Oil Additives in MP Soap

[SWashington]

Hi. I’m very new to this. I would like to use natural colorants in melt and pour soap but they are made by cold infusions in oil. But I have learned adding oil to MP bases would essentially ruin the base if it’s anything more than a tsp per lb. However I have learned that you can be a little more generous with fragrance oils adding almost a TBS per lb. Is there a reason why you can add more fragrance oils without ruining the base vs regular oils. Also is making cold infusions with fragrance oils a bad idea?

 

[lsg]

Don't go over 1 TBSP per lb of M&P base.

 

[SWashington]

Don't go over 1 TBSP per lb of M&P base.

Thank you. Is this for any oil or just fragrance oils? Because I’m reading a teaspoon of regular oil per pound. And a tablespoon of natural fragrance oils per pound.

 

[lsg]

Thank you. Is this for any oil or just fragrance oils? Because I’m reading a teaspoon of regular oil per pound. And a tablespoon of natural fragrance oils per pound.

This is for oils and butters, not FOs. For FOs, follow the suggested usage rate by suppliers.

 

[ScentimentallyYours]

The composition of fragrance oils and essential oils are very different from the fatty acid profiles in oils used for making soap. Hopefully @DeeAnna or someone can jump in or post a link to explain the difference.

From Google AI:
In soap making, "fragrance oil" refers to the concentrated scent used to add aroma, while "carrier oils" are the base oils like olive oil or coconut oil that are used to create the soap itself, essentially acting as a vehicle to disperse the fragrance oil throughout the soap mixture; fragrance oils are composed of synthetic or natural aromatic compounds, while carrier oils are typically fatty acids derived from plants, each serving a distinct function in the soap-making process.

 

[Nona'sFarm]

@SWashington , I am guessing you're new to soap making. Here is an article that I found helpful when I first started soaping - click here for link .

Basically, there are pros and cons to each type of soap making. If you want to use infused natural colorants, it will be best to learn the Cold Process method of soap making.

 

[akseattle]

@SWashington
In a very recent post of mine where I forgot to add one of my oils to my CP soap, but where the soap seemed to come out okay, by that I mean it did not zap me when I gave it the zap test, I wondered if what saved me was that I had added more fragrance oil than 6%.

In response @Mobjack Bay provided the following really helpful information about the difference between fragrance oils and regular oils:

"The FO I used is really weak at 6%. It's MAX IFRA is 100%, so I used 9%. Maybe that extra oil in my FO gave me a little cushion? Fragrance oils do not saponify because they are not triglycerides, which means they don't affect the superfat (as we soap makers define superfat). The coconut cream in @KiwiMoose recipe affected the superfat because the cream contains triglyceride fats."

So, I think @Mobjack Bay would be a good resource on your question. Maybe she will see your post and respond.

 

[Mobjack Bay]

Sorry, I don't know much about M&P soap making and don't feel I can't add anything useful to this discussion past what has been mentioned above.

 

[SWashington]

@ScentimentallyYours @akseattle @Nona'sFarm @Mobjack Bay Thank you everyone. The feedback has been very helpful. I have done some more research and studying on fixed oils vs volatile oils. It makes much more sense. I get that Essential oils/ Fragrance Oils evaporate at certain temperatures while fixed oils don’t. I also understand that volatile oils have already been infused which give them their scents. I guess I was trying to figure out if I added oil soluble botanicals like yellow dock, Himalayan rhubarb, indigo, annatto seed, etc to natural fragrance oils or essential oil would that change the color of the oil that could then be used in a MP base as a colorant+ fragrance vs adding a fixed oil like castor oil, jojoba oil which will more likely ruin the base.

As for CP soap making, unfortunately I can’t do it but I wish I could as it gives you more freedom to tailor the ingredients in soap. However I have Kidney Failure and Pots and bunch of other health conditions where I don’t think handling lye would be good for me.

I guess I’m just going to have to test it out and see what happens.

 

[Nona'sFarm]

@ScentimentallyYours @akseattle @Nona'sFarm @Mobjack Bay Thank you everyone. The feedback has been very helpful. I have done some more research and studying on fixed oils vs volatile oils. It makes much more sense. I get that Essential oils/ Fragrance Oils evaporate at certain temperatures while fixed oils don’t. I also understand that volatile oils have already been infused which give them their scents. I guess I was trying to figure out if I added oil soluble botanicals like yellow dock, Himalayan rhubarb, indigo, annatto seed, etc to natural fragrance oils or essential oil would that change the color of the oil that could then be used in a MP base as a colorant+ fragrance vs adding a fixed oil like castor oil, jojoba oil which will more likely ruin the base.

As for CP soap making, unfortunately I can’t do it but I wish I could as it gives you more freedom to tailor the ingredients in soap. However I have Kidney Failure and Pots and bunch of other health conditions where I don’t think handling lye would be good for me.

I guess I’m just going to have to test it out and see what happens.

Best wishes on your experiments. One thought - if you are interested in "natural" colorants, check out micas. Some are only altered to take out harmful components and do not contain artificial color. You have to read the various components of the micas and look them up to determine if any are synthetic. Of course you will want micas that are made to use in soap, as not all are.

 

[AliOop]

As for CP soap making, unfortunately I can’t do it but I wish I could as it gives you more freedom to tailor the ingredients in soap. However I have Kidney Failure and Pots and bunch of other health conditions where I don’t think handling lye would be good for me.

I'm so sorry to hear that. A family member has POTS and it's not fun.

We'd love to help you find some work-arounds for avoiding lye fumes and anything else preventing you from soaping. One is to buy the premixed lye solution if it is available in your area. My local box craft store carries it in the soapmaking aisle. Another thought is to ask a friend or family member to premix a "masterbatch" of lye solution for you. Once it has been mixed and cooled, there are no fumes at all. You can read more about masterbatching lye solution here on SMF, or watch some YT videos. Let us know if we can help!