Feeling discouraged about fragrance oils

[Suchisam]

I'm new to soap making and I've been really exited about it, consumed even, but so far the fragrances have been a big let down. I like essential oils but I'm allergic. The fragrance oils don't smell right, I get headaches and feel queasy. Do they really all smell bad? Am I having some kind of olfactory hallucination? I feel like I can smell it everywhere lol I bought more fragrance oils from a different retailer I'm hoping I'll like them better. Feeling very discouraged...
Anyone else have difficulty with fragrance? I could use some advice.

 

[Todd Ziegler]

FO's can very widely between all the retailers. One companies watermelon may smell completely different from another company. Plus a lot of people suffer from headaches and other problems with FO's so, you are not alone.

When I first started making soap, spending the least amount of money on FO's was my goal because they are the most expensive part of my recipes. However I learned very quickly to forget about the cost as much as I can and bite the bullet and get high quality FO's. For example, the lemon FO that I use is almost $60 a pound but in this case you, get what you pay for.

 

[AliOop]

I'm new to soap making and I've been really exited about it, consumed even, but so far the fragrances have been a big let down. I like essential oils but I'm allergic. The fragrance oils don't smell right, I get headaches and feel queasy. Do they really all smell bad? Am I having some kind of olfactory hallucination? I feel like I can smell it everywhere lol I bought more fragrance oils from a different retailer I'm hoping I'll like them better. Feeling very discouraged...
Anyone else have difficulty with fragrance? I could use some advice.

What Todd said and what you have shared are both spot-on for me. I get severe headaches and often nausea from many FOs, less so with most EOs, but some of them do trigger bad reactions, as well. I wish I knew which components trigger those, so I could avoid them. But unfortunately, I can't seem to find any rhyme or reason; it's all experimentation for me. Since that can be expensive, I only buy very small bottles, and I test them in very small batches. I've even had to put some outside or send them to friend's house to cure.

I will say that you can't always trust the smell out of the bottle (OOB). Many of the chemically-smelling components seem to disappear (for me) once they are in the soap. No doubt it is the lye that changes the smell, and perhaps to a lesser degree, the heat of saponification/gelling.

 

[Suchisam]

FO's can very widely between all the retailers. One companies watermelon may smell completely different from another company. Plus a lot of people suffer from headaches and other problems with FO's so, you are not alone.

When I first started making soap, spending the least amount of money on FO's was my goal because they are the most expensive part of my recipes. However I learned very quickly to forget about the cost as much as I can and bite the bullet and get high quality FO's. For example, the lemon FO that I use is almost $60 a pound but in this case you, get what you pay for.

Yes that makes sense, the ones I got were quite cheap. The other retailer was more expensive around the same as your lemon I'd say. They haven't arrived yet so fingers crossed.

What Todd said and what you have shared are both spot-on for me. I get severe headaches and often nausea from many FOs, less so with most EOs, but some of them do trigger bad reactions, as well. I wish I knew which components trigger those, so I could avoid them. But unfortunately, I can't seem to find any rhyme or reason; it's all experimentation for me. Since that can be expensive, I only buy very small bottles, and I test them in very small batches. I've even had to put some outside or send them to friend's house to cure.

I will say that you can't always trust the smell out of the bottle (OOB). Many of the chemically-smelling components seem to disappear (for me) once they are in the soap. No doubt it is the lye that changes the smell, and perhaps to a lesser degree, the heat of saponification/gelling.

Here I thought the fragrances would be a breeze, I'm ready to get myself a radiation suit! For real though I think I'll get myself a respirator mask and handle the fragrances outside. Up until now I hadn't heard anything about "fragrance drama" aside from vanilla. I'll have to be patient and test small batches like you said.

 

[FFLinOhio]

I have severe asthma attacks from FO and EO along with the occasional headache/nausea. Unfortunately like some others said....its trial and error. Because of this I avoid all of them except two that I use mixed in with my water bottle for cleaning my house with my Norwex towels.
I feel for ya! I have gotten candles and other hygiene products that were "unscented" that I've had to air out in my garage or in a room that I don't use. Some I've had to bite the bullet and give away to people who don't have sensitivities.
If you do get a Mask - be sure to get an organic vapor mask..they have a charcoal filter made to block out fumes unlike the dust respirator ones.

