Essential Oils vs Fragrance oils. What's the difference?

[arlinaallen]

Hi Friends,

I have been using fragrance oils but I'm curious about essential oils. I have a bunch of EO for my diffuser and I'm wondering if I can use them in my soap.

Any thoughts?

 

[Relle]

You can use them in soap, but in my experince they don't hold as well as an FO.

 

[KiwiMoose]

EOs tend to be a lot more expensive, so I often use FO, but put in a complementary EO as well ( to satisfy my need to use more natural fragrances).
Most FOs are formulated to cope with the demands of saponification and thus, as Relle has stated, hold their scent a lot better. In addition, some EOs are not recommended for use at higher percentages so you can therefore not use as much. Here's a good website to consult: Enter Your Own Blend » EO Calc - Essential Oil Calculator
Edit: also FOs tend to have reviews on soap performance so at least you know what to expect - EOs rarely have that kind of review.

 

[penelopejane]

Agree with all the above. Also a lot of EOs accelerate so be prepared. Add them before the lye and Stickblend for a ONLY a few seconds at a time, wait and watch carefully then SB again for a few seconds to get to light trace, then pour.

 

[Vicki C]

I use both EOs and FOs. Some EOs perform and hold well in CP, and aren’t too pricey - I would include these in that category - here are prices per 16 oz that I have found:
Cedar (Himalayan) $18
Eucalyptus. $18
Ho Wood. $38
Lavender. $25
Lemongrass. $25
Litsea cubeba $32
Patchouli $55 (a little more pricey but a little goes a long way)
Peppermint $18
Tea Tree $42
And yes definitely follow safe usage rates.

 

[Milk Machine]

I use both EOs and FOs. Some EOs perform and hold well in CP, and aren’t too pricey - I would include these in that category - here are prices per 16 oz that I have found:
Cedar (Himalayan) $18
Eucalyptus. $18
Ho Wood. $38
Lavender. $25
Lemongrass. $25
Litsea cubeba $32
Patchouli $55 (a little more pricey but a little goes a long way)
Peppermint $18
Tea Tree $42
And yes definitely follow safe usage rates.

Can I ask where you get your Ho Wood & Lavender? That is a nice price

 

[Mobjack Bay]

I like eos and use them fairly regularly. This post summarizes information from forum members on eo longevity in soap. YMMV, but it’s a good place to start. EOCalc.com provides a treasure trove of blends that SMF members have tried and reported on here. Most of the florals and spicy eos will cause acceleration, so plan accordingly. Ylang Ylang III and clove are particularly troublesome In my experience. Patchouli may cause mild acceleration, which is manageble, and it’s not bad at all when used in a blend.

 

[KiwiMoose]

My go-to EOs are
Palmarosa
Litsea Cubeba
Patchouli
Lavender
Lemongrass
Cedarwood
Sweet Orange ( always added to an FO - it will lose its scent on its own)

 

[Vicki C]

Can I ask where you get your Ho Wood & Lavender? That is a nice price

Ho Wood from New Directions Aromatics Ho Wood Essential Oil
- Lavender from SVA . Search results for: 'Lavender' (Lavender 40/42)
SVA’s website is acting funky on my iPad right now.
Shipping can be high from NDA - free from SVA over $100.

My go-to EOs are
Palmarosa
Litsea Cubeba
Patchouli
Lavender
Lemongrass
Cedarwood
Sweet Orange ( always added to an FO - it will lose its scent on its own)

How do you use Palmarosa? I have it but never know what blends to use it in.

 

[TheGecko]

Hi Friends,

I have been using fragrance oils but I'm curious about essential oils. I have a bunch of EO for my diffuser and I'm wondering if I can use them in my soap.

Any thoughts?

Differences:

1) EOs are naturally produced through pressing and distillation, while FOs and synthetically produced with aroma chemicals and natural ingredients.

2) Because of labor involved in producing EOs, they are more expensive than FOs.

3) EOs tend to fade a lot quicker, than FOs.

4) EOs tend to have lower usage rates than FOs.

