What soapy thing have you done today?

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There goes my diet. Now I’m craving jelly roll. These are beautiful.
 
I posted on this earlier, but yeah, I’m a recovering EO snob. It just seems counter-intuitive to go to all the trouble to make a natural-ingredient soap then fill it chemicals belched from a lab on the Jersey Turnpike. And this is coming from a guy who thinks “organic” is another word for “marketing hype.” I’m seeking therapy for my issues.

I think it posted again when i wrote the message about polos and whatever you call them i saw it but cba editing it at the time so just left it.

I get what your saying about the chemicals in fo but thats why i dont make claims that they are all natural but make a point of telling people when its just eo i do love the soaps i made with peppermint and eucalyptus eo and thats still going strong like 4-5 months after making it maybe longer think i made it in December 2018. Iv tried eo and honestly i love them but so few have stuck most citrus ones have gone before they had even cured and give someone an unscented soap and they will give you proper s****y looks then say thank you lol even as a gift. Give most people a nice smelling one and they will mean the thank you. Granted some want unscented but they are few and far between. Plus i make candles and eo suck in candles
 
I think its fun to "play" with people's conception of scent by augmenting the appearance.

Since people associate certain colors with certain scents, I sometimes pair the unexpected to create a more whimsical/fantasy fragrance theme. It's a worldwide marketing ploy and it's very successful.

I blend a lot of my fragrances and mostly use simple colorants but not even my family can pick out common bases with wildly different appearances.
 
I think it posted again when i wrote the message about polos and whatever you call them i saw it but cba editing it at the time so just left it.

I get what your saying about the chemicals in fo but thats why i dont make claims that they are all natural but make a point of telling people when its just eo i do love the soaps i made with peppermint and eucalyptus eo and thats still going strong like 4-5 months after making it maybe longer think i made it in December 2018. Iv tried eo and honestly i love them but so few have stuck most citrus ones have gone before they had even cured and give someone an unscented soap and they will give you proper s****y looks then say thank you lol even as a gift. Give most people a nice smelling one and they will mean the thank you. Granted some want unscented but they are few and far between. Plus i make candles and eo suck in candles

Hmmm. So your experience is that FO’s stick around longer? That’s interesting. The ones I’ve used—cheap/crappy ones I’m guessing—end up with a chemical smell as they cure. I have some cucumber bars that are nice but just have a slightly metallic sorta thing at the end. I thought I was conjuring it up, so I asked my wife, and she agreed. Maybe simply used too much. I did order some black pepper sandalwood FO from WSP yesterday that had great reviews. Excited to try that out in a couple of weeks.
 
I think its fun to "play" with people's conception of scent by augmenting the appearance.

Since people associate certain colors with certain scents, I sometimes pair the unexpected to create a more whimsical/fantasy fragrance theme. It's a worldwide marketing ploy and it's very successful.

I blend a lot of my fragrances and mostly use simple colorants but not even my family can pick out common bases with wildly different appearances.

Now you’re really talking anarchy. I like it! Clearly, I need to “take the red pill” and free my mind from the Matrix.
 
I think its fun to "play" with people's conception of scent by augmenting the appearance.

Since people associate certain colors with certain scents, I sometimes pair the unexpected to create a more whimsical/fantasy fragrance theme. It's a worldwide marketing ploy and it's very successful.

I blend a lot of my fragrances and mostly use simple colorants but not even my family can pick out common bases with wildly different appearances.

I watched a news report on this a few years ago. I believe they were giving people things to taste/drink. lime colored strawberry color etc and most people choose the taste that went with the color not actual flavor
 
mine are pretty plain compared to those but I love the bubbles. I made some and used an ice cream scoop--used cocoa butter and shea butter so it didn't bubble much but it was real luxurious

Are the like “Mr. Bubbles” in the water or intended to bubble with friction on your skin like regular soap? (stop laughing at me!)
 
Hmmm. So your experience is that FO’s stick around longer? That’s interesting. The ones I’ve used—cheap/crappy ones I’m guessing—end up with a chemical smell as they cure. I have some cucumber bars that are nice but just have a slightly metallic sorta thing at the end. I thought I was conjuring it up, so I asked my wife, and she agreed. Maybe simply used too much. I did order some black pepper sandalwood FO from WSP yesterday that had great reviews. Excited to try that out in a couple of weeks.