 

[squarepancakes]

As mentioned in a coffee soap thread, my latest and only purchase from a new retailer ended up in horrors. That said, I have had varying degrees of success working with FOs from places like nature's garden, aztec as well as korean companies. I have a fairly decent collection from my candlemaking days and have been reading the IFRA to see if i can reuse any in soaps nowadays.

And as @AliOop mentioned, some of them do change up a little after mixing into soaps. One of my most delightfully floral and citrusy scents ended up smelling sweet and peppery as a soap.

 

[Suchisam]

As mentioned in a coffee soap thread, my latest and only purchase from a new retailer ended up in horrors. That said, I have had varying degrees of success working with FOs from places like nature's garden, aztec as well as korean companies. I have a fairly decent collection from my candlemaking days and have been reading the IFRA to see if i can reuse any in soaps nowadays.

And as @AliOop mentioned, some of them do change up a little after mixing into soaps. One of my most delightfully floral and citrusy scents ended up smelling sweet and peppery as a soap.

Horror is about right! I recently received a package of more expensive FOs from Island Escape and what a difference compared to the FOs from Windy Point! They smell so good, I'm so relieved
Now I see it wasn't me it was the cheap fragrances! Lesson learned. I guess it's really a gamble buying FOs online.

 

[squarepancakes]

Horror is about right! I recently received a package of more expensive FOs from Island Escape and what a difference compared to the FOs from Windy Point! They smell so good, I'm so relieved
Now I see it wasn't me it was the cheap fragrances! Lesson learned. I guess it's really a gamble buying FOs online.

Good to hear that you had success with your latest batch. That said, my fragrance that mutated was actually a fairly expensive bottle from my usual korean company. Some of them really just dont perform as well in soaps sadly. I remember there used to be a master list of FO reviews but think it's no longer being maintained now. Otherwise it would have been useful to keep track of how they fare before purchasing.

 

[Suchisam]

Good to hear that you had success with your latest batch. That said, my fragrance that mutated was actually a fairly expensive bottle from my usual korean company. Some of them really just dont perform as well in soaps sadly. I remember there used to be a master list of FO reviews but think it's no longer being maintained now. Otherwise it would have been useful to keep track of how they fare before purchasing.

A master list of reviews would be very helpful , one for the US and one for Canada, supplies as well. Which Korean company do you buy from?

 

[Peachy Clean Soap]

A master list of reviews would be very helpful , one for the US and one for Canada, supplies as well. Which Korean company do you buy from?

Here is a list Hopefully the link works
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet...FTWfchk-c7sNswuh-yaTdRf1M/edit#gid=1719085749https://www.soapmakingforum.com/threads/soap-scent-review-forum-link.36267/https://www.soapmakingforum.com/threads/newbie-here-fo-eo-qs.16632/
I searched in the search above. FO / EO reviews’ lots of info.
happy soaping

 

[Suchisam]

Here is a list Hopefully the link works
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet...FTWfchk-c7sNswuh-yaTdRf1M/edit#gid=1719085749https://www.soapmakingforum.com/threads/soap-scent-review-forum-link.36267/https://www.soapmakingforum.com/threads/newbie-here-fo-eo-qs.16632/
I searched in the search above. FO / EO reviews’ lots of info.
happy soaping

That's great thanks! I like your avatar by the way

 

[Peachy Clean Soap]

That's great thanks! I like your avatar by the way

Awwww Thank You

 

[squarepancakes]

Here is a list Hopefully the link works
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet...FTWfchk-c7sNswuh-yaTdRf1M/edit#gid=1719085749https://www.soapmakingforum.com/threads/soap-scent-review-forum-link.36267/https://www.soapmakingforum.com/threads/newbie-here-fo-eo-qs.16632/
I searched in the search above. FO / EO reviews’ lots of info.
happy soaping

Yes the first item was the SMF FO Review list was the one I was referring to. But I dont think it is being updated, a pity.

@Suchisam For Korean brands, I get the majority of them from Candleworks Korea. I think they might have a US distributor, so you can probably explore that. Otherwise their Korean site now has an "English" page. Years ago when I was considering starting my candle business, I went to Seoul to explore their fragrance/candle market and to source for materials and suppliers. I bought a number of FOs from various brands including CW. It's a crafter's paradise thre really. But as most of the smaller brands dont have their IFRA sheets online, I don't use them for body products, CW's products are affordable and fare well.

