Investing in Essential Oils

[dippy]

I am going round in circles deciding which EOs to buy. I have read the threads talking about EOs that last longer but the more I read the more my wishlist expands.

If you had to pick a few (no more than 5 or so) to start you off which would you choose? I know everyone has different tastes but I am looking for a small selection that will be versatile and that I can use a number of different ways.

Lavender is the only one so far I am definitely getting. Not that I am a massive fan of plain lavender but I don't mind it and I have read it is good in the mix.

At the moment I am just looking at EOs not FOs.

So tell me what are your must haves?

 

[DKing]

I just put in an order a couple of days ago for some of my favorites. Peppermint, Lavender, Litsea Cubea, Lemon grass (litsea and lemongrass are almost the same scent...at least I find them very similar) Patchouli.

 

[dippy]

I was thinking either peppermint or spearmint, lavender and litsea so your list is similar to my thoughts. Not sure about patchouli as I don't really like the scent by itself but it sounds like one that does blend well so it might be worth me considering.

I was also thinking of petitgrain as that sounds very nice. My ultimate favourite scent is neroli but it is too expensive so I am not going to go that route until I get some soap practice under my belt.

 

[DKing]

My cousin LOVES everything patchouli so I am getting it to make her some soaps. I am going to try mixing it with some other oils I have and see what blends well.

 

[SoaperForLife]

Cedarwood, ylang ylang, and orange are good ones to have.

 

[dippy]

DKing I would be interested to hear you get on with trying blends. I have family members who like patchouli but i dont think i could bear it curing in my lounge if its not blended with something!

Ylang ylang was one I looked at as it sounds like it is good for anchoring. I have a feeling I read the same for cedarwood. Off to check that now..

 

[atiz]

Bergamot is my favorite.
I also like some "pine" scent -- fir balsam or such.
But I think it really depends on what *you* like! Just get your favorites.

 

[lsg]

Besides lavender--patchouli, litsea cubeba (to anchor citrus EOs), orange, peppermint and rosemary.

 

[dibbles]

I now only keep a few EOs that I have found stick pretty well in soap. I love bergamot, but find it a little too expensive for soap making. What I have - lavender 40/42, patchouli (I love it), litsea cubeba and/or lemongrass (I prefer litsea), orange (folded - I have 10x), peppermint/spearmint (I'd pick peppermint - spearmint is sweeter, peppermint is sharper). I have grown to like tea tree in blends, but it wouldn't be one I'd pick if I were to only have 5. I have some cedarwood that I rarely use, but I do like it and it is a nice blender. Lime and eucalyptus both stick and I have them, but wouldn't put either in my top 5.

 

[SPowers]

I particularly like the citrus scents - lemon , orange and lime. I've had to reorder them so that' a clue to their use. I initially bought a 'set' - I've tried many but it's just trial and error to determine which ones I use more frequently. I make my own household producta as well so I tend to use citrus a lot in them. It depends on what I'm making.

 

[shunt2011]

Patchouli, tea tree, lavender, orange 10x, lemongrass, Litsea, peppermint, eucalyptus, rosemary. I make and sell a lot of straight up patchouli.

 

[DKing]

I now only keep a few EOs that I have found stick pretty well in soap. I love bergamot, but find it a little too expensive for soap making. What I have - lavender 40/42, patchouli (I love it), litsea cubeba and/or lemongrass (I prefer litsea), orange (folded - I have 10x), peppermint/spearmint (I'd pick peppermint - spearmint is sweeter, peppermint is sharper). I have grown to like tea tree in blends, but it wouldn't be one I'd pick if I were to only have 5. I have some cedarwood that I rarely use, but I do like it and it is a nice blender. Lime and eucalyptus both stick and I have them, but wouldn't put either in my top 5.

I have never used bergamot but have been wanting to, so it is included in my latest order. The lavender I get is 40/42 as well, I tend to favor litsea over lemongrass.
Have you tried black pepper in with your citrusy smelling soaps? I love a little black pepper mixed in as well. It is quite pricey but you only use a little.

 

[Aromasuzie]

I'm relatively new to making soap and as I have a Diploma in Aromatherapy, I didn't want to use any aroma except for essential oils. I buy my oils wholesale and am only using 2% essential oils in my batches, but the cost adds up! I now know why lots people use fragrance oils!
I totally hear what you say about Patchouli, but it's great as a base note so use only a small amount in your blend. The last blend I made was Peppermint 85% and Patchouli 15%, and the patchouli wasn't too overpowering. I 2nd what a lot of others mention, litsea cubeba (may Chang) on the lemony aroma, love peppermint, if you want a floral, I suggest Geranium and ylang ylang as they have very strong aromas, a little bit more expensive, but you don't need much. Ginger, Palmarosa and Rosewood essential oils would my other suggestions. I quite often mix ginger, geranium and citrus together, love this with steam distilled lime. I would love to add cinnamon or clove but they are skin irritating oils so maybe that's where the fragrance oils come in, smell without skin sensitivity. If you're going to buy essential oils, I'd also suggest to sneak in a few for the first aid kit, lavender great for any muscular or skin problems and tea tree is a great one for infections

 

[dibbles]

I have never used bergamot but have been wanting to, so it is included in my latest order. The lavender I get is 40/42 as well, I tend to favor litsea over lemongrass.
Have you tried black pepper in with your citrusy smelling soaps? I love a little black pepper mixed in as well. It is quite pricey but you only use a little.

I haven’t tried black pepper EO, but I do like it in some FOs I have had. How much do you use to get the scent?

 

[DKing]

I haven’t tried black pepper EO, but I do like it in some FOs I have had. How much do you use to get the scent?

I wish I had kept notes on each EO blend I have done so I would recall what amounts I liked best. I am thinking somewhere in the 10 to 20% range of the EO total, if I recall correctly. Enough to notice it but not have it overwhelm the total scent.

 

[KiwiMoose]

I have since moved to FOs for cost reasons - but i still use some EO in every batch ( something that will compliment the FOs I use). My must-haves are Patchouli, Litsea Cubeba ( May Chang), Sweet Orange, Palmarosa. My usually-haves are Anise, Spearmint, Lemongrass, Ylang Ylang, Cedarwood and Lavender.

 

[MarnieSoapien]

Besides lavender--patchouli, litsea cubeba (to anchor citrus EOs), orange, peppermint and rosemary.

I haven't heard of this before! How well does it work? I made a batch of soap using orange and patchouli (85/15 I think) and I don't get any of the orange fragrance. I might put listea cubeba on my next order.

 

[KiwiMoose]

I haven't heard of this before! How well does it work? I made a batch of soap using orange and patchouli (85/15 I think) and I don't get any of the orange fragrance. I might put listea cubeba on my next order.

I'm not sure it will make much difference - orange is not at all strong, and the patchouli would take over anyway.

 

[atiz]

You should also look at the EOcalc website -- they have some great blends, and you can get a sense of what are the most prominent EOs in those.

 

[SoapSisters]

Litsea cubeba is my most versatile EO. I usually use it with one other EO, lavender, rosemary or anise. Lemongrass can also be used instead of litsea in these blends, but I think litsea has a fresher, softer scent.