Well given im in england and have never bought a cheap fo i suspect we have different rules about them too. Infact i know we have because a british webpage called whicknwhacks sell american fo and they are deemed as safe for soap in america in england none of them are classed as safe in soap well not to sell at least for personal use they would be ok and we have something called an irfa or ifra documentation here that presents the safe fo % in all kinds of cosmetics and candle uses ect ect which i suspect you have something simular but iv never gone higher than 5% fo in soaps. But absolutly yes in my experience fo sticks around much much better than eo however i have come across a few that have faded but they have been either citrus or fruity ones and some of them were terribly naughty in soap anyway so wouldnt use them again anyways. Iv actually just lit one of my sandalwood and pepper candles like 2 minutes before i read that lol and my faverate fo is probably that very scent only used it few times in soap but i liked it so much that i bought a litre of it
 
Well given im in england and have never bought a cheap fo i suspect we have different rules about them too. Infact i know we have because a british webpage called whicknwhacks sell american fo and they are deemed as safe for soap in america in england none of them are classed as safe in soap well not to sell at least for personal use they would be ok and we have something called an irfa or ifra documentation here that presents the safe fo % in all kinds of cosmetics and candle uses ect ect which i suspect you have something simular but iv never gone higher than 5% fo in soaps. But absolutly yes in my experience fo sticks around much much better than eo however i have come across a few that have faded but they have been either citrus or fruity ones and some of them were terribly naughty in soap anyway so wouldnt use them again anyways. Iv actually just lit one of my sandalwood and pepper candles like 2 minutes before i read that lol and my faverate fo is probably that very scent only used it few times in soap but i liked it so much that i bought a litre of it

I’ll accept that as karma....can’t wait to try it! I was thinking of a nude bar with specks of actual pepper in it. Is that crazy?
 
Well given im in england and have never bought a cheap fo i suspect we have different rules about them too. Infact i know we have because a british webpage called whicknwhacks sell american fo and they are deemed as safe for soap in america in england none of them are classed as safe in soap well not to sell at least for personal use they would be ok and we have something called an irfa or ifra documentation here that presents the safe fo % in all kinds of cosmetics and candle uses ect ect which i suspect you have something simular but iv never gone higher than 5% fo in soaps. But absolutly yes in my experience fo sticks around much much better than eo however i have come across a few that have faded but they have been either citrus or fruity ones and some of them were terribly naughty in soap anyway so wouldnt use them again anyways. Iv actually just lit one of my sandalwood and pepper candles like 2 minutes before i read that lol and my faverate fo is probably that very scent only used it few times in soap but i liked it so much that i bought a litre of it


I do believe your impression of the US not following IFRA standards is somewhat misinformed. We speak of checking IFRA standards here at SMF frequently, and although it is still only voluntary (not regulated) in the US, there are some vendors who include safe usage information based on IFRA standards both on their websites and in the documentation they provide about their fragrances (FOs and EOs).

Just thought I'd point that out.
 
I do believe your impression of the US not following IFRA standards is somewhat misinformed. We speak of checking IFRA standards here at SMF frequently, and although it is still only voluntary (not regulated) in the US, there are some vendors who include safe usage information based on IFRA standards both on their websites and in the documentation they provide about their fragrances (FOs and EOs).

Just thought I'd point that out.

I didnt really mean to say that america dont follow the irfa I just thought it was a eu wide regulation i didnt know this was international standards as I have no idea what the initials stand for, plus we DO have completetly different rules regardless of what they are called so I was right i just called them the wromg thing. I dont think iv ever come across anyone specifically saying on this forum to check the irfa for usage just that you should check recommended usage for a fo but i dont have the best of memory nor read all posts and have been only able to check the forum a few times in the past few months too because iv been so busy with general life so this could be the reason iv got confused with the names of things.
What i actually said/meant or maybe i didnt and i just assumed it was obvious i dunno was that the fo that this company sells that come from america are deemed as not safe for use in soap to be sold within the uk probably actually the eu too. Check thier website out if you dont believe me. And this is going off the information that the website itself is giving out to customers so if this isnt the case they are doing themselves out of potential customers so cant see they would be daft enough to say this unless its the case! We have very strict and different rules to outside the eu regarding soaps and any cosmetics and legally we have to get them officially certified something americans dont need right? So i suppose it could be that their particular fos maybe contain a certain chemical that we dont allow to be used in sold handmade soap in the uk or eu? Im only going off what thier site says and wasnt in the slightest suggesting you dont follow rules. Not sure whats going on with this being recommended but check out the website and youll see what im talking about :) Hope i didnt cause any offense

@DWinMadison I would maybe maybe try using something else i can imagine even small amount of pepper being scratchy but something to imitate pepper would look good
 
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been playing all morning with recipe and price out per bar.

