Citrus woody scents

[user 58006]

I do things by the drop, into a small closable container. I have some very small 1/2 dram-type bottles I use for dosing out homeopathic remedies that I bought in bulk. I am using these now. They can be reused after cleaning with grain alcohol, which is the type I prefer to use for this cleaning of containers. Other types of alcohol have too many chemical additives blended in to them which can leave residues behind which interfere with the next blend of essential oils I will be mixing up.

I will record how many drops of each essential oil I used, the date so I know how long the mix has been marinating together (they do change over time, as scents do, especially plant-based scents). I work that all out in percentages, so I can later scale this up for my larger batches of soap. If I am feeling underwhelmed by a scent blend, I continue playing with it, adding a drop of this or that until I'm happy with it.

As @Nona'sFarm said, it's not a perfect system, but it does work for me every single time. I've put together some very nice blends like this.

I find other citrus-type-but-not-citrus essential oil scents stand my hair on end...citronella *gag* lemon eucalyptus *gag* lemongrass *gag* But you may love them.

I love pink grapefruit, blood orange, lime....lemon I find to be incredibly underwhelming, unless in food...yes, I do use a drop here & there of certain essential oils in food. Far safer & healthier than synthetic flavorings.

Amazing great information. Thank you

 

[Savage Daughter]

Me too! Very pleasant minty scent. Not only that, but it's long lasting as a single note, evidenced in the story in this post. AND a top drawer skeeter repellent, bar none (Field tested during a trip down the Amazon... not me, but that's another story.)

That precisely why I bought it, for an insect repellant product I formulated after doing a whole lot of research....but then figured hey! why not buy a massive bottle so I can use it in soap too??....perhaps because it is absolutely NASTY & reeks like the bowels of ?!? I think you get my drift LOL Not even the mosquitoes want to get near this putrid, nauseating, foul odor!

 

[Marie_with_an_e]

Whats everyone process when making essential oil blends ?

Im interested !

I usually do the same as @Nona'sFarm, except with q-tips instead of toothpicks. Occasionally I’ll use small bottles to blend but not very often. Once I have the blend where I want it, I figure out the formula in percentages or ratios so I can scale it up.

 

[Zany_in_CO]

.perhaps because it is absolutely NASTY & reeks like the bowels of ?!? I think you get my drift LOL Not even the mosquitoes want to get near this putrid, nauseating, foul odor!

I can't help but wonder if you got the real thing? There's the EO and then there's Lemon Euc Oil that is "nature identical", or whatever they call it, chemically duplicated, that is approved for use in B & B products. Use 30% (if I remember correctly) for insect repellent spray.

 

[Zing]

Hey, Mike! I used to create blends using cotton balls in ziploc bags. But then I discovered Find Blends - EO Calc - Essential Oil Calculator and I have never ever been disappointed in a blend I've found there.
For citrus/woody, I use 50 50 bergamot cedarwood frequently, really like it.
Orange 10X is nice too blended with litsea cubeba.
I just made soap using Sheer which is awesome, Sheer - EO Calc - Essential Oil Calculator .

 

[Zany_in_CO]

I used to create blends using cotton balls in ziploc bags.

Oopsie! That's a good way to learn that essential oils eat through plastic.

 

[Vicki C]

Oopsie! That's a good way to learn that essential oils eat through plastic.

They eat through polystyrene, for example little condiment containers. Don’t ask how I know this fun fact.
I don’t think they eat through plastic bags which are HDPE or LDPE. Do you have different experience?

 

[Zany_in_CO]

I don’t think they eat through plastic bags which are HDPE or LDPE. Do you have different experience?

I've done the toothpicks, cutips, and similar, always in glass bottles after having the same experience you had with repurposed condiment containera (YIKES!).

Never used ziplocs nor would I after seeing what all EOs will eat through... sooner or later when it comes to plastic, aka, HDPE OR LDPE included. I believe PET is safe to use with EOs, but, once again, glass is best except that a cotton ball on a square of tinfoil is the most efficient and accessible over a long period of time when stored with the bottle of the blend using a rubberband.

I happen to be cleaning up my fragrances today. Some still have the tinfoil envelopes attached. I just smelled my Orange/Ginger in FCO -- to die for!!! (Swoon) Gotta make some more of that one. Other ones, not so much.

