Essential Oil Question

[Luckyone80]

I plan to make a CP batch of soap this week with orange essential oil, half the batch colored with Titanium Dioxide and the other half with Activated Charcoal. I planned to add the orange EO to the oils before adding the lye water, do you think this will be ok? Do you think the Eo will speed up trace?

 

[new12soap]

What do you mean, 100% orange EO?

 

[Luckyone80]

Sorry wored that wrong, just orange EO (pure 100% orange EO, pure orange) is what I meant. I guess all EO is 100% pure though?

 

[Susie]

Citrus EOs are notorious for fading super fast in CP soap. Plan to have to anchor it with a bit of corn starch, clay, or litsea EO. I would add the EO to the soap at emulsification rather than before the NaOH, but that is my personal opinion.

 

[Luckyone80]

Citrus EOs are notorious for fading super fast in CP soap. Plan to have to anchor it with a bit of corn starch, clay, or litsea EO. I would add the EO to the soap at emulsification rather than before the NaOH, but that is my personal opinion.

When you say "with a bit of corn starch", do I mix the EO with corn starch then add it to the soap mixture or just add a tsp or tablespoon of corn starch to the soap mixture, how would I anchor it is what I'm asking.

So you would add the EO after I've mixed the oils and lye solution?

 

[Lion Of Judah]

you add the EO to the tsp of cornstarch and mix it good and create a slurry and add it to your batch. i add it to the oils and mixed it in good before the lye water . like Susie stated adding some Litsea helps a lot to give longevity to the scent as well as adding the slurry at emulsification . different soapers have different techniques based on their skill and comfort level but they all seems to work.

 

[Nevada]

I find 10X Orange to stick very well, using a higher SF at 8%, and 2.25 g Kaolin Clay ppo, and about .25% Litsea or Cedar. Patchouli doesn't seem to work for me, but most likely it's the particular Patch being used.

 

[Susie]

^ What Lionofjudah said.

Sorry, I am usually better about specifics than that. Was trying to get out the door to go vote. Yes, about a teaspoon of cornstarch is what I use, but you need enough cornstarch to make a slurry, so you may have to add more or less, depending on the amount of EO.

 

[Consuela]

Orange fades for me if I don't use another oil with it. I have never used cornstarch, but I've read that it helps. Usually I add clay. And I add clay and the Eo's at trace. After I've combined my lye and oils together. And it's usually litasea or patch that I add with it.

 

[Luckyone80]

The EO I have isn't 5X or 10X - should I just forget it altogether?

 

[Lion Of Judah]

if you are making a small batch then i say go ahead and try it for the experience. i do not know how much you have nor the size soap batch you're making . in my first trail i had 16oz or orange essential oil and i find it disappears over time in the soap , even with slurry . i also got 16oz 5x orange essential oil that hold a little better but i still find that after 4months or more it gets faint . so that being said what i do find that works great is adding a little litsea to it , it tends to trick the mind a little bit but you still would have a citrus scent .
p.s : the 5x & 10x are by far better than just plain orange EO but by nature the citrus EO tend to fade some or disappear over time

 

[Luckyone80]

if you are making a small batch then i say go ahead and try it for the experience. i do not know how much you have nor the size soap batch you're making . in my first trail i had 16oz or orange essential oil and i find it disappears over time in the soap , even with slurry . i also got 16oz 5x orange essential oil that hold a little better but i still find that after 4months or more it gets faint . so that being said what i do find that works great is adding a little litsea to it , it tends to trick the mind a little bit but you still would have a citrus scent .
p.s : the 5x & 10x are by far better than just plain orange EO but by nature the citrus EO tend to fade some or disappear over time

Damn, I thought I was getting a good deal when I found the EO at a local healthfood store. I got I think an 8oz bottle for around $9, well now I know why. I might be taking it back then and try to find something else. I hate to waste the money if its pretty much doomed to work.

 

[judymoody]

If you mix it with litsea or lemongrass or a little bit of patchouli, it should be fine. Also I try to avoid gel with citrus EOs and they last longer. I also use a bit more than with some other EOs. My golden rule is 3% of soaping oils' weight (the standard recommended by this forum) but for sweet orange EO I might go up to 5%.

 

[jules92207]

Sweet orange eo is delicious but I also have found it fades without an anchor. I tend to mix it with some lemongrass or litsea and it really helps.

 

[The Efficacious Gentleman]

You can always keep it for bath and body things and even for hot processed soap where it might well last a bit longer