of your more professional opinions please.


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## dixiedragon (Sep 16, 2013)

My only thought is they are confusing or "confusing" essential oils with fragrance oils. Neither is okay for somebody selling soap!


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## Second Impression (Sep 16, 2013)

Oh you're right about deceitful ingredients! Unfortunately it's very common for soap sellers to claim that they use essential oils of chocolate cake, ocean breeze, etc. I'm exaggerating (thankfully haven't seen anything that blatantly dishonest!) but there are a lot out there claiming to use essential oils that are crazy expensive or don't even exist. There's also a good population of soapers who are legitimately ignorant of the fact that essential oils and fragrance oils are two very different substances. I guess to them, "essential" oil sounds fancier or whatever. In my (not so humble) opinion, those people should not be selling soap and I would never buy a bar from someone with labels like that. 

Sent from my XT907 using Soap Making mobile app


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## DonnaC (Sep 16, 2013)

Yes, it seemed wrong to me.  How about plumeria specifically.. is there an essential oil?  Can't find that info anywhere.  And 2 more scary bits...  #1, the owner's business card identifies her as an aromatherapist.  #2, they offer workshops.


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## alaskazimm (Sep 16, 2013)

Brambleberry sells a Cranberry Fig FO http://www.brambleberry.com/Cranberry-Fig-Fragrance-Oil-P3933.aspx 
Maybe they got something similar? But yeah it's a fragrance oil and not essential.


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## sistrum (Sep 16, 2013)

Frangipani EO is sometimes called plumeria.


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## DonnaC (Sep 16, 2013)

Good call Sistrum!  So now I know there is such a thing, but it looks crazy expensive.  Since you couldn't sell 4oz bars for $4 with that stuff in it, (and the soap is here and is crazy strong smelling), these are FO's being promoted as EO's. This one is supposed to be scented with the plumeria eo and jasmine eo.  Thanks for your help everyone!!  Lastly, am I right that there is no such thing as cranberry EO?


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## judymoody (Sep 16, 2013)

Yes, those are probably fragrance oils.

My advice is to take a deep breath and let this go.  The world is full of idiots who have no clue about what they are doing or selling.  Don't waste your emotional energy getting pissed off at them.  Channel it into making the best, most honest soap you possibly can.

Sooner or later this level of misrepresentation will catch up with this seller.  Either the seller is ignorant or dishonest.  You don't need to blow the whistle.  There are better ways to spend your time.


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## namad (Sep 16, 2013)

So true, it can be frustrating when dealing with people who are dishonest but like judymoody said, you have to just let it go and trust that karma will do it's job! Go Karma


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## DonnaC (Sep 17, 2013)

Thanks guys!!  I apologize, in re-reading this thread I completely seem like I'm having a melt down over the situation.  I didn't mean to leave that impression, but I sure did!  I suppose it just breaks my heart when people hand over their trust to someone and it's abused. It's the mom in me I guess.. I just can't allow anyone to hurt anyone in any way on my watch.  But yes, deep breath.. let it go.  Karma take over.


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## sistrum (Sep 17, 2013)

She appears to use inexpensive oils in her soaps and at just 4oz she probably can sell them that cheap.  As far as the non EO's she is using I would ask her about them in a nice and curious way.  Just to find out if she is confused or fibbing.


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## namad (Sep 17, 2013)

sistrum said:


> As far as the non EO's she is using I would ask her about them in a nice and curious way.  Just to find out if she is confused or fibbing.



Good call, very mature way to handle the situation. I second this


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