Longest lasting EOs

[Mobjack Bay]

I will be kicking off my new “line” of EO scented soaps soon . I ordered lavender 40/42, lavandin, pettigrain, cinnamon (leaf), litsea, palmarosa and Ylang Ylang. I already have patchouli, cedar (Virginian?, I think), peppermint, tea tree, eucalyptus, rosemary, lemongrass and possibly small amounts of a few others. The plan right now is to compare the lavender and lavandin on their own and in an EO blend. What’s are good base notes to mix with lavender or lavandin? I like patchouli but realize some don’t. I also like the Revive blend from EOCalc, but with tea tree, eucalyptus and peppermint in the mix it may not be the best for testing the longevity of the lavender and lavandin.

 

[cmzaha]

This is very encouraging. Thanks Millie! Does the Ylang Ylang EO accelerate for you?

I have always found Ylang Ylang to accelerate, but I really dislike it so I have not used it in a long time. Petitgrain is very overpowering and will stick like glue and the Vetiver also overpowers and sticks like glue so go lightly with those two. I really do not use them in soap since they are expensive but do love a touch of Vetiver with Lemongrass in lotion.

 

[user 29721]

try it at 2% or add something else, although not sure what!:
61% Spearmint
39% Basil (sweet)

Frankincense! I'd do something like that: 30% Frankincense, 30% Spearmint, 40 % Basil.

 

[Mobjack Bay]

Vetiver also overpowers and sticks like glue so go lightly with those two. I really do not use them in soap since they are expensive but do love a touch of Vetiver with Lemongrass in lotion.

I also bought some vetiver, not to use in soap, but with the plan to try it in a lotion. I guess you were reading my mind

 

[Dawni]

Geranium and patchouli sticks. I have a soap with it, lavender and patchouli that's going on 10mos and there's no lavender left. I recently added clove to that, for the same recipe...

I also have a cedarwood, rosemary and lemongrass from around the same time that still smells faintly of something but I seriously can't even tell which one it is so I'll say it's all three haha

Spearmint also sticks. I have a soap that still smells of it alone, and I'm sure it was a blend but I can't find it in my notes right now.

Errr.. I'll have to sniff my soaps tomorrow and come back lol

 

[SideDoorSoaps]

I don’t much care for ylang ylang but I do have a blend with patchouli, bergamot, lavender and pine that smell delightful. Veviter is on my list but it is pricey!

 

[HowieRoll]

I will be kicking off my new “line” of EO scented soaps soon . I ordered lavender 40/42, lavandin, pettigrain, cinnamon (leaf), litsea, palmarosa and Ylang Ylang. I already have patchouli, cedar (Virginian?, I think), peppermint, tea tree, eucalyptus, rosemary, lemongrass and possibly small amounts of a few others. The plan right now is to compare the lavender and lavandin on their own and in an EO blend. What’s are good base notes to mix with lavender or lavandin? I like patchouli but realize some don’t. I also like the Revive blend from EOCalc, but with tea tree, eucalyptus and peppermint in the mix it may not be the best for testing the longevity of the lavender and lavandin.

This is exciting, and I can't wait to hear how it goes for you!

 

[Tourmaline]

@Millie - That's so weird, I just received a bottle of copaiba balsam in the mail and I can barely smell it! What I can smell is kind of like balsamic vinegar, but without the tartness. Noses are weird.

Also, are you still looking for labdanum? Eden Botanicals has the smaller sizes of labdanum absolute on sale right now.

 

[Millie]

@Tourmaline Thanks for the tip! I'm looking for the cheap stuff for soaps but if I start making perfumes I would definitely shell out the cash for that scent. And glad to know I'm not the only one who has trouble smelling CB.

 

[Tourmaline]

I didn't know they made cheap labdanum! Let me know if you find any, I'd love to experiment with it but I have yet to find any that I can afford.

 

[Millie]

NDA used to carry the resinoid, was nicely affordable. Hope they bring it back one day.

 

[Mobjack Bay]

I haven't been able to digest this article yet (link was posted in another recent thread), but it will be interesting to compare the information Kevin Dunn provided in the table with the experiences reported above.

https://roberttisserand.com/2011/06/essential-oils-in-soap-interview-with-kevin-dunn/

 

[Zany_in_CO]

@Mobjack Bay Here's a PDF EO Safety - Quick Reference Chart you can "maybe" download. Try it to see if it works.

https://www.soapmakingforum.com/threads/pdf-download-eo-safety-quick-reference.69566/

My second year of soapmaking (2005) I devoted the whole year to researching and using essential oils. I'm going through my File to see if there's anything that might be useful for you.