 

[Saponificarian]

I can't help but wonder if you got the real thing? There's the EO and then there's Lemon Euc Oil that is "nature identical", or whatever they call it, chemically duplicated, that is approved for use in B & B products. Use 30% (if I remember correctly) for insect repellent spray.

I am wondering too because my Lemon Eucalyptus smells like minty lemon.

 

[Shelley D]

I can't help but giggle reading the opinions of eucalyptus I don't mind it at all, especially in blends since I use it in my oils and balms for aches & pains. The funny thing is my husband prefers eucalyptus over tea tree I have no idea how or why I also have a girlfriend who loves, no, LOVES eucalyptus ~ she loves my body oil blend but only wants eucalyptus in it, she says if you put anything else in it that's fine, but make sure I only smell the eucalyptus wish granted!
I love the way y'all do the scent testing ~ you have given me great advice once again! I will be making up tester baggies (with aluminum foil packets tucked inside each one) later this afternoon!

 

[dibbles]

My lemon eucalyptus doesn’t have a minty smell - it’s more like citronella to my nose. I don’t remember mint notes in the soap after cure either.

 

[lsg]

Orange and cedarwood is a good combination.

 

[Ahmad Habib]

Looking for good citrus scent to play around with . Wondering what everyone doing out there .

These are some EO blends you that might like :
1)
Ten fold orange = 80%
Cedar= 20 %
2)
Bergamot= 60%
Patchouli= 20%
Cedar= 20%
This is where I took these blends from:
Elly's Everyday soap making

 

[Tammyfarms]

I can't help but giggle reading the opinions of eucalyptus I don't mind it at all, especially in blends since I use it in my oils and balms for aches & pains. The funny thing is my husband prefers eucalyptus over tea tree I have no idea how or why I also have a girlfriend who loves, no, LOVES eucalyptus ~ she loves my body oil blend but only wants eucalyptus in it, she says if you put anything else in it that's fine, but make sure I only smell the eucalyptus wish granted!
I love the way y'all do the scent testing ~ you have given me great advice once again! I will be making up tester baggies (with aluminum foil packets tucked inside each one) later this afternoon!

I love eucalyptus, lemon eucalyptus is also from a tree but it’s a different tree. My Lemon Eucalyptus is from Crafters Choice and the smell is nothing like eucalyptus. When I bought it I thought it would smell something like eucalyptus eo mixed with lemon eo. Boy was I wrong. Learn from my mistake….

 

[Tammyfarms]

Orange and cedarwood is a good combination.

That sounds really nice.

 

[user 58006]

These are some EO blends you that might like :
1)
Ten fold orange = 80%
Cedar= 20 %
2)
Bergamot= 60%
Patchouli= 20%
Cedar= 20%
This is where I took these blends from:
Elly's Everyday soap making

Amazing thank you very much. Have you made the blend ?

 

[user 58006]

These are some EO blends you that might like :
1)
Ten fold orange = 80%
Cedar= 20 %
2)
Bergamot= 60%
Patchouli= 20%
Cedar= 20%
This is where I took these blends from:
Elly's Everyday soap making

what cedarwood do you use ?

 

[Ahmad Habib]

what cedarwood do you use ?

Cedrus atlantica

 

[Ahmad Habib]

Amazing thank you very much. Have you made the blend ?

No, the blend were taken from Elly's everyday soap making channel on YouTube.

 

[Savage Daughter]

I can't help but giggle reading the opinions of eucalyptus I don't mind it at all, especially in blends since I use it in my oils and balms for aches & pains. The funny thing is my husband prefers eucalyptus over tea tree I have no idea how or why I also have a girlfriend who loves, no, LOVES eucalyptus ~ she loves my body oil blend but only wants eucalyptus in it, she says if you put anything else in it that's fine, but make sure I only smell the eucalyptus wish granted!
I love the way y'all do the scent testing ~ you have given me great advice once again! I will be making up tester baggies (with aluminum foil packets tucked inside each one) later this afternoon!

Eucalyptus is fine, no issue, and I do use it in various products, including medicinal salves & soaps...it's LEMON eucalyptus which triggers my gag reflex....right up there with citronella

@Zany it's definitely not nature identical. I don't touch that stuff