Karma (Lush Type) FO - Patchouli haters read this.

[KiwiMoose]

You all know I'm a firm patchouli lover, right? Well this week I discovered why y'all hate it so much.

Before I started making soap, I used to treat myself to Karma soap from Lush once in a while ( it's very expensive here). So it made sense to me to try and replicate the scent when i started making my own soap - to make 50g of 'Karma' fragrance, I used:

Patchouli EO = 25g

Sweet Orange EO = 7g

Orange Blossom FO = 6g

3g each of Lemongrass, Pine, Elemi and Lavender EOs

Imagine my joy when my FO supplier started importing 'Karma' type FO! Easy, I'll just use that, I thought. Ordered it, it arrived and it smelled just delicious OOB. Just like the real Lush stuff. Not just patchouli but all the other light and fresh layers.

I made my soap....

And now I have a batch of what smells like musty, old, earthy furniture left in a locked up room for two decades. Very 'nag champa' like. Now I know what all you patchouli-haters smell when you smell patchouli.

 

[Arimara]

I could be just that formulation. Maybe stick to your recipe?

 

[AliOop]

Hopefully it will mellow and morph as it cures. Let us know, please! I have someone asking for a Karma dupe, and I'm not a Nag Champa fan AT ALL.

 

[KiwiMoose]

Hopefully it will mellow and morph as it cures. Let us know, please! I have someone asking for a Karma dupe, and I'm not a Nag Champa fan AT ALL.

It's cured and ready for sale now. I don't see it changing much TBH - I think it will just get more musty.
I think you could be onto something there @Arimara - what I might do next time is use the Karma FO in place of the Patchouli EO in my original recipe, and then add all the other elements - sweet orange, lemongrass, pine, etc.. to 'lift' it.

 

[dibbles]

@AliOop my favorite Karma dupe is from Fragrance Buddy, although I admittedly haven’t tried many. I have a friend that loves Lush Karma, and she is happy with thi one too.

@KiwiMoose I am sorry to hear you got a stinker. It’s always so disappointing when that happens.

 

[lucycat]

I mostly use FO's but I have never tried a Patchouli heavy FO that I thought was 10% as good as patchouli EO. It is one of the few EO's that I won't give up. I would hate to waste good patchouli but I might consider half Karma FO with half of your EO blend; won't be as good as your blend but might be good enough and more cost effective.

 

[Whillow]

I haven't tried a Karma Dupe before. I did try Nag Champa though. I think you need to have people that are into that kind of smell because it is very overpowering. I don't mind it since it reminds me of mystical book shops in town.

 

[Nona'sFarm]

You all know I'm a firm patchouli lover, right? Well this week I discovered why y'all hate it so much.

Your own fragrance blend sounds wonderful. I might bite the bullet and try it. (I don't hate patchouli, per se, just ODed on the scent in college. Many times, one would walk down the dorm hall and all you could smell was patchouli incense burning.)

 

[Dennis Tyler]

Is this the dupe you tried, by chance?
Karma

 

[not_ally]

I'm curious, too, @KiwiMoose, I'm looking for a input on a Karma dupe.

 

[SideDoorSoaps]

Is this the dupe you tried, by chance?
Karma

I tried this karma dupe and I found it very light scented. Which my customers like but I prefer something with more patchouli oomph. I have an EO blend that people LOVE that's similar to @KiwiMoose ... for 2 oz (56 gm) 14 gm lavender 40/42, 14 gm dark patchouli, 10 gm orange, 10 gm rosemary, 8 amyris

And now I have a batch of what smells like musty, old, earthy furniture left in a locked up room for two decades. Very 'nag champa' like. Now I know what all you patchouli-haters smell when you smell patchouli.

rofl!!

 

[not_ally]

I tried this karma dupe and I found it very light scented. Which my customers like but I prefer something with more patchouli oomph. I have an EO blend that people LOVE that's similar to @KiwiMoose ... for 2 oz (56 gm) 14 gm lavender 40/42, 14 gm dark patchouli, 10 gm orange, 10 gm rosemary, 8 amyris

Thanks, @SideDoorSoaps, both for your input on the WPS dupe and for the recipe.

 

[not_ally]

Double post