How to calculate essential oil content for a batch?

[DirtyKnuckles]

I am making another batch of 50/50 deer tallow and olive oil soap lye soap but have decided to get "fancy" by adding some Make Market Cedarwood essential oils that I picked up on a whim at my local Michael's shop. I have tried reading people's experience in their blogs, but some of them seem kind of "off the beam" and their recipes don't sound right. Then I remembered that I had an account here and that I have gotten wonderful advice from people with far more experience in the past.

It will be about a one kilo batch, 35 ounces. I am hoping for a mild cedarwood scent, just enough to offset the scent of the deer tallow since this buck was a little stronger smelling than the ones I have used in the past. So, in no particular order, here are my questions:

1) are essential oils in some way standardized, or will I have to find some scent wizard working in the bowels of the essential oil manufacturing plant and figure out what his favorite donut and coffee combination is to get him to divulge his esoteric wisdom?

2) is there a formula for calculations that is reliable, or maybe an online calculator like the venerable lye calculators?

3) What is the airspeed velocity of an unladen swallow?

Thanks,
John

 

[dibbles]

You need to know safe usage rates for each EO. This is a good source that many here use.
https://www.eocalc.com/

 

[AliOop]

I am not a fan of that brand of (supposedly) essential oils at Michaels. I was gifted a few and they smelled nothing like the real stuff, and they all accelerated like crazy. But hey, all soap is a science experiment, right? Give it a whirl and report back with pics, please.

 

[DirtyKnuckles]

You need to know safe usage rates for each EO. This is a good source that many here use.
https://www.eocalc.com/

My tallow and olive oil totals 1094 grams, and it is telling me to use approximately 22 grams of the essential oil for a pretty light (2%) usage. Does this sound about right to you?

 

[dibbles]

My tallow and olive oil totals 1094 grams, and it is telling me to use approximately 22 grams of the essential oil for a pretty light (2%) usage. Does this sound about right to you?

Yes, that is right for a light scent. Personally I would use 3-5%, but I like more scent than you might prefer.

 

[Nona'sFarm]

My tallow and olive oil totals 1094 grams, and it is telling me to use approximately 22 grams of the essential oil for a pretty light (2%) usage. Does this sound about right to you?

Cedarwood is a rather strong scented EO, so keeping it at 2-3% of oils is a good idea. I like adding Rosemary with Cedarwood. So if it was me I might go with something like 22 g Cedarwood and 11 g Rosemary. That gives a total of about 3%.

 

[Ephemerella]

3) What is the airspeed velocity of an unladen swallow?

I was just thinking the other day that it's been ages since I've heard an MP reference, thanks for making my day! And how lovely to make a woodsy scent for a soap from your buck's tallow.

 

[basti]

1) are essential oils in some way standardized, or will I have to find some scent wizard working in the bowels of the essential oil manufacturing plant and figure out what his favorite donut and coffee combination is to get him to divulge his esoteric wisdom?

This is where they get you, Mr. Knuckles. The Scent Wizard actually prefers cheese danishes and iced matcha lattes with oat milk, 50% sugar, and tapioca pearl boba. Bringing him donuts and coffee is a great offense and on days where he is in a particularly sour mood, it is considered a curse upon his entire bloodline. Make good choices.

 

[melinda48]

My tallow and olive oil totals 1094 grams, and it is telling me to use approximately 22 grams of the essential oil for a pretty light (2%) usage. Does this sound about right to you?

Yup.

 

[melinda48]

I am not a fan of that brand of (supposedly) essential oils at Michaels. I was gifted a few and they smelled nothing like the real stuff, and they all accelerated like crazy. But hey, all soap is a science experiment, right? Give it a whirl and report back with pics, please.

I agree with you. I do not ever buy essential oils at Michaels, Hobby Lobby, Walmart, Target, etc. I also do not buy for do-terra, Melallueca, or Young Living as their essential oils are simply over-priced (in my opnion) buy only from proven essential oil “dealers” (sounds like we are talking about drugs! ). I prefer New Directions Aromatics and a couple of companies that sell through Amazon but, mostly New Directions.