FO/EO Modifier

[Brandi G.]

Once I added the 3.94 ounces of fragrance mixture to my 118oz of liquid soap it thicken up to mayo thickness. I did the 4:1 ratio for the modifier like the directions said. The only thing I can think to do is thin back out with a bit for water and add more preservatives. Anyone else had this happen before?

 

[AliOop]

Yes, many FOs or EOs will thicken or thin your liquid soap. It's good to test small batches with each different fragrance to know ahead of time how it will behave. Also, be sure you are using a fragrance that is rated as safe to use in soap.

By "modifier," are you referring to polysorbate 80 or something like that? And you used that at 4x the amount of the fragrance?

 

[DeeAnna]

Edit: So, okay, I see you're asking about adding fragrance to finished liquid soap.

Yes, fragrance can do unpredictable things in liquid soap. It can thin, thicken, clump or do nothing. It's something you have to check when scenting liquid soap; there's no way to know this in advance. So next time, test the fragrance in a sample of the soap, not scent the whole batch. And then decide what you want to do from there.

Yes, if the fragrance thickens the soap, you need to dilute the soap more.

Another issue is 3-4% fragrance is likely too much scent for liquid soap -- try 0.5% to 1% and increase from there.

What do you mean that you used a "modifier"? The only modifier I can think of is the vanillin stabilizer people use to minimize discoloration caused by the vanillin that is in some fragrances. This stabilizer won't modify the behavior of the fragrance in the soap, however.

Original post: Fragrance can accelerate the rate of saponification in soap depending on the ingredients in the fragrance. Did you buy from a reputable fragrance supplier? Who did you buy the fragrance from? What is the fragrance? Do you know if they tested the fragrance for how it performs in cold process soap making? Did you read the reviews from customers to determine how the fragrance behaves in their soap?

Also how you make the soap can affect how your fragrance behaves. What is your recipe? How do you mix the ingredients? What was the temperature of your soap batter (or your starting ingredients)

 

[AliOop]

Fragrance can accelerate the rate of saponification in soap depending on the ingredients in the fragrance. Did you buy from a reputable fragrance supplier? Who did you buy the fragrance from? What is the fragrance? Do you know if they tested the fragrance for how it performs in cold process soap making? Did you read the reviews from customers to determine how the fragrance behaves in their soap?

Also how you make the soap can affect how your fragrance behaves. What is your recipe? How do you mix the ingredients? What was the temperature of your soap batter (or your starting ingredients)

What do you mean that you used a "modifier"? The only modifier I can think of is the vanillin stabilizer people use to minimize discoloration caused by the vanillin that is in some fragrances. This stabilizer won't modify the behavior of the fragrance in the soap batter, however.

The OP mentioned that this was liquid soap, which is why I assumed the modifier might be PS80.