Ordered my best selling FO's

Trying to clear off tables so I can do marathon soaping at some point in the next few weeks
 
I didnt say that america dont follow the irfa I just thought it was a eu wide regulation i didnt know this was international standards as I have no idea what the initials stand for, plus we DO have completetly different rules regardless of what they are called. I dont think iv ever come across anyone specifically saying on this forum to check the irfa for usage just that you should check recommended usage for a fo but i dont have the best of memory nor read all posts and have been only able to check the forum a few times in the past few month too because iv been so busy with general life so this could be the reason iv got confused with the names of things.
What i actually said was that the fo that this company sells that come from america are deemed as not safe for use in soap to be sold within the uk probably actually the eu too. Check thier website out if you dont believe me. And this is going off the information that the website itself is giving out to customers so if this isnt the case they are doing themselves out of potential customers so cant see they would be daft enough to say this unless its the case! We have very strict and different rules to outside the eu regarding soaps and any cosmetics and legally we have to get them officially certified something americans dont need right? So i suppose it could be that their particular fos maybe contain a certain chemical that we dont allow to be used in sold handmade soap in the uk or eu? Im only going off what thier site says and wasnt in the slightest suggesting you dont follow rules. Not sure whats going on with this being recommended but check out the website and youll see what im talking about :) Hope i didnt cause any offense

Here's one example: https://www.soapmakingforum.com/threads/mp-soap-standard.68888/#post-683699
It is my post, but I learned about IFRA here at SMF, as well as the soapmaking seminars I have attended in the first couple of years of soapmaking. And I am not the only member here who has made that recommendation or included a link to the actual IFRA website for finding safe usage amounts.

Here's the link to the International Fragrance Association (IFRA) standards website where I go when I want to look up safe usage information:

http://www.ifraorg.org/en-us/standards#.XLtbR6ROm00

I do understand that the EU does have stricter rules in regards to certification of cosmetic products which in the EU includes soap, but am not as familiar with them since I have no experience in that arena. But I do notice that there are sections on the IFRA site that specify EU and UK information, but I haven't read the linked articles. The US federal regulations for soap are somewhat different, as not all soap is considered cosmetic, so that is one major difference. Although some smaller municipalities (states and local governments) who do sometimes have stricter regulations within the US.

I am not saying I don't believe you about the site you mentioned. I just wanted to point out that IFRA is used by some fragrance sellers in the US (here is one example of a US seller of FO's that uses IFRA in its sales of FO's: https://rusticescentuals.com/Jasmine-White.html) and that some (maybe many) soapmakers in the US do follow IFRA guidelines because it is wise to do so.
And another example of a US company that sells IFRA compliant fragrances (and includes allergen information as well): https://www.naturesgardencandles.com/fragrance-oils

No you did not offend me at all. I just was attempting to clear up what I felt was a misunderstanding.

I tried looking up the website you mentioned, but my Google search for "whicknwhacks" was not forthcoming. Do you have a link? I would be pleased to read through it and learn a bit more about what you are saying in regards to the American brands of FO's they are selling. But to be clear, not all FO's or EO's are safe in soap or any other product to touch the skin, so that would not surprise me. Some fragrances are sold to be used only in wax melts, etc. So maybe that's the type of fragrances they buy from the US. I don't really know, of course, but that seems most likely to me. I could be wrong of course, because, as we all know, not every company that makes or sells products is necessarily scrupulous.

Okay, I found the site (your previous post left out a letter, which is why I couldn't find it at first), if this is it:
https://www.whicksnwhacks.com/about-us-1-w.asp

I will read a bit on the site to get a picture of what you are seeing.

Okay, is this what you are referring to:
"Although these oils are passed for use in soap and body products in the USA, due to additional EU requirements they are not considered to be suitable for use in bath and body products in the EU without additional allergen testing to comply with EU regulations."
That makes sense to me. It's the allergen testing that the EU requires that the source in the US has not provided. Allegen testing of cosmetic products in the US is probably not as strict as the EU, at least not yet, and who knows if it will ever be the same.

Of course they don't say what vendors in the US they got those products from, so that's not to say all US vendors don't include the required information. After all many US soap manufacturers also sell in the EU and they are required to follow the rules for sales in the EU, same as the EU based companies. So those companies (Proctor & Gamble, is one example - they make Irish Spring, which is available in the UK, as I found it there.)
 
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Here's one example: https://www.soapmakingforum.com/threads/mp-soap-standard.68888/#post-683699
It is my post, but I learned about IFRA here at SMF, as well as the soapmaking seminars I have attended in the first couple of years of soapmaking. And I am not the only member here who has made that recommendation or included a link to the actual IFRA website for finding safe usage amounts.

