Which is more popular FO or EO?

[bobbie.johnson]

Which is more popular to soap with FO or EOs? What do family friends or customers like best?

I am right now I only use EOs and am trying to descide if I should venture into FOs. And how important is the "natural" aspect of it. I give alot of soap away and sometimes it seems like friends miss the bath and body type fragrances...

Thanks!

 

[mel z]

While I cannot answer with any surety as I am fairly new, I would think the FO's would sell more quickly as there is a wider variety and most people are used to them already. Since I am allergic to all FO's I use minimal EO's and they seem to have a lighter aroma then store soaps and that aroma can fade away in time.

As far as the ranges of scents, there are so many, you can make entire lines based around certain scents.

I'm sure you will get lots more replies, with lots more education and experience behind them than this one though.

 

[Badger]

I think that both can be popular and can be used for different reasons. I like the versatility of FOs and I like the benefits and natural nature of EOs. I use both personally, but as I am new to this also I can't say on which sells better or worse. I know that a lot of my friends are more into EOs, but a lot of my friends are from a different subset of society also. If I ask my family what types of scents they like, I get very different answers.

 

[WallFlower]

I use both. For EOs that are too expensive I buy the FO version to save money. I think FOs are probably more popular just because (at least where I'm from) people aren't as into the "natural" movement as they are other places. But I make plain unscented soap, straight EO soap, and FO/EO blend soaps to try and cover most bases.

 

[christinak]

I like FO's but I would have to say that if I was more into herbal scents I'd be a big fan of EO's.

 

[bobbie.johnson]

maybe i just need to find some EO blends that smell amazing. I just did a blend of lemon eucalyptus and that is our new fav.

 

[bonnyny]

As others have said, it's important to be careful with EO. Putting a sachet of lavender in your pillowcase overnight alone shows how powerful herbs can be.

 

[Genny]

Using fo's or eo's really is a personal choice. I use & like both. I always recommend people learn about eo's and how to safely use them before using them, though. It's also important that you know the safe limits for the fo's you use.

As far as what customers want, most don't care or know the difference. Most know only what other bath & body people tell them, which can sometimes be scary.
I've had some customers tell me that they only use eo's because they're "completely natural" and I've found that many customers really have no idea that solvents are used in the extraction process of many eo's. Many of them are under the assumption that eo's are squeezed out of the plant. I've also a couple tell me that they can only use eo's because they're hypoallergenic and safer. Which obviously is not true either.
I also get the occasional customer looking for something scented with "Strawberry Essence" or "Lilac Essential Oil" or something like that. They get irritated when they find out that the previous person who sold them something with strawberry eo was lying to them.

So with whatever you decide to use, just be honest about it.

 

[houseofwool]

I use only EO, but that is because my sister uses all of my soaps and she is allergic to synthetic fragrances, as in hives, respiratory distress and migraines.

I've gotten a couple of sample FO and a lilac FO that was shipped to me by mistake and I am looking forward to using them for myself.

 

[Lolly58]

I use both. I guess it depends on what people are looking for as to whats more popular. My best selling lotion bar is made with sweet orange and ylang eo,but my best selling sugar scrub is made with watermelon fo,and my best selling bath bomb is a combination of coconut fo on the outside and lime eo in the middle. I've found at the market where I sell its more about the smell than the natural aspect.

 

[lizflowers42]

It's all about personal preference, and what your customer base's preference is. You mentioned they miss the bath and body scents, I'm assuming you mean they miss the bold fruity/floral scents from Bath and Body Works? There are a lot of good quality FO's out there and lots of duplication. Just don't expect what you find at the craft store to have what you are looking for-I did that a while ago when I was just getting started with melt and pour soaps and was horrified with the scent results! Most of the online retailers list their top sellers-I have found that to be a good start when picking FO's.

Me though, I love EO's. I keep a bottle of peppermint and lavender at my desk that I whip out when I'm super swamped and stressed out, it's a good mood elevator!

 

[Shannon_m]

I personally use both. I use citrus EO because they're better smelling (to me) and I use FO for the wide variety. I just like good smelling stuff, hence my business name "Smellicious Soaps" lol

 

[dcornett]

As others have said with the fo you get a MUCH wider varieity of scents, and they normally stick around a lot longer too. I do both because you'll sell both, and you will have that few that only want the "natural" ones. As far as what sells best, my biggest sellers are soaps made with fo, even though I personally love the eo blends, (right now my favorite is a Rosemary Mint) but I don't sell alot of it...:-|

 

[VanessaP]

I'm one of those who sticks primarily to FOs because A) I suck at making blends and B) I worry about all the warnings and restrictions of EOs for particular groups. And I'll be honest. I have a few EOs and I've received a few EO soaps. I have yet to find a soap with just EOs that I actually like :/

 

[apphorses]

I use both. I like eo for the natural aspect but fo can smell really good and you can get natural fragrances too.

 

[tinytreats]

When I first started, I thought people would prefer EOs more so than FOs but I have come to learn that I don't think it matters. Whenever I sell at markets and fairs, mo one has ever asked me or commented on the fact that I use FOs or EOs. I think a lot of people don't notice or care.

 

[hoegarden]

I am using EO now. As soap making is not normal in my country, I don't how some of the FO smell like so have to try my luck when buying.

I bought a couple of FO sometimes back from Coastal Scent and have only tried one of the FO. It actually stink in CP soap so i will be excluding that from now on. I use 3% FO to oil that time. How much FO will you guys recommend to % of oil use? I hope to try the remaining soon.

 

[kazmi]

Hoegarden, I think most use 1-2% or less of FO. But it really depends on how strong your FO is.

 

[Genny]

It matters what is recommended by the supplier and/or the IFRA if they're fo's have been certified by the IFRA. If the supplier doesn't give a recommended usage, contact them and ask them.