Essential Oils vs Fragrance Oils

[Mouse]

If you really like citris oils, they tend to be the cheapest of all the EO's. I buy by the pound and it helps with cost a lot. Go check out New Directions Aromatics, that's where I got my first shipment of EO's recently, they package everything really well and the EO comes in big aluminum bottles. I cant remember the price of 5x orange right now, but I know it was under $20. Ditto cedarwood, and several others. Start off with a few that arent such a huge investment. I'm having a lot of fun using FO and EO both now.

 

[Tabitha]

When people request fragrances like lavender, I don't know what to say. Lavender is one of the most expensive essential oils I've looked at. But, I find hand-made soaps locally with gorgeous scents selling for $5-6 a bar and wonder how they do it.?

Lavender can be purchased as an EO and as an fo. Most all EOs have been duplicated and made into fos. They will not carry the properties of an EO but they will smell like (or better than) the EO they are modeled after.

 

[Soapy Gurl]

Liberty Naturals sales 4 different types of Patchouli ranging from $50 - $80 for 16oz. So it runs a decent price. I know if you shop around different places you can get good prices on different sites. I do that a lot, always good places, just some of their oils are less and some are more. Have to plan out shipping costs and such. Essential Wholesale will have good prices on some of their oils and terrible on others. Their 10x orange was a great deal when I bought it. It looks like EOs have really gone up since last fall.

 

[dcornett]

Is their orange EO a good one?? The eBay store.
TIA ~

It is. I use it in my gardeners scrub along with citronella, eucalyptus and tea tree oil (also purchased @ wf-med) and people love it, it's one of my best soaps.

 

[G. Man]

Just remember, while a FO may smell close to the EO it's imitating. It will NOT have any of the healing properties that EO's have. An oil absorbed through the skin for it's healing qualities is valuable only in the EO. These qualities can not be synthesized.

 

[Cashie]

Thanks to everyone for the reminder about using food grade products for anything that goes on or near the lips (I do). It's always good to be extra diligent about those things.

Plus, the scientists on this forum are amazing. Thanks for all of your knowledge.

I don't sell my products (yet). I've been soaping for a year, and have been testing recipes and getting feedback from friends/family/other interested people and will continue to do so until I feel very comfortable with a safe and nourishing product. "Licked for your safety," is my favorite quote from someone on this forum.

Thank you, everyone, for your thoughts on fragrances. I appreciate this forum very much.

 

[dcornett]

Just remember, while a FO may smell close to the EO it's imitating. It will NOT have any of the healing properties that EO's have. An oil absorbed through the skin for it's healing qualities is valuable only in the EO. These qualities can not be synthesized.

That's sure true, but if you talking about soap, then you have to wonder if any of these "qualities" survive the lye monster. It's nice to think that some of them do, but from what I've read I don't think you can count on it. I still like to use eo when I can, and that includes lavender, but as with most expensive oils I think we might benefit more from them if we used them in other products that aren't washed off.