Lavender scent pricing

[narnia]

Hi all. I am new to soap making, so I have a lot of questions to ask all you kind experienced people!

I want to make lavender scented goat milk soap. The lavender EO is soooooooooooo expensive!! 2 oz. for $16.13 including shipping! At 1 oz per 2 lb loaf (8 bars), that comes to $1 of frgrance per bar!! Without counting shipping, that comes to $195 for 16 oz as opposed to 22.35 for lemongrass!!

Is this what everyone uses? The expensive EO? Or do you use something else? I have bought laundry detergent that had either scent and both jars had the same price, so I am thinking that they must be using something else?

I called a vendor and they said that they had "Lavender Water (all natural) Fragrance Oil." Will this do? Has anyone used this product to scent your soaps?

 

[shunt2011]

Where do you live? If you are in the US you can check out some of the soap suppliers: Nature's Garden, New Directions Aromatics, Brambleberry, Soapmaking Resource, Liberty Naturals etc.

 

[narnia]

Where do you live? If you are in the US you can check out some of the soap suppliers: Nature's Garden, New Directions Aromatics, Brambleberry, Soapmaking Resource, Liberty Naturals etc.

In US. Bought 2 oz fm Bulk Apothecary. BB has similar pricing. Too expensive to use! So, am looking for cheaper alternatives, if there are any. There are some on Amazon for half the price, but still too high, compared to the lemongrass.

 

[galaxyMLP]

Lavender EO is one of the cheaper oils. There are many different sources for lavender EO. Amazon has one with free prime shipping. 4 oz for only 13 something. I tested it and it is indeed lavender EO. It is not 40/42 EO though. Its Bulgarian lavender which is the more floral one. Mikes fragrances also has some lavender EO for a pretty good price. I've also heard others use Camden Grey.

 

[traderbren]

Some people also use fragrance oils instead of Essential Oils to keep their cost down. It's a matter of personal preference.

 

[penelopejane]

You don't use 1 oz of EO for a 2lb loaf. You use drops of it. Can someone please tell narnia how many drops to use?

You might use 1 oz of FO. That is why the price is different.

 

[The Efficacious Gentleman]

1.6oz is 5% of the 32oz that make up two pound. I would use that much lavender for that size batch

 

[dixiedragon]

Camden Grey:
2 oz. ($6.50)
4 oz. ($11.25):
8 oz. ($18.50):

As for the amount to use, I like Brambleberry's fragrance calculator. Because I'm lazy. According to it, you'd need 1.6 oz for a strong scent in 32 oz of soap.

ETA: Camden Grey is in Florida, and since I'm in Alabama, I use them b/c the shipping to me is pretty fast and reasonable. Liberty Naturals also gets good reviews here.

Generally, FO companies don't have particularly good prices on EOs. Better than the health food store, certainly. I tend to build a list of stuff I want from CG - EOs and some carrier oils, then place a larger order.

 

[DeeAnna]

I agree with The Gent. The typical rate for most EOs and FOs in CP soap is somewhere between 3% (0.5 oz ppo) and 6% (1 oz ppo). Even in HP soap, lotions, balms, and other B&B products, I'd use 0.5% to 1% EO by weight of finished product. I'm speaking about EOs that are fairly safe ones for use on the skin -- lavender falls in that category. If you just used a few drops of lavender EO ppo in soap, you'd never smell it.

 

[shunt2011]

You don't use 1 oz of EO for a 2lb loaf. You use drops of it. Can someone please tell narnia how many drops to use?

You might use 1 oz of FO. That is why the price is different.

I would use 1.5oz in a 32 oz batch or a bit more. Drops will not give you much of anything afterward.

 

[dixiedragon]

I don't love Bulk Apothecary's prices, generally. I think they're good if you need to get a bunch of different types of items, b/c of their variety, but you can find better prices on most things elsewhere.

 

[narnia]

Is lavender fragrance oil just as strong a the EO? And, is the fragrance oil all natural? Can it irritate skin? What about that "lavender water" thingy?

 

[hmlove1218]

I second Camden Grey. I got an 8 oz bottle for under $20. Shipping is about $10 for the discount option, so I usually purchase more than one thing at a time to make it worth it

 

[SplendorSoaps]

If you're willing to look at FOs intead of EOs, the cost will be significantly lower.

Also, beware of who you're buying EOs from. One of the first times I bought Lavender EO for soap making I bought it on Amazon or eBay (can't remember which), thinking that it was a good price. The order came, and I don't even know what the heck they sent me. It smelled like dirty lemons, not a THING like any kind of lavender. Lesson learned! It's always worth it to pay a little extra to go with a reputable supplier.

 

[dixiedragon]

Is lavender fragrance oil just as strong a the EO? And, is the fragrance oil all natural? Can it irritate skin? What about that "lavender water" thingy?

Lavender FO can be just as stronger or stronger than the EO. It also tends to stick a bit better. Fragrance oil is NOT all natural.

"Can it irritate skin?" Anything can irritate skin. There are folks who can use EOs and not FOs, and vice versa. Folks who can't stand olive oil. Folks who can't use coconut oil.

The lavender water is not appropriate for soaping. Lavender EO is very highly concentrated. I am assuming the lavender water is intended for direct skin application? It is probably water, preservative and a few drops of lavender EO or FO.

 

[narnia]

Lavender FO can be just as stronger or stronger than the EO. It also tends to stick a bit better. Fragrance oil is NOT all natural.

"Can it irritate skin?" Anything can irritate skin. There are folks who can use EOs and not FOs, and vice versa. Folks who can't stand olive oil. Folks who can't use coconut oil.

The lavender water is not appropriate for soaping. Lavender EO is very highly concentrated. I am assuming the lavender water is intended for direct skin application? It is probably water, preservative and a few drops of lavender EO or FO.

Thank you that was very helpful!

I second Camden Grey. I got an 8 oz bottle for under $20. Shipping is about $10 for the discount option, so I usually purchase more than one thing at a time to make it worth it

EO or FO?

 

[lionprincess00]

EO or FO?

Camden grey is eo. I buy eos from them. A 20$ minimum purchase is reasonable, their eos are quality and well priced. Also, dont use a coupon there for regular smaller purchases. It bumps the shipping to a high price. Their coupons are better suited for large bulk purchases. Bulk apothecary has descent prices and with coupons seem reasonable, but cg still winds up cheaper in checkout. Also, every and i mean EVERY sale ba has had this year the eo prices increased during the sale (from before the sale) and decreased back immediately after the sale. So i use cg...and other companies are well priced if youre willing to do a 100$ minimum order. If youre like me and experimenting with a handful of eos, i say cg all the way.

 

[Nevada]

Bramble Berry Lavender fo is a favorite. I got bars 2 years old blended with Orange and Patch that still smell nice.

 

[narnia]

Camden grey is eo. I buy eos from them. A 20$ minimum purchase is reasonable, their eos are quality and well priced. Also, dont use a coupon there for regular smaller purchases. It bumps the shipping to a high price. Their coupons are better suited for large bulk purchases. Bulk apothecary has descent prices and with coupons seem reasonable, but cg still winds up cheaper in checkout. Also, every and i mean EVERY sale ba has had this year the eo prices increased during the sale (from before the sale) and decreased back immediately after the sale. So i use cg...and other companies are well priced if youre willing to do a 100$ minimum order. If youre like me and experimenting with a handful of eos, i say cg all the way.

When I went to their site today, they had a $100 minimum. $20 admin charge if purchasing under that amount.

 

[hmlove1218]

I think you may have been on the New Direction Aromatics website. Camden Grey only has a $20 minimum