Hi Ya'll! I've been having serious issues with fading scents. I know the notorious ones are citrus and other "TOP" Notes. I understand that using anchor "BASE" Notes or clays can anchor the scents, but some will still fade with time. 
Understanding the EO Notes - top, middle and base notes will help with the problem, like adding patchouli to hold a citrus, but will not last forever. If you can not use or sell in 6 months (or less) or a year if you're lucky, the scents fade and you're left with a bar that you can't sell (but most certainly use personally). HOW FRUSTRATING! All that hard work to find this out the hard way! I found that using the Fragrance Wheel's (for ex, Bespoke Unit fragrance wheel can assist) but it's not always a guarantee - depending on usage amounts. I had to donate 300 bars last week (after doing inventory) to a homeless shelter to let someone use them, since the recipes were excellent, but had the fading scent issues. Learning the hard way, unfortunately. Base notes like Cedarwood, Cinnamon, Clove, Patchouli, Sandalwood or Vetiver will help hold the scent longer when mixed with Top notes like Citrus, Eucalyptus or Sage - or when using clay like Kaolin (not a pro at the usage amt yet!). Using organic & sustainable oils don't matter if someone is interested in scent (even the FO's!) if you need to write them off for donations or use personally. How can we make a delightful soap when the scent fades in 6 months, but it may take 1.5 years to sell? It's not as east to add more scent because the ones you can sell quick can have unsafe levels of EO/FO... but the same bar may have barely any scent from the same batch in a year! Does anyone have any other advice to anchor the scents??? Clay of Base notes are the only solutions that I've seen with research, but how can you sell without scent when that seems to be the #1 quality that customers look for (and not go bankrupt)?!?! Please help!! Anxiously awaiting any responses..... THANK YOU IN ADVANCE!! ~Paul
Understanding the EO Notes - top, middle and base notes will help with the problem, like adding patchouli to hold a citrus, but will not last forever. If you can not use or sell in 6 months (or less) or a year if you're lucky, the scents fade and you're left with a bar that you can't sell (but most certainly use personally). HOW FRUSTRATING! All that hard work to find this out the hard way! I found that using the Fragrance Wheel's (for ex, Bespoke Unit fragrance wheel can assist) but it's not always a guarantee - depending on usage amounts. I had to donate 300 bars last week (after doing inventory) to a homeless shelter to let someone use them, since the recipes were excellent, but had the fading scent issues. Learning the hard way, unfortunately. Base notes like Cedarwood, Cinnamon, Clove, Patchouli, Sandalwood or Vetiver will help hold the scent longer when mixed with Top notes like Citrus, Eucalyptus or Sage - or when using clay like Kaolin (not a pro at the usage amt yet!). Using organic & sustainable oils don't matter if someone is interested in scent (even the FO's!) if you need to write them off for donations or use personally. How can we make a delightful soap when the scent fades in 6 months, but it may take 1.5 years to sell? It's not as east to add more scent because the ones you can sell quick can have unsafe levels of EO/FO... but the same bar may have barely any scent from the same batch in a year! Does anyone have any other advice to anchor the scents??? Clay of Base notes are the only solutions that I've seen with research, but how can you sell without scent when that seems to be the #1 quality that customers look for (and not go bankrupt)?!?! Please help!! Anxiously awaiting any responses..... THANK YOU IN ADVANCE!! ~Paul
