Best Anchor/Fixative for an Orange Essential Oil?

[Zany_in_CO]

I of course will be having a play about myself, but would like a nudge in the right direction from someone more experienced!

Noodge, let me introduce you to Kenna of Modern Soapmaking. She has good info on blending EOs AND an EO calc where you can enter 3 EOs to come up with a blend:

https://www.eocalc.com/

Try Orange + Bergamot + Litsea Cubeba (May Chang) for a blend called "Sheer" that includes Tea Tree... just to get an idea of how it works.

 

[Noodge]

Kiwi, I can't thank you enough! I ended up settling for a 3-1-1 blend of orange, bergamot and cedarwood. Juicy, a little spicy, and very warm. Highly recommend. (Although I'm now completely out of orange, whoops. Oh well, back to eBay!)

Zany, that website is brilliant, I'd only used it before for the usage calculator, never even looked at the blends, doh!

My search is over, and my housemate is now thoroughly irritated with me pestering her to smell things. Ah well

Although she thinks the blend smells very Christmassy, which I don't see (or rather, smell) but it's something to keep in mind for the winter I guess!

 

[KiwiMoose]

I'm a bit naughty when it comes to blending fragrances - I just chuck them in (without testing) if i think they're gonna work, and hope for the best!
It's a bit like my home baking - I don't weigh out anything, and constantly add 'extras' or switch out some ingredients for other ones, and I fly by the seat of my pants. I'm a bit of a foodie so I seem to have a knack for flavours working well, and things always turning out OK.
Thankfully - most of my soap making to date has been a success despite my laissez faire approach.
I'm glad in this instance that the blend I suggested worked for you (whew!). Maybe I'll try it myself? I have all of those EOs - no eBay required!

 

[Louise Taylor]

Would May Chang anchor a spicy blend? I just made a soap coloured with paprika and turmeric. It looks lovely but has very little scent after only 2 days. The blend I used for 1.5 litres was: -
4.5 g Black pepper EO
18 g Ginger root EO
18 g Clary sage EO
4.5 g Cinnamon Leaf EO

 

[Zany_in_CO]

I'm playing around with EO/FO and finding that using a compatible FO seems to work well as an anchor.

Would May Chang anchor a spicy blend?
4.5 g Black pepper EO
18 g Ginger root EO
18 g Clary sage EO
4.5 g Cinnamon Leaf EO

For that blend I would use Oakmoss Absolute (10%) or possibly WSP's Oakmoss FO.

 

[Louise Taylor]

Thank you Zany. I will give that a go. It will have to be the absolute as I am trying to create an all-natural range, colours, scents and other additives. And I thought it would be easy haha . . .

 

[Nona'sFarm]

I despise patchouli with the ferocity of a thousand burning sun

I'm with you, but not quite so fervently. Just reminds me of hippie days, walking into someone's home and smelling incense.

I'd just up the bergamot if it were me - you won't really notice it in there, but it will contribute to the citrus smell. Something along these lines...
9g orange
4g bergamot
2 - 3 g cedar wood.

I like this combo.
By the way, I like cedarwood, reminiscent of walking in the woods.