Using an essential oil diffuser

[fillycate]

Ok, my third batch of gorgeous goat milk soap is dusted with soda ash. I think I need to accept this is the reality when I am making *only* goat milk soap and doing all I can to keep it *cool* in the processing. I definitely prefer the non-gel look.

So I am resigning myself to soda ash being the regular and dealing with getting it off later rather than trying to fight it with alcohol.

Supposedly a steamer will completely get rid of it. And some people have said that curing your bars in the presence of a cotton ball soaked in the desired essential oil scents will help bars take on that scent.

So.... I thought...

What if I sometimes place an essential oil diffuser in the presence of my ashy bars with the essential oil scent I would like them to absorb more of? Has anyone done this?

Oh you know me, I *will* be experimenting. I just wondered if anyone had prior experience with it.

 

[AliOop]

Until recently, I have used only EOs in my soap. I haven't tried a diffuser or a cotton ball, and would highly doubt the scent would transfer from either of those to nearby soap.

My experience is that EO scents not only don't transfer from soap to soap, they fade pretty significantly over time. This is true even when soaps with different EOs are sitting right next to each other on the curing rack for two months or more at a time.

A couple of exceptions are patchouli, tea tree, and to some extent, lavender. They all fade, but less so than some of the others. They still don't transfer to other soaps nearby though. Sorry...

 

[fillycate]

Huh. This leads me to wonder, what is the difference between EOs and FOs? Why does the former fade and the latter does not?

 

[shunt2011]

I have to agree with AliOop. I don't think anything will make the scent stronger. There are a handful of EO's that actually stick. I use lemongrass, patchouli, eucalyptus, tea tree, peppermint and lavender. They have sticking power. Otherwise I use FO's. They are formulated for soap and therefore stick and last longer. Also why I use micas and not natural colorants. They are more vivid as opposed to fading.

 

[fillycate]

I didn't know that other soap colorants faded. I have not been ready to dive into colorants just yet, maybe after I get more experience under my belt.

 

[shunt2011]

Herb and spices infused into oils for color have a tendency to fade over time.

 

[AliOop]

@shunt2011 ah yes, I totally forgot about lemongrass, peppermint, and eucalyptus, probably because I rarely use those, except lemongrass in certain EO blends.

I also forgot that litsea cubeba sticks pretty well, too. Orange 10x sticks well in the short term but is almost all gone after 3 months, IME. EO mixes stick a little better for me than single EOs, but again, the stronger EOs are the ones I smell the most after time has passed.

The only "natural" colorants that stick for me are carob or cocoa (light tan to dark brown) and charcoal (grey to black). But they do bleed when used in amounts large enough to create deep colors.

@fillycate FOs are created in the lab specifically to last through saponification and cure. The secrets behind why and how they stick are pretty much that - trade secrets. No doubt it has something to do with removing (or not using) some of the volatile compounds that are naturally present in EOs, and adding other chemical substances intended to make the scent last.

I have a LOT of trouble with FOs giving me headaches and other allergic reactions (skin itching, hives, lip swelling, etc.). So I truly wanted to make it with just EOs. The reality is, my favorite soap recipe is high lard, which requires a longer than usual cure for optimum qualities. By then, most of the EO scent is gone, although it does return a bit in the shower.

I'm happy to make unscented soaps for me and for my family. But I make a lot of soap for friends, and they want the good smells. So, I'm slowly trying one FO at a time to see what I can tolerate in my house without adverse reactions. It's been interesting.

 

[fillycate]

It sounds like a sort of wizardry.

I love love love the idea of using natural fragrances only. It makes me so sad that so many of them fade! And if they have to denature the molecules to make them stay, no wonder people have adverse reactions.