Essential oils in cp soap
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LunaSkye
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I wish I could be helpful, but I have yet to make an successful soap using EOs (to my knowledge). I can tell you what I know:
1. Clays & cornstarch are said to anchor the smell.
2. It is sometimes beneficial to use a liquid to help amplify the smell (like peppermint tea to anchor peppermint EO).
3. You are better of weighing the EO's you want to use (1-3% of overall weight depending on the strength of the scent) and adding them to the soap mixture when your soap reaches either trace (CP method) or gel phase (HP method) as well as when the temperature of the soap is below the EO's flash point.
4. You may have to rebatch a soap to keep the scent from fading, particularly if you have a delicate scent.
That's all that I know, unfortunately
1. Clays & cornstarch are said to anchor the smell.
2. It is sometimes beneficial to use a liquid to help amplify the smell (like peppermint tea to anchor peppermint EO).
3. You are better of weighing the EO's you want to use (1-3% of overall weight depending on the strength of the scent) and adding them to the soap mixture when your soap reaches either trace (CP method) or gel phase (HP method) as well as when the temperature of the soap is below the EO's flash point.
4. You may have to rebatch a soap to keep the scent from fading, particularly if you have a delicate scent.
That's all that I know, unfortunately
Most of citrus or top note of EOs fade away quickly. Blending with middle or/and base notes of EOs will anchor scents a little longer. I personally like to blend with top notes, like lavender & citrus with the bay, cedarwood, tea tree, rosemary, patchouli, ylang ylang, etc.
Once my soaps are cured, I store them in a shoe or plastic box. They seem to hold their scents longer.
Once my soaps are cured, I store them in a shoe or plastic box. They seem to hold their scents longer.
1-3% is not much for using in soap. Other than clove, and cinnamon I pretty much use my eo's at 5-6%.
Based purely on a hypothesis at this stage, I would also say that soaping cool and avoiding gel might well help - if your soap heats up enough it might be casuing the EO to evaporate rather quickly.
But if scent is a big thing for you, maybe do look at going down the HP road and adding it after the cook, when the soap has cooled somewhat (but not too much!)
But if scent is a big thing for you, maybe do look at going down the HP road and adding it after the cook, when the soap has cooled somewhat (but not too much!)
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I have found with eo's to get the level of fragrance I like, which is pretty strong, I am often closer to the 5-6% mark. Even then it still seems "light" in fragrance depending on the eo. I have also found my fragrance '"hides" in my soap. I can barely smell it at first few washes (I usually test them just as a hand soap at first) but once it makes it to the shower and I really get it going the fragrance deepens quite a bit. My rule of thumb is between .75 to 1oz per lb oils if its a safe eo to use at that rate.
I use most eo's at 4.5-5% of total batch weight, also. You need to blend correctly before adding to the soap pot - usually this means having a top, middle and base note in the blend.
I don't understand the clay/cornstarch thing as both items absorb smells; I've never noticed that either will help hold on to a pure top-note essential oil (like straight citrus).
Remember also, that as you make more and more batches, your nose gets a bit desensitized. If I feel as though a bar doesn't smell anymore, I'll take it out of the curing room and leave it somewhere else for a bit, THEN come back and smell it. Like magic, I can smell it again
I don't understand the clay/cornstarch thing as both items absorb smells; I've never noticed that either will help hold on to a pure top-note essential oil (like straight citrus).
Remember also, that as you make more and more batches, your nose gets a bit desensitized. If I feel as though a bar doesn't smell anymore, I'll take it out of the curing room and leave it somewhere else for a bit, THEN come back and smell it. Like magic, I can smell it again
Add peppermint to the low rate of usage list! 3% is almost too much.
Fixing a scent with a clay or whatever might make the scent last LONGER but it doesn't make it any STRONGER. Yes, a fixative does absorb the scent up front but with the goal of making the scent last longer.
Think about it -- there are only so many scent molecules in a bar of soap, right? So if you try to make the scent last longer, those scent molecules have to stay in the soap longer too. If you want the scent to be strong right up front, more of those molecules have to be free to leave the soap so they can enter your nose.
Bottom line is fixing a scent and getting a strong scent are somewhat incompatible.
The type of fragrance also affects the strength and length of the scent. Citrus is notorious for being short lived and not overly strong and no fixative can solve that problem. The mints are strong and long lived without a fixative.
Think about it -- there are only so many scent molecules in a bar of soap, right? So if you try to make the scent last longer, those scent molecules have to stay in the soap longer too. If you want the scent to be strong right up front, more of those molecules have to be free to leave the soap so they can enter your nose.
Bottom line is fixing a scent and getting a strong scent are somewhat incompatible.
The type of fragrance also affects the strength and length of the scent. Citrus is notorious for being short lived and not overly strong and no fixative can solve that problem. The mints are strong and long lived without a fixative.
