HP-Adding menthol crystals after the cook?

[bohunk]

Has anyone tried adding diluted menthol crystals after the cook? I'm thinking that would have less menthol burn off and therefore be able to use a lower percentage of menthol in my soap.

I'm looking to enhance the mint coolness factor. I'm thinking of using a lower percentage of menthol, around 2%, and let the nose fool the brain into thinking its a cooling soap.

Any means necessary to help beat this heat.

 

[szaza]

I don't have any menthol crystals (yet) so I can't help you with experience.. I have been wondering about doing the same, so I'm hoping someone will chime in with some experience. And otherwise there's some experimentation in our future! [emoji16]

 

[MGM]

I've only used menthol in lotion bars and M&P soap and it's great! How much does the menthol burn off in CP? I wonder if you could use M&P embeds with menthol in them in CP soap....the one time I did M&P embeds, their fragrance was bold enough (the contrasting FO in the CP completely disappeared) to totally scent the soap.

 

[dibbles]

Katie at Royalty Soaps made a video using menthol crystals at 1% of the batch oils. She said the menthol was still present and had that cooling effect. So I would think at 2% in HP it would work. Here's a link:

 

[Obsidian]

It amazes me that people can get a cooling effect at 1-2%. I've went to 6% before and couldn't really feel anything. Maybe I just have rhino hide.

 

[bohunk]

Im going to try this tomorrow, just too hot in the kitchen this morning to OHP. It's not the "rhino hide" I'm concerned about, its the "lady bits" that I am. I may go as high as 3% since its the middle of recommended usage. See how I feel in the morning.

Thanks for the video link.

 

[MGM]

It's not the "rhino hide" I'm concerned about, its the "lady bits" that I am. I may go as high as 3% since its the middle of recommended usage. .

I made a M&P soap with lavender & mint EOs and Green Mint FO, and menthol. My notes are <ahem> sketchy, but I don't think I used more than a few grams for a 600g loaf. My male friend said he liked the "tingle" (although it was surprising at first...)

Soap Queen uses very little as well: https://www.soapqueen.com/bath-and-body-tutorials/menthol-crystal-cold-process-soap/

 

[Rsapienza]

I have made a few batches with menthol crystals. 2 % is the amount that allows me to feel a slight tingle. These were all CP.

 

[bohunk]

Finally used the menthol crystals yesterday. I went with 2% ppo. I dissolved the crystals in kukui nut oil. I let the soap cool down some after pulling it out of the oven and then added the menthol/kukui nut oil mixture to the soap. I had very little, what I would call burn off of the menthol. I tried some of the pot scrapings. I had some punctures on my hand and the menthol soap didn't bother them, so I'm not expecting the soap to bother other areas. I used Nurture Soaps Mad about Mint FO. It did what I wanted, the menthol enhanced the FO without overpowering it and fooled my nose/brain into thinking I made a cooling soap.