100% Usage rate

SoapDaddy70 · Dec 31, 2021

I was using a frgarance named Afternoon Delight from purefraganceoils.com and the IFRA usage rate was 100%. I am used to using Nurture Soap FO's which are always 6% or about that. What do people do when the usage rate is 100%. I used 10% of my 480g of oil so I used 48g.

TheGecko · Dec 31, 2021

I'll be honest, I've never really paid much attention to usage rates for FOs...I just went with the default in SoapCalc of 1/2 oz PPO and then adjusted from there based on how the FO performed over time. EOs are different.

paradisi · Dec 31, 2021

The IFRA rate is only about safety of the aroma compounds in the fragrance or essential oil, not how they perform in the product.

I.e., is olive oil safe to eat by the spoonful? Sure; but adding a quart of it to your bowl of salad isn't optimal.

Your oil's manufacturer should have suggested use rates.

Nona'sFarm · Jan 1, 2022

Another way to put it is the IFRA is the MAXIMUM safe usage rate, not the recommended usage rate.

DeeAnna · Jan 1, 2022

An IFRA guideline is only concerned with human and environmental safety. For example, some fragrances have a Category 9 limit of 100%. Does it make sense to make a "soap" that is 100% fragrance?

I do not use more fragrance than the IFRA guideline, because I want my soap and lotion to be safe for people to use. On the other hand, I may use less fragrance than what the IFRA guideline says, because I also want my soap to perform well.

There is a practical limit for how much scent you can add to a soap and not run into problems. Too much fragrance can weep out of bar soap, cause the soap to be soft, possibly reduce the lather or longevity, or create other undesirable problems.

To encourage reasonable use, some suppliers, such as Nature's Garden, make their own recommendations for maximum amounts for various products. Nature's Garden recommends this for a random fragrance picked from their website --

Bath oils, soaps, bath gels: Maximum use 5%

This happens to be the same percentage as the IFRA guideline for this fragrance. For a fragrance with a 23% IFRA guideline, I'd probably still use about 5% of this fragrance to ensure the soap is skin safe and also performs well.

I normally scent my soap at 5% to 6%, assuming the IFRA guideline allows.