Hi all! I just made a batch last night with a blend of EO's, and got some assistance with EO Calc.com. In years past, before I ever heard of IFRA, I typically used about .7 or .8oz of EO PPO in a batch. I was using EO Calc to look for blends with what I had and one of the oils was Spearmint, which I ADORE. I had no idea that the amount I was want to use, which was about 50 percent initially of the blend, would come up with a warning sign not to use.. even at the lighter end, there was still a warning. I kept tweaking and I think I ended up with about 10 percent of the blend, which was on the lightest amount, so as not to be in the danger zone. CRAP! Do you all pay close attention to the guidelines with EO's? I also had Eucalyptus, Lemongrass and a bit of a Thieves oil type blend combo. Please advise, thanks.
IFRA Guidelines for Essential Oils
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IF I were selling to the general public, then I probably would. As I just sell to friends, I use an essential oil calculator. Brambleberry.com and Wholesale Supplies Plus both have them listed as fragrance calculators.
I would definitely pay close attention to the Thieves Oil blend. That usually (not always, but usually) contains EOs that have very low skin-safe usage rates, including clove and cinnamon.
Yes, that blend had both of those, however a lesser amount I used in the blend Hopefully it wont be an issue this time, especially since a wash off product? I mostly smell the lemongrass at this point. When using the calculator, I plugged in both cinnamon leaf and clove and checked the safe amounts and went from there. Thanks!
Yes, I do consider in soap that it's a wash off product. Some E.O.s I wouldn't put in a lotion.
EOCalc.com takes into account whether you are using it in a leave-on or wash off product, whether it is safe for lips, etc. You just have to select the correct product code when before adding the percentage of each EO being used.
After a lot of reading here on the forum and on the web, including fairly dense IFRA documents, I bought Tisserand and Young’s book Essential Oil Safety for additional guidance. It’s a bit pricey, but worth the money IMHO because they summarize a lot of the research in a way that I can understand. I’ve noticed that some of the EOs that stick the best in cp soap, like spearmint, ylang ylang and basil, are also the ones that are problematic above very low usage rates. Luckily, they also tend to have strong scents and work well in blends.
I did choose the CP Soap choice, so I guess it is what it is..
Thanks so much!
One of these days I may break down and purchase it; I keep looking for a used copy at an affordable price, but so far no luck.
Another great resource is using essential oils safely (Facebook group, website). The aromatherapist who runs it is extremely knowledgeable and highly focused on safety. She doesn't recommend Thieves for use at all due to safety concerns. There are some things you can view for free and others you need to pay for. She does have a lot of free information available though.
Cat&Oak
Well-Known Member
Yes I always adhere to IRFA guidelines because I sell. You can actually rent Tisserand's book on Amazon which is nice.
eoexpert
EOExpert
You should always ask for IFRA Certificates from the Essential Oil supplier as each EO supplier (and batch of the same EO) may have different specifications/constitution of their Essential Oils. I'm attaching a sample of an IFRA certificate from a supplier called Moksha. They ship worldwide and provide detailed GCMS as well as IFRA and allergen reports for all products.
MLSB
Active Member
Same thing holds true for Fo’s as well!
next year 2022 all new suggested IFRA regulations coming
next year 2022 all new suggested IFRA regulations coming
eoexpert
EOExpert
IFRA 49th amendments are already in place for new creations/fragrances. For existing ones they come into effect May 2022. A lot of companies are already starting to shift over. The supplier I mentioned above (Moksha) has already migrated so their products are already conforming to the new regulations. I'm sure many more suppliers will be shifting over sooner than later as most Cosmetic/soap makers wont want to change their product formulations last minute. Even minutest change in constituents can cause a dramatic note change in the fragrance oils.
penelopejane
Well-Known Member
Don’t be lulled into a false sense of security that because soap is a wash off product and EOs are “natural” you can put any amount of EO in soap. I, for one, (and I know I’m not alone) react to many EOs and other natural additives (like spirulina) in soap even after the scent or colour has faded to nothing. Also it’s really important to list your additives even if you are just giving your soap away. At least then people get some warning.
The guidelines are there for a reason.
The guidelines are there for a reason.
MLSB
Active Member
Yep new changes. Stephanie Graham from Micas and More will be talking on the IFRA Regulations next year at the Florida Soap and Candle Conference, January 7-9, 2022 in Tampa, Florida. You can see all the speakers at the web site Agenda | FLSoap&CandleConf
HoppyCosmetics
Well-Known Member
The max topical usage rate for spearmint is 1.7% if that helps. I suppose you could mix it with a bit of peppermint or eucalyptus to stretch it out, since they have higher usage rates.
I recommend an affordable book called "Essential Oil Safety Files by Lea Jacobson". It'll save you a lot of money rather than buying the tisserand book. The tisserand book is in-depth and alot of reading, but the lea jacobson book is basically just straightforward easy to read usage rates of every essential oil, up to date. I think she's an American aromatherapist.
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