What I did today

[Cherrydene soapy]

so I haven’t been having much luck with fragrance oils, tracing up really quickly which puts me in a panic when colouring or pouring. So I read over my notes and atm I have had better success with EO. I had brought a selection of tester EO so last night I sat down at the iPad and did some research on blending just 2 EO together. Found a great web side called eocalc.com which helped me calculate the usage of the EO I had. You enter the EO you want to use and the amount of batter you are using and it gives you a green or red reading. Green is you have the right amount, stated by the IFRA usage, the red reading means to have the percentage to high. Definitely worth a look.
So this morning I used a basic oil recipe and mixed my blended EO, i am hoping it will help me with trace, colour and soda ash information.
So this is what my kitchen looked like this morning. The 2 small silicone moulds are fill will the left over unscented batter.
I am really pleased with myself, the batter stayed in a lose trace while I mixed and poured. So no panic in my kitchen this morning, going to be a good day.
I hope everyone has a great weekend, weather is horrid here however the sun I’d shining in my kitchen.

 

[szaza]

Eocalc is wonderful isn't it
Enjoy your day and your freshly made soap! I'll try to send some sunshine, it's rare here, but we have lots of it today

 

[Clarice]

Hi @Cherrydene - i prefer EO to FO so I will explore this thank you!

Have you found with EO you have to use a TON of oil? That is the one thing that is pointing me, albeit reluctantly, to FO - - the sheer cost!

Thanks for post, C

 

[Cherrydene soapy]

Hi @Cherrydene - i prefer EO to FO so I will explore this thank you!

Have you found with EO you have to use a TON of oil? That is the one thing that is pointing me, albeit reluctantly, to FO - - the sheer cost!

Thanks for post, C

No not really have a look at that website it tells you how much EO to put with your oil

 

[Clarice]

Thanks - just visited - they don't have Frankincense - one of my favorites - shoot! Will be helpful for other fragrances - really like the "green / red" feature!

 

[cmzaha]

The biggest problem is they tend to badly fade, except Lemongrass, Litsea, and some Lavenders, Tea Tree and some Patchouli's. There are more that tend to stick but those were just off the top of my head. I will say Lemongrass EO does not stick or smell as good as my Lemongrass FO, which does not accelerate or discolor, in fact it is a dream to work with. Another accelerator can be Castor Oil.

Do you know what percentage of EO they are using in the EO Calc? Where are you purchasing your FO's? I actually have a few fo's that will slow trace, so you just have to read the reviews and test. Florals, Air type, and Spicy FO's tend to accelerate, to name a few.

 

[KiwiMoose]

I tend to mix EOs with FOs, so that I can satisfy my ‘natural’ side while still achieving a range of scents that last a bit longer. I’m compiling a list of combos that work well. If you mix a slow moving EO with a fast moving FO you can mitigate it to some extent.

 

[Cherrydene soapy]

I tend to mix EOs with FOs, so that I can satisfy my ‘natural’ side while still achieving a range of scents that last a bit longer. I’m compiling a list of combos that work well. If you mix a slow moving EO with a fast moving FO you can mitigate it to some extent.

Because I live in the uk there aren’t as many places to get FO not like BB Nature’s Garden. I keep reading all the reviews however nobody seems to be saying how it acts in the batter. I have been trying to compare FO from BB, NG and uk sites. I think I just need to keep reviewing and try some that aren’t floral or fruit as they seem to trace quickly and I am still learning my trace signs. If any uk soapers on here know some slow tracing FO please advise me

 

[KiwiMoose]

I found out that most of my FOs are actually from the USA - so then I could look on SMF fragrance spreadsheet for more info. Have you seen the spreadsheet? Under the fragrance thread.

 

[Cherrydene soapy]

I found out that most of my FOs are actually from the USA - so then I could look on SMF fragrance spreadsheet for more info. Have you seen the spreadsheet? Under the fragrance thread.

Yes but there are only a few English sites on there I have been reading it a lot it’s a great page

 

[Dawni]

If there's manufacturer info in the few UK sites you've seen, you can probably trace them back to the US or wherever, and see if there's a review for that particular FO in the US site, the same FO that the one in the UK probably imported? So you'll be looking for it in the US site..

I think that's what @KiwiMoose meant?