overscented soap

[JBot]

I'm posting this here instead of in the FO category because what I'm really asking is how I can fix my soap, if you can bear with me for a moment. . .

I think my latest batch of HP is over-scented. I used BB's "Drakkar Type" at a rate of 3.5% in soap (5.2% of oils), which typically gives me a noticeable but gentle fragrance. (I loathe overwhelming scents.) This usage rate was halfway between the "light" and "medium" levels on BB's fragrance calculator. Interestingly, with BB scents it almost always works out to be one gram of FO per ounce of HP soap (not per ounce of oils).

Although I usually get good results with the lighter end of the BB fragrance calculator's recommendations, this time the result is HORRIBLE. Sickeningly, nauseatingly, terribly overscented. It smells like I used 4 times as much as I should have. And I know I didn't make a huge measuring error, since there's only so much FO in the bottle, and I didn't finish the bottle.

So. . .can I fix this? Is there a way to partially destroy a fragrance once it's in the soap? I haven't noticed any changes in the strength of the scents when I've baked various bars for less than an hour at ~170F, but maybe if I baked them longer, or at a higher temp?

I'll try just about anything, except I'd really rather not re-batch. It's a red, black, and white swirl (I finally got a good red!), it looks nice, and I'm sure it would be an ugly gray if I re-batched.

The smell is so strong that I'm afraid to put these bars on the drying rack with my other soaps, lest they all be contaminated. Is that even possible, or is it an irrational fear?

I'm also wondering if maybe I'm highly sensitive to something in this particular FO, in the sense that what smells incredibly strong to me smells normal to other people. I'll be carrying it around to ask people. . .if I can stand to be that close to it. But I don't remember thinking that my sample smelled crazy-strong when I tested this FO a few months ago, so I'm not all that confident that personal sensitivity is the issue.

Have any of you ever killed a fragrance, intentionally or not? If so, HOW?!

As always, I appreciate all the help and ideas that are shared on this forum.

 

[jules92207]

That is so weird, I just made that a few weeks ago myself and i just noticed today it's a lot lighter and much more pleasant than it was.

I would first put it somewhere it can cure but you don't have to smell it all the time. Give it a few weeks then check again. You might find it more approachable then.

If not, there is always rebatching but a good red shouldn't be messed with. That's like cutting the unicorns horn.

 

[Jstar]

The only thing I have ever made that was 'knock you down' strong, was some soap I made for my mother..using patch...and I cannot for the life of me get used to that smell..but the batch I made her is almost 2 yrs old and its still so strong till I have to leave the room if she uses it.

I dont know what you could do to kill the strength..Id also advise just letting it set for awhile and see if it fades/

 

[shunt2011]

I had this happen once. What I did is shred it and added the shreds to an unscented batch. I also cut dune into chunks and added those to a just barely scented batch

This was done after giving them a couple week cure and they were just too strong.

 

[Dorymae]

I would cut it and let it cure out if you want to preserve the design. It could take 6 months or more to fade but eventually it will fade out.

 

[TVivian]

I would cut it and let it cure out if you want to preserve the design. It could take 6 months or more to fade but eventually it will fade out.

I would do this too, and I have. Same thing happened to me a long time ago with BB's vetyver FO. It was just so strong and like you, the scent made me sick!! I cut it and put it out in my garage because it was such a beautiful black and white striped soap! Months and months later it was perfect and I gave away every bar. I thought I'd hate that scent forever, but now I use it all of the time at half of the recommended amount. Good luck! (I hope you have a garage haha)

 

[FlybyStardancer]

I used BB's "Drakkar Type" at a rate of 3.5% in soap (5.2% of oils),

I just want to say that this jumped out at me. Most everything I've seen has put FO usage at about 5% of the oils for cp, and less for hp. Since you're making hp soap, maybe this is part of the problem?

 

[marilynmac]

Cut it into shapes or long embeds big enough to see the swirls. Use the pieces as embeds in unscented and contrasting colored soap?

 

[JBot]

I just want to say that this jumped out at me. Most everything I've seen has put FO usage at about 5% of the oils for cp, and less for hp. Since you're making hp soap, maybe this is part of the problem?

That's true, but with BB specifically, the usage levels seem a little bit higher. For this particular FO, their calculator recommends an amount that works out to 4.25% of soap (not oils) for a "medium" strength scent. I used 3.5%, which is almost always perfect for my HP when I'm using a BB fragrance.

Anybody have thoughts on the strength of BB fragrances, compared to others?

Dorymae, TVivian: I shall stuff it in some remote corner of my house and let it cure for a year or 10. I would put it in the garage, but I live in the Pacific Northwest, and I'd worry about fluctuating moisture levels this time of year.

Then, if it still reeks, I will do as shunt2011 and marilynmac suggested and cut it up for embedding. That's a great idea, I'll add it to my "why didn't *I* think of that?" file. But that's what forums are for, right? :-D

 

[Seawolfe]

I was just thinking, the red swirls would be really striking if you embedded a long block or slices of it in say a black soap, like a frame around a picture.