Here's the link to the International Fragrance Association (IFRA) standards website where I go when I want to look up safe usage information:

http://www.ifraorg.org/en-us/standards#.XLtbR6ROm00

I do understand that the EU does have stricter rules in regards to certification of cosmetic products which in the EU includes soap, but am not as familiar with them since I have no experience in that arena. But I do notice that there are sections on the IFRA site that specify EU and UK information, but I haven't read the linked articles. The US federal regulations for soap are somewhat different, as not all soap is considered cosmetic, so that is one major difference. Although some smaller municipalities (states and local governments) who do sometimes have stricter regulations within the US.

I am not saying I don't believe you about the site you mentioned. I just wanted to point out that IFRA is used by some fragrance sellers in the US (here is one example of a US seller of FO's that uses IFRA in its sales of FO's: https://rusticescentuals.com/Jasmine-White.html) and that some (maybe many) soapmakers in the US do follow IFRA guidelines because it is wise to do so.
And another example of a US company that sells IFRA compliant fragrances (and includes allergen information as well): https://www.naturesgardencandles.com/fragrance-oils

No you did not offend me at all. I just was attempting to clear up what I felt was a misunderstanding.

I tried looking up the website you mentioned, but my Google search for "whicknwhacks" was not forthcoming. Do you have a link? I would be pleased to read through it and learn a bit more about what you are saying in regards to the American brands of FO's they are selling. But to be clear, not all FO's or EO's are safe in soap or any other product to touch the skin, so that would not surprise me. Some fragrances are sold to be used only in wax melts, etc. So maybe that's the type of fragrances they buy from the US. I don't really know, of course, but that seems most likely to me. I could be wrong of course, because, as we all know, not every company that makes or sells products is necessarily scrupulous.

Okay, I found the site (your previous post left out a letter, which is why I couldn't find it at first), if this is it:
https://www.whicksnwhacks.com/about-us-1-w.asp

I will read a bit on the site to get a picture of what you are seeing.

Okay, is this what you are referring to:
"Although these oils are passed for use in soap and body products in the USA, due to additional EU requirements they are not considered to be suitable for use in bath and body products in the EU without additional allergen testing to comply with EU regulations."
That makes sense to me. It's the allergen testing that the EU requires that the source in the US has not provided. Allegen testing of cosmetic products in the US is probably not as strict as the EU, at least not yet, and who knows if it will ever be the same.

Of course they don't say what vendors in the US they got those products from, so that's not to say all US vendors don't include the required information. After all many US soap manufacturers also sell in the EU and they are required to follow the rules for sales in the EU, same as the EU based companies. So those companies (Proctor & Gamble, is one example - they make Irish Spring, which is available in the UK, as I found it there.)

Iv never seen anything called Irish Spring in England but i tend to walk in supermarkets for what i want and not much else so cant say iv ever looked for it. Was it called that or something different here? We have fairy here which i believe is made by P&G but is called Dawn in America so not even close to being simular unless they are suggesting @Dawni is a fairy? Away with the fairies i would maybe agree with!

Yes that is the sentence i was refering too and i hadnt thought about it being an allergen but that makes sense because its approved for candle use just not soap and cosmetics. I think i have poorly worded some of what iv written today i wasnt really wanting to suggest you didnt believe me just saying have a look and youll see what I mean. And i didnt think that all suppliers didnt comply with our regs but thats the only place iv come across that sells american fo in the uk. not really sure why they bother tbh iv found plenty of decent fo suppliers from the uk and they all can be used in soaps and be sold so this company is definatly limiting thier customer base by only supplying these oils. Pitty because i order stuff from them and would try them if they could be used in soap but oh well

I completely believe that it has been said and linked too I just didnt remember seeing it myself all i was remembering was people saying refer to recommended % use. And i think thats why iv thought its just an eu wide regulation but now i know what it stands for that makes alot more sense. Thank you for eduacating me :).
Iv yet to fully even look into the whole regs we have here its a bit of a pain really not so much the rules i can cope with them but it gets expensive when you have to pay not that im suggesting they should not charge for thier time and expertise. Im yet to even find a recipe im 100% happy with that i would want to stick with as we can only change a certain number of things and fo colour would all count as one variation in a recipe.
 
First, they look awesome,and I know they’ll bring a great price at your fundraiser. I watched a vlog post from a lady this week on the topic of not over-buying FOs. As we say in the deep south, “Bless her heart.” She was surrounded by what looked like hundreds of bottles — drawers and drawers that she had purchased over time because the descriptions online seemed so inviting 8-|. Her point was that many of the fragrances people like in candles —foods and some fruits are often not the best choices for things to put on your body. I have a bottle of coffee FO that I’ve been reticent to use for anything but kitchen soaps. What do y’all think? I’m generally a clean-scent, only EO snob..but the price gap is pushing me start considering the virtues of FOs.
I cannot even sell a coffee or chocolate even in kitchen soap. It just will not sell for me
 
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