The most lingering scent EO or FO?

[Lindy]

I also will only use EO's.

I have found quite a few that leave a lingering scent, but i also tend to use more than 3%.

Where did this 3% rule i have read a few times on this forum come from?

3% is considered therapeutic in aromatherapy and essential oils were developed as a therapeutic product. Soapmakers in recent years have decided that since they smell pretty they should be in their soaps. If you were to look at the IFRA recommendations on each essential oil (this should be available from your EO supplier on each) you will see the actual percentage on some are 0.7% because of the sensitization issues (Cinnamon). Yes soap is a wash off product, however the reason our soaps are so marvelous is that we leave free floating oils to condition the skin, which means they remain on the skin after washing off. Essential oils are nonsaponifiables are they are not true oils and therefore they too remain free-floating in the soap. Even when the scent fades the therapeutic properties remain, scent is only part of the essential oil and although it does create some therapeutic response it is not the property that is going to affect your liver, etc.

So having gone through all this, it is the reason 3% is the maximum recommended in soap. In leave-on 1% is the recommended amount.

 

[Lindy]

Bodhi - you might want to look into a beginner aromatherapy course to help answer some of these questions....

 

[bodhi]

Thank you Lindy, that makes sense now that this number is based on aromatherapy recommendations. Even though eo's may not be 'saponifiable' many of the chemical properties do not survive the saponificaion process at all and inhalation is different than absorption.

Do you know what research aromatherapists base their recommended usage rates from? I see that ifra has restricted menthol use for their members because of the methyl salicylate content, odd.

 

[Lindy]

The more irritating the EO the lower the recommended dosage. According to Robert Tisserand and Kevin Dunn the therapeutic properties of the essential oils do survive saponification which is why these recommendations exist. If you lived in the EU you would be restricted differently on each oil depending on the irritants and allergens. You would also have to have an SA to be able to make soap to sell which would have the restrictions stated on it. I'll see if I can find more information. The best info is coming out of Europe and it seems to me they feel 3% is high on a total allowed.

 

[Lindy]

Here is some information which may be of interest to you. It is from Fresholi in Europe in the Resources Section.

IFRA List of Banned/Restricted Oils
Of course all essential oils and other natural aromatic materials present issues of sensitisation if used in too high concentrations however, the IFRA have identified specific oils that are either banned for use in costmetics and perfumes or have restrictive limits. Following is the current list of banned/restricted oils but this is subject to changes.
IFRA banned oils

Cade oil crude (prickly juniper, juniper tar)
Juniperus oxycedrus
Carcinogenic

Calamus oil (sweet flag, myrtle flag, sweet rush, and sweet sedge)
Acorus calamus
Carcinogenic (potentially high levels of b-asarone)

Costus root (kuth)
Saussurea costus
Sensitiser

Elecampane oil (scabwort)
Inula helenium
Sensitiser

Fig leaf absolute
Ficus carica
Sensitiser

Horseradish oil
Armoracia rusticana
Toxic, irritant

Melissa oil
Melissa officinalis
Sensitiser

Mustard oil (black mustard)
Brassica nigra
Toxic, irritant

Peru balsam (balsam of Peru, Balsamo)
Myroxylon var. pereirae
Sensitiser (distilled oil is allowed)

Sade tree oil (no further details??)

Savin oil
Juniperus sabina
Toxic, sensitiser (Juniper phoenicea oil is allowed)

Verbena oil
Lippia citriodora / Aloysia triphylla
Sensitiser

Tea absolute
Thea sinensis / Camellia sinensis
Sensitiser

Sassafras oil
Sassafras albidum
Carcinogenic

Stryax gum (oriental sweet gum, storax)
Liquidambar orientalis
Sensitiser

Wormseed (Epazote or Mexican Tea)
Chenopodium ambroisoides (also known as Chenopodium anthelminticum)
Toxic

Wormwood oil
Artemisia absinthium
Neurotoxin

IFRA restricted oils

While the following oils are not banned possible sensitization and/or photo-toxicity may occur due to the amount of active compounds contained within the oil.

Angelica root oil
Angelica archangelica
Phototoxic 0.78%

Bergamot oil - Expressed (bergamot orange)
Citrus aurantium ssp. bergamia
Phototoxic 0.4%

Bitter orange oil (Seville orange)
Citrus aurantium
Phototoxic 1.4%

Cassia oil (cassia bark, Chinese cinnamon)
Cinnamomum cassia
Sensitiser 0.2%

Cinnamon bark (cinnamon, Ceylon cinnamon)
Cinnamomum zeylanicum
Sensitiser 0,2%

Cumin oil (comino, jeera)
Cuminum cyminum
Phototoxic 0.4%

Grapefruit oil - Expressed
Citrus paradisi
Phototoxic 4%

Lemon oil - Cold Pressed
Citrus limon
Phototoxic 2%

Lime oil - Expressed
Citrus aurantiifolia
Phototoxic 0.7%

Mandarin petigrain
Citrus
Phototoxic 0.165%

Opoponax
Sensitiser

Tagete oil and absolute (muster-John-Henry, khaki weed, stinking Rodger)
Tagetes minuta
Phototoxic 0.05%

Oakmoss absolute and resinoid
Evernia prunastri
Sensitiser 0.1%

Pinaceae oils (to have less than 10 millimoles peroxide per litre)
Pinaceae mugo, P. nigra, P. pinaster, P. sylvatica
Sensitiser

Rue oil (herb of grace, herbygrass)
Ruta graveolens
Sensitiser 0.78%

Treemoss absolute
Evernia furfuracea
Sensitiser 0.6%




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[soapguy]

AnitaB

I am new to perfuming, but in perfumes you must include high notes, middle notes and base notes. Google perfumes and it will explain things further. There are charts that will explain what group a particular EO falls under. Some will fall into one or more groups.

 

[soapguy]

Canada and European countries usually recommend a 3% EO conc. Personally, I don't trust government guidelines and always suspect there is more to their criteria that involves other issues not related to the subject at hand.