# Lemon Peppermint Soap--Did I Overdo it?



## Orchidgirl (May 22, 2013)

Hi there!

I just made a batch of this, and I am worried I greatly overdid it in the amounts of both the lemon and peppermint essential oils I was using. This was my third batch ever of CP soap and I had heard a good baseline for essential oil use is .7 oz/pound of oils. But I also heard that citrus oils usually don't "stick" very well in CP soap, so I started messing with the amount of that oil and I think I somehow got myself confused. The one thing I am certain of is that I totally overwhelmed the lemon oil with the quantity of peppermint oil I used.  Please, let me know if this soap will even be usable with the amount of essential oil currently in it--I am concerned that it will be so strong it might cause a skin reaction!

Total weight of oils in recipe: 1.5 pounds
Lemon e.o. used: 1 oz
Peppermint e.o. used: .6 oz

Thanks, everyone.
Claire


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## Orchidgirl (May 22, 2013)

Oh, and btw I mean ounces by weight, not volume, in the measurements I gave of my essential oils.


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## houseofwool (May 22, 2013)

That does look like a lot of essential oil.  For 1.5 pounds of oils, I would think that roughly 1 oz of EO total would be the limit.

Keep in mind that the lemon may still fade a bit on you.  I have troubles with citrus sticking.


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## Ruthie (May 22, 2013)

Peppermint smells really strong at first but seems to moderate after a while.  So don't give up on it cause it smells really strong right now.


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## hoegarden (May 22, 2013)

It has been recommended that the EO should be keep to 3% of the total weight of oil. 1.5lb = 24oz, therefore the EO should be kept to 0.72oz


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## Cindiq4u (May 22, 2013)

Seems like a bit, yet let it cure and over time it could work out. My husband LOVES Pepperment soap, because it has that cooling tingle. He even brought some peppermint soap back from the middle east that he fell in love with. Best wishes..


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## Miz Jenny (May 22, 2013)

I don't use lemon eo in soap anymore because it just doesn't stick. I really like Meyer lemon fo.


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## bodhi (May 22, 2013)

I use peppermint at 1oz ppo if its the only scent in the batch.  I find that it tends to temper itself during cure and less doesnt have the staying power i like if i use less.


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## Donna (May 22, 2013)

I'd be patient.  Give it 4-6 weeks and you may be pleasantly surprised.
I've found that EO's tend to fade more than FO's.  Also, I've noticed that citrus scents can really fade, even when anchored with other scents.
I definitely wouldn't scrap the batch until I gave it some time.

Good luck and keep us posted!


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## Lotus (May 22, 2013)

Like others said, definitely give it some time. I mean the batch I made yesterday has its scent just permeating the house. But, over time it should relax. 

I think where you confused yourself, is you were weighing each EO per pound of oil, rather than the combined EOs per pound of oils. So, next time, you will want to make sure that both of the oils add up to your .7 ounces PPO, or whatever amount you choose. I keep mine at .5 ounces PPO, unless it's (like you said), a scent that doesn't stick well.


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## Orchidgirl (May 22, 2013)

Wow, so much good information! A big thank you to everyone who posted. And Lotus, you are exactly right--that IS where I got confused. It also was a bit tricky (to me) to figure out how to keep this in mind while combining two oils that are much different in terms of relative strengths--I totally underestimated how strong that peppermint oil is! 

Anyway, I'm glad that some say to wait a bit to see if it settles down some. I don't mind a little "tingle" from the peppermint, but considering that I was aiming for a mostly lemon-scented soap with a little mint, I am kicking myself for getting so confused with the e.o. amounts. I will try again, perhaps with a stronger citrus oil. And MUCH less peppermint. LOL Thanks again, everyone!!


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## misskat22 (May 22, 2013)

I've heard that the folded citrus oils (10x etc) have a better 'stick' but you can also try adding some clay to anchor the scent (or salt) I've also heard that mixing in some litsea cubeba will help. I haven't tried any of those, but it might be worth trying since I've heard that citrus can cause you to be photosensitive (even in soap!) if you use too much, so keep that in mind when using this soap!


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## VanessaP (May 22, 2013)

Unfolded citrus can cause photosensitivity - folded can but at a much much lower rate. The photosensitivity part is in the furanocoumarin, which in most EOs is bergatptene. Folded EOs have had most of the bergatptene removed so it is safer. Only the MOST sensitive people would have an issue with an unfolded EO causing photosensitivity in a wash off product. In that case, the best thing would be for that user to stick to unscented products in general, or be sure they use products with folded EOs.

Edit: Changed explanation for the better, I think.


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## Lindy (May 22, 2013)

You are way over recommended usage there.  You're at 6% with recommended GRAS is 3%....  Even though the scent fades with EO's the therapeutic properties don't...


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## CCa1892 (May 23, 2013)

It helps me to adhere to a Top, Middle, and Base note when blending essential oils to produce a long lasting scent.
There are many helpful websites full of information referencing blending. Hope it helps .

http://www.essentialoils.co.za/blending_fragrances.htm


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## Orchidgirl (May 29, 2013)

Very interesting, VanessaP. Thanks for the explanation. I will definitely be using citrus oils again in the near future, so all this is good to know.

And thank you, CCa1892, for the very useful link! That's the most informative source on blending essential oils that I have yet come across. I am bookmarking it now.


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## CCa1892 (Jun 20, 2013)

Orchidgirl said:


> Very interesting, VanessaP. Thanks for the explanation. I will definitely be using citrus oils again in the near future, so all this is good to know.
> 
> And thank you, CCa1892, for the very useful link! That's the most informative source on blending essential oils that I have yet come across. I am bookmarking it now.



Oh you are welcome! Have fun and good luck


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