 

[Mobjack Bay]

@Mobjack Bay Here's a PDF EO Safety - Quick Reference Chart you can "maybe" download. Try it to see if it works.

https://www.soapmakingforum.com/threads/pdf-download-eo-safety-quick-reference.69566/

My second year of soapmaking (2005) I devoted the whole year to researching and using essential oils. I'm going through my File to see if there's anything that might be useful for you.

Thanks, and for this as well: https://www.soapmakingforum.com/threads/pdf-download-eo-safety-quick-reference.69566/#post-801744

 

[Zany_in_CO]

Here's another doc containing research by Melody Upham of Rainbow Meadow:

Essential Oil Amounts in Soap

Some of the best info about EOs online used to come from aromatherapy sites. Sadly, that's no longer true or I would send links galore.

A couple of things you should be aware of when you start testing:
Both Cinnamon and Clove should be used with a light touch. Not only are they "heaters", as in heat the batch up the minute they hit the batter but they are also extremely sensitizing. So, I have a Cin/Clove blend I keep on hand whenever I want to add a touch of spice.

Peppermint should also be used "judiciously". It's been known to cause discomfort in the, ahem, "nether regions"... moreso for guys than us gals.

 

[Aromasuzie]

I will be kicking off my new “line” of EO scented soaps soon . I ordered lavender 40/42, lavandin, pettigrain, cinnamon (leaf), litsea, palmarosa and Ylang Ylang. I already have patchouli, cedar (Virginian?, I think), peppermint, tea tree, eucalyptus, rosemary, lemongrass and possibly small amounts of a few others. The plan right now is to compare the lavender and lavandin on their own and in an EO blend. What’s are good base notes to mix with lavender or lavandin? I like patchouli but realize some don’t. I also like the Revive blend from EOCalc, but with tea tree, eucalyptus and peppermint in the mix it may not be the best for testing the longevity of the lavender and lavandin.

The type of oils and fats you use in your soap recipe will also affect how long the essential oils last. The more saturated fats you have in your soap, the longer the oils will last as it slows down the evaporation of the essential oils. Patchouli is a very strong smelling oil but I've found that those that don't like the smell are able to tolerate the aroma at low dilutions. Clary sage isn't a "base" oil but is also strong smelling and works well with lavender. I would use one part clary sage to 4 parts lavender. I will be interested to hear what you think of the difference of the aroma between your lavender and lavindin soap. Most "lavender" products actually use lavindin eo as it has a higher essential oil yield than lavender and is cheaper

 

[Mobjack Bay]

The type of oils and fats you use in your soap recipe will also affect how long the essential oils last. The more saturated fats you have in your soap, the longer the oils will last as it slows down the evaporation of the essential oils. Patchouli is a very strong smelling oil but I've found that those that don't like the smell are able to tolerate the aroma at low dilutions. Clary sage isn't a "base" oil but is also strong smelling and works well with lavender. I would use one part clary sage to 4 parts lavender. I will be interested to hear what you think of the difference of the aroma between your lavender and lavindin soap. Most "lavender" products actually use lavindin eo as it has a higher essential oil yield than lavender and is cheaper

Thanks for the info. Why/how do saturated fats slow down evaporation of EOs?

 

[Zany_in_CO]

The more saturated fats you have in your soap, the longer the oils will last

I've found that to be true. That's why I like lard in my soaps.

Clary sage isn't a "base" oil but is also strong smelling and works well with lavender. I would use one part clary sage to 4 parts lavender

Mind-smells really nice. Thanks!

the difference of the aroma between your lavender and lavindin soap. Most "lavender" products actually use lavindin eo as it has a higher essential oil yield than lavender and is cheaper

I've found that to be true as well. The problem is the inconsistency of lavandin from one batch to another. Disappointing.

 

[Aromasuzie]

Thanks for the info. Why/how do saturated fats slow down evaporation of EOs?

Saturated fats are solid at room temperature, so when the essential oils are infused with it, it slows down the release and evaporation process compared to lighter unsaturated oils. Protects them in a "fatty" bubble. High temperature storage will also speed up evaporation. This is the reason why balms have higher dilution of essential oils (63% in white tiger balm) compared to lotions (2-5%). I also imagine that the higher the water content of the soap, the greater the evaporation of essential oils. As soap is a result of an emulsification, the essential oils will be evenly dispersed throughout. As the soap hardens and water is lost, some essential oils will evaporate with it but others will be protected by the fats within the soap. Hopefully that makes sense

 

[Mobjack Bay]

@HowieRoll will you share your percentages on the patch/lavender and patch/bergamot blends? I haven’t been able to make soap in almost two weeks, but I’m off next week and trying to decide what to do first!