 

[Ammanley]

When I first started making soap, spending the least amount of money on FO's was my goal because they are the most expensive part of my recipes. However I learned very quickly to forget about the cost as much as I can and bite the bullet and get high quality FO's. For example, the lemon FO that I use is almost $60 a pound but in this case you, get what you pay for.

I'm so glad you shared this because I'm a new soap maker and wow, when I actually calculated what is costs to make each bar, the fragrance oil cost was the most expensive ingredient. I had to triple check my math because I thought there was no way such a small part of the soap would have such a big impact on my wallet!

In my case, since I'm new, I'm buying FO trial sizes, which cost more per ounce. Once I get a better handle on what fragrances I like and what recipes I'll keep going back to, the cost will go down. But I suspect they will still be one of the more expensive ingredients.

 

[TheGecko]

I'm so glad you shared this because I'm a new soap maker and wow, when I actually calculated what is costs to make each bar, the fragrance oil cost was the most expensive ingredient. I had to triple check my math because I thought there was no way such a small part of the soap would have such a big impact on my wallet!

Adding scent to your soap can double, even triple your costs depending on whether it is an EO or FO, the scent itself since some are more expensive than others to make, and of course, quantity/price at time of purchase.

In my case, since I'm new, I'm buying FO trial sizes, which cost more per ounce. Once I get a better handle on what fragrances I like and what recipes I'll keep going back to, the cost will go down. But I suspect they will still be one of the more expensive ingredients.

R&D (research and development) is ALWAYS expensive. The first time I made Chocolate Espresso Soap, it cost me about $4.00 a bar; at the time I was still buying my oils in smaller amounts and the FO was $3.99 for a single ounce not including shipping***. Today I buy my base ingredients in semi-bulk from a local supplier so my cost-per pound is lower and my 'shipping' is much lower since I pick up ( still have to account for my time and fuel costs) and I buy my FOs by the pound as opposed to the ounce. So that FO that was $3.99 an ounce is now $1.71 and ounce and by next year I hope to make it $1.55 an ounce. Who knows, I might get it down to $1.47 ounce.

*** - When calculating your costs, don't forget to adjust, include your shipping costs. So that 16 oz of Chocolate Espresso at $27.37 isn't really $1.71 an ounce...it costs $8.50 to ship it so my adjusted cost is $2.24 an ounce. But I don't buy just one item, I will add others items to get the most bang for my shipping buck. Buying a second 16oz bottle will cost $9.00 and bring my cost per ounce to $1.99. It's a bit of a balancing act because you may not be able to afford another 16oz bottle, but that is also why I set a budget and spread out my purchases over three months instead of trying to buy everything all at once and it allowed me to start buying larger quantities. It's all a learning process and it takes time.

 

[ArcticBanshee]

I’m with you on the headache/ nausea front with fragrance oils and being new to soaping.
I didn’t think I would have a problem until I used my 10”’loaf mold with an FO I wasn’t crazy about…. I was really feeling green around the gills for days. So much that it took me a week to start washing the dishes with the residue. It was like it had radiation or something lol.
What I’m going to do is seriously TEST FO’s that are new to me by first making one single mold bar with it first. See how it progresses. If I think I can handle more, I’ll go from there. If you have no choice but to make a lot of soap with a fragrance you don’t like or that is radioactive (lol), I suggest putting the molded soap/curing soap somewhere else like a laundry room or broom closet. Maybe get a clothing storage bag that has a zipper if you’re making m&p. It probably won’t cut off all the smell, but it might help by a good bit.

 

[Arimara]

It might benefit you to familiarize yourself with scent families and learn to familiarize yourself with which FOs fall into which family or families. That's if you haven't done so though. I find certain families make me sick or trigger migraines.

 

[wat_meme]

I'm so glad you shared this because I'm a new soap maker and wow, when I actually calculated what is costs to make each bar, the fragrance oil cost was the most expensive ingredient. I had to triple check my math because I thought there was no way such a small part of the soap would have such a big impact on my wallet!

In my case, since I'm new, I'm buying FO trial sizes, which cost more per ounce. Once I get a better handle on what fragrances I like and what recipes I'll keep going back to, the cost will go down. But I suspect they will still be one of the more expensive ingredients.

I am also new at this, and this is my plan too. Trial sizes until I find what I really like, then buy bulk.