5) FOs are formulated to be used in bath and body products. On the other hand, there are EOs that should NOT be used in bath and body products. A good example of this is Cinnamon...NOT something that you want to be washing your lady (or man) bits with.

 

[KiwiMoose]

How do you use Palmarosa? I have it but never know what blends to use it in.

It's little bit lemongrassy - but softer and a tad more floral. I pretty much put it in anything. I don't 'blend EOs' per se, I just use an EO with every FO for label appeal.

 

[Mobjack Bay]

Ho Wood from New Directions Aromatics Ho Wood Essential Oil
- Lavender from SVA . Search results for: 'Lavender' (Lavender 40/42)
SVA’s website is acting funky on my iPad right now.
Shipping can be high from NDA - free from SVA over $100.

Wow! The lavender 40/42 is $25 for 16 oz at SVA and $62.99 for 15 oz at Camden Grey. That is a huge difference. I usually use lavandin which they have for $40 or $55 for 16 oz depending on type vs. Camden Grey’s $66.97 for the same quantity.

 

[Virgogoddess]

I’ve been waiting to ask this question, I use new direction aromatics for essential oils and because I live in California they have a prop. 65 warning. This is a cancer warning. This is confusing to me. Anyone can explain this?

 

[Mobjack Bay]

I’ve been waiting to ask this question, I use new direction aromatics for essential oils and because I live in California they have a prop. 65 warning. This is a cancer warning. This is confusing to me. Anyone can explain this?

The entire company has a warning, or a specific essential oil has a warning?

ETA: see this thread - Essential Oils and CA Prop 65 and this webpage at Mountain Rose Herbs.

 

[Virgogoddess]

I’m pretty sure it’s essential oils, it’s on the lavender for sure.

The entire company has a warning, or a specific essential oil has a warning?

ETA: see this thread - Essential Oils and CA Prop 65 and this webpage at Mountain Rose Herbs.

 

[Mobjack Bay]

From what I read, many eos have some lead in them from environmental contamination. Even though the levels are extremely low, it can’t be considered naturally occurring because the original source was pollution.

 

[TheGecko]

I’ve been waiting to ask this question, I use new direction aromatics for essential oils and because I live in California they have a prop. 65 warning. This is a cancer warning. This is confusing to me. Anyone can explain this?

"The list contains a wide range of naturally occurring and synthetic chemicals that include additives or ingredients in pesticides, common household products, food, drugs, dyes, or solvents. Listed chemicals may also be used in manufacturing and construction, or they may be byproducts of chemical processes, such as motor vehicle exhaust."

I downloaded list and it contains over a 1000 different items. Some of the items on the list I found interesting:

Alcoholic Beverages
Aloe Vera, non-decolorized whole leaf extract
Aspirin
Coconut oil diethanolamine condensate
Estrogen-progestogen (combined) used as menopausal therapy
Oral contraceptives, combined
Salted fish, Chinese-style
Testosterone and its esters
Titanium dioxide (airborne, unbound particles of respirable size)

Honestly...I wouldn't worry too much about it.

 

[johnnyusa]

i just checked my 16 month old bars and they still have a ton of scent... from EOs only
to get long lasting scent from EOs make the blend w/ at least 60% base and middle notes, no more than 30% top note
Also I use EOs for preservative and it works great, bc all EOs by definition are antimicrobial.
The EOs add much more than just scent. The first time I used EOs I couldn't believe how much the EOs quickened the quality of the soap itself.

 

[arlinaallen]

You can use them in soap, but in my experince they don't hold as well as an FO.

Thank you!

 

[Velocipede]

I have a BS in Biology and a minor in Chemistry and Mathematics. Don't freak out about Fragrance Oils(FO). Yes they are synthesized in a factory but they are also duplicates of what the natural world creates in flowers, roots, fruits, etc. Every chemical in a FO has been tested a is accompanied with a Safety Data Sheet (SDS) describing all dad things about a chemical in a FO. Plus, the amount of FO in a soap is miniscule and will degrade into Carbon, Hydrogen, Oxygen and the rest at a sewage treatment plant. To asuage your concious, tell the folks consuming your product that your soap is 100% organic. You are not lying, just using a trick chemists use at the local flea market.