Fragrance oil vs Essential oil

[jennyannlowe]

Taking a poll....

Out of you professional soapers who make and sell on a regular basis....

Which of you consistently use fragrance oils and which use essential oils?
Or both?

I don't think I can afford essential oils. Or maybe not to put in every batch. Does it make a big difference to use E.Os? Do your customers tell the difference?

 

[cmzaha]

I use both. Some eo's such as lemongrass can less expensive than fo's.

 

[shunt2011]

I use mostly FO. A couple EO. I find FO sticks better and customers seem to like them better in my markets.

 

[galaxyMLP]

I use both. EOs like lavender, eucalyptus, lemongrass, and anise are inexpensive and stick well. Anise has very very low usage though.

People will gravitate towards FOs though and I like using them more anyway. I have more variety with them.

 

[Earthen_Step]

EO's only here.

 

[lsg]

I use both. Some essential oils, such as sandalwood are so expensive that most people don't use them in soap. This is where a good FO dup comes in as I love sandalwood in combination with other EOs. There are also some fruity notes that one can't achieve with EOs.

 

[dixiedragon]

I only do a very occasional craft show - but my personal preference has really moved to saving most EOs for lotion. My exceptions are lavender, tea tree, lemongrass and peppermint. These EOs aren't that expensive - generally they have a price close to FOs. The lavender and tea tree have anti-fungal, anti-bacterial, etc properties that I think do carry over into soap. Peppermint EO is pretty cheap and I've never seen a peppermint FO get a particularly great rating. Lemongrass is cheap and sticks well.

I have some "sandalwood blend EO" from Essential Oil university that I just love in non-soap applications. I made a wonderful solid perfume with it, plus Maillotte Lavender EO from Camden Grey and rose floral wax. I also love Rose Geranium EO in lotion.