Lip Balm Flavor Oils/ EO's... Weak Scent

[oranget]

HI all

I’ve used commercial lip balms all my life until this year, when I started making my own. All the scents/ flavor oils i use, from various and multiple places, including EO’s, just don’t seem to have the strength or carry or longevity I was used to in a commercial product. Would you have any insight into this ?

Do big companies have access to stronger stuff ( i would imagine )

and / or, add some sort of.. 'booster ‘ or, extender, or i don’t know the words to use…

I’m hoping it is just a percent thing, and I’ll work it out. Even the strong ones, like peppermint, smell great when i smell the tube, but seem to disappear on me after a short while. The one exception is lemon balm EO. Plenty of longevity there...like, i think I have a headache.

I am always conservative with my percentage. If says says add 1 -3 %, i stop at 3%. But... ? Is this more of a suggestion, and i could try say 5%?

Thanks !

 

[IrishLass]

Where are you buying your flavors from? I myself really like the flavors from Majestic Mountain Sage (MMS). They come through good and strong at their max recommended usage rate (and some are strong even lower than their max usage rate).

I would not go higher than the recommended maximum usage rate. You can get into all kinds of trouble with sensitivities and whatnot if you go higher.

IrishLass

 

[new12soap]

Do you use a sweetener? If you don't, you can pretty much only smell the fragrance, you can't taste it. Add sweetener and like magic now it has flavor.

 

[IrishLass]

Good point new12soap! That's very true!


IrishLass

 

[oranget]

Hi ! Sorry, i just saw theses replies. Ok.. for now , i think I'd like to avoid sweetener, but may consider later. For percents, I always stay at the highest recommended amount, and know not to go over. Suppliers: Various . I am using MMS , which I generally love, Nature's Garden, Sweet Cakes, and some smaller place in Texas. Some of the flavors are fine, but even within the same company, it really varies. For instance, the MMS and Sweetcakes vanilla : Nothing. I can barely smell them in the bottle, and not at all in a lip balm. And, i just love vanilla... so sad !

Off topic, but i have 4 different Black Cherries, all of which smell like Acetone mixed with baby powder. w h y ? oh the humanity....

I guess it's just a trial and error thing.

Thanks !

 

[whiskandbowl]

I almost exclusively use MMS flavorings. Their blackberry pomegranate is fabulous! I have also used BB's Passionfruit Rose, and Chocolate Orange. Both excellent!

MMS buttercream is really nice too. I wasn't a fan of the honey, but customers like it.