Benzoin resinoid in CP?

[atiz]

I did a search here but not very many results... so I'll just ask it. Does anyone use benzoin resinoid in CP soap? How does it behave?
I just really like it in leave on products blended with other scents, even if it is technically not an EO. Since it contains alcohol, does it accelerate?

 

[HowieRoll]

I've only used it twice, but the first batch was in a cocoa-butter-forward batch where I wanted to bring out the delicious smell of cocoa butter with the sweetness of the benzoin (recipe: 35% olive oil, 25% cocoa butter, 25% coconut oil, 15% sunflower oil HO; soaped using 38% lye concentration). My notes specifically state that the batch did not accelerate. It was made 9/27/18 and the smell is still awesome, like hot chocolate. I used benzoin at 5% oil weight.

The second batch I used it in a blend that included orange 5-fold EO, cinnamon leaf EO, benzoin, nutmeg EO, clove bud EO, and a very small amount of cassia EO, and even with that EO blend my notes say it didn't accelerate. In fact, I was doing sculpted layers and had to put it into the freezer between layers to get the batter to thicken up enough to sculpt. The recipe for this one is more typical of what I normally use, and is 30% olive oil, 25% beef tallow, 25% coconut oil, 10% avocado oil, and 10% shea butter, all at at 38% lye concentration.

So based on limited experience, I would say that it didn't accelerate for me. One thing to note, however, is that I use a higher lye concentration than many, and typically find my batches take forever to trace. This is the Benzoin Resinoid from New Directions Aromatics I use, and have to warm it up in a mug of hot water in order to make it pourable. Hope that helps!

 

[atiz]

I've only used it twice, but the first batch was in a cocoa-butter-forward batch where I wanted to bring out the delicious smell of cocoa butter with the sweetness of the benzoin (recipe: 35% olive oil, 25% cocoa butter, 25% coconut oil, 15% sunflower oil HO; soaped using 38% lye concentration). My notes specifically state that the batch did not accelerate. It was made 9/27/18 and the smell is still awesome, like hot chocolate. I used benzoin at 5% oil weight.

The second batch I used it in a blend that included orange 5-fold EO, cinnamon leaf EO, benzoin, nutmeg EO, clove bud EO, and a very small amount of cassia EO, and even with that EO blend my notes say it didn't accelerate. In fact, I was doing sculpted layers and had to put it into the freezer between layers to get the batter to thicken up enough to sculpt. The recipe for this one is more typical of what I normally use, and is 30% olive oil, 25% beef tallow, 25% coconut oil, 10% avocado oil, and 10% shea butter, all at at 38% lye concentration.

So based on limited experience, I would say that it didn't accelerate for me. One thing to note, however, is that I use a higher lye concentration than many, and typically find my batches take forever to trace. This is the Benzoin Resinoid from New Directions Aromatics I use, and have to warm it up in a mug of hot water in order to make it pourable. Hope that helps!

Thank you @HowieRoll, this is really helpful! And both of those sound super delicious, yumm I think I'll try it.

 

[KiwiMoose]

Great minds think alike @atiz - I came on here to search for BR and you had only just posted this question a couple of weeks ago!
So tell me - how does one add it? Is it solid like a resin and does it need melting with the oils?

 

[atiz]

Well, I haven't yet used it in CP -- last time I only had a little BR left and didn't want to waste it.
I use it quite regularly in lotions and such. Mine is from Frankie&Myrrh, it is liquidy (quite thick though), mixed in a solvent (alcohol). Maybe you can also get it pure, I've never looked for it. I either try to get it out of the bottle as is, which is sometimes a mess, or I microwave it a bit. I would melt it with the oils in CP.
I will be curious how it goes!!

 

[HowieRoll]

Aaaarrrgh!! This post was just brought up in another thread and I noticed I had a critical error in my reply above (reply #2)!!!

I wrote that I used the benzoin at 5% oil weight but that was a typo - I used it at 2% oil weight. This is very important to note, because I do believe benzoin may be sensitizing for some people and that Tisserand & Young suggests a maximum usage of 2%. My apologies for the error above!