Measuring Fragrances?

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BlazeCarolina

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Hey Guys,

I am new to soap making, and I thought this would be a good question to ask those more experienced.

I have made a few batches of soap now, but I want to be more precise with my measurements on fragrance. I have used syringes, but the plastic retains the scent, so I can only use them once. There has to be a better way.

Has anyone used a glass syringe? I feel like that may work. I have tried plastic pipettes, but they aren't very accurate and have the same issue.

I have plenty of question, but I thought this was a good one to start with.

Thank you for any tips you may have.
 
I would think (and I could be wrong) that if you used a glass syringe you'd need to find one with a silicone bulb, vs a rubber bulb. Not sure if I'm wrong. If you are measuring by volume, look for stainless steel measuring spoons in very small increments.
 
For precision, I always weigh my fragrance oils (in grams) on a digital scale. I have 2 of them- one is the typical kind of scale that weighs as low as 1 gram/.5 oz. and as high as 6804 grams/15 lbs., which I use for making big batches of things; and my other one is a small, super sensitive scale about the size of my hand that can weigh in amounts as low as .001 grams (mere drops of stuff), and as high as 113g/4oz, which I use for making very small batches of things, like a few lip balms at a time, or making fragrance blends, etc...


IrishLass :)
 
dixiedragon said:
I would think (and I could be wrong) that if you used a glass syringe you'd need to find one with a silicone bulb, vs a rubber bulb. Not sure if I'm wrong. If you are measuring by volume, look for stainless steel measuring spoons in very small increments.
Click to expand...

You can get away with a rubber bulb if you're careful not to let the solution get up into the bulb.

Or you can just use your finger the old-school way.
 
I have been using the fragrance calculator on Brambleberry and converting it to milliliters and trying to use a syringe. I am making very small batches because I am new and the amount of people I can force soap on is only a small pool, haha. Usually 1-4ml per small batch.

I feel like I am very far behind in my thinking on this judging by the responses. I never thought about actually weighing in, but I plan to make some soap tomorrow night, so I will give it a try. Not sure if my scale can handle that.

I have new fragrances coming that are allegedly stronger and they have their own droppers inside the bottle. Maybe I can come up with a drop system that makes sense.

Thank you for all the replies. I didn't realize it until I got an email.
 
I have an honest group that I give it to, so I am sure I will hear it if it is terrible. I just try to be overly precise when doing things and would like to formulate my own little recipe so it is the same every time.
 
BlazeCarolina said:
I have an honest group that I give it to, so I am sure I will hear it if it is terrible. I just try to be overly precise when doing things and would like to formulate my own little recipe so it is the same every time.
Click to expand...

The brambleberry fragrance calculator is based on batch weight not weight of oils only. I have found most brambleberry fragrances to be pretty strong. Their Champagne is super strong.

What size are your batches?
 
penelopejane said:
The brambleberry fragrance calculator is based on batch weight not weight of oils only. I have found most brambleberry fragrances to be pretty strong. Their Champagne is super strong.
Click to expand...
I just put how much soap I plan to make in ounces, look at their little chart, and take a guess.

Most of their oil does seem a bit strong. I used a bar I made in the shower and my girlfriend told me it was too strong and gave her a headache. Sandalwood being the exception. I had to re-make a batch because the ladies complained it wasn't smelly enough.

I don't know what I am going to do now that my new fragrances aren't even Brambleberry. I am about to ruin some soap :)
 
BlazeCarolina said:
I just put how much soap I plan to make in ounces, look at their little chart, and take a guess.

Most of their oil does seem a bit strong. I used a bar I made in the shower and my girlfriend told me it was too strong and gave her a headache. Sandalwood being the exception. I had to re-make a batch because the ladies complained it wasn't smelly enough.

I don't know what I am going to do now that my new fragrances aren't even Brambleberry. I am about to ruin some soap :)
Click to expand...

Brambleberry calculator is a universal calculator so applies to all fragrance manufacturers.

Make sure you buy from a soap fragrance supplier. Not from eBay. Ask here before you buy as people have had a lot of experience with various fragrances and suppliers.

Problem is each and every fragrance is different and then some people like subtlety scented soap and others want strong. It's all a matter of trial, error (so annoying!) and knowing your market (friends and family etc).

How many pounds of oils are you using per batch?
What fragrances are you using? (Exact name) There are a few sandlewoods from brambleberry.

If you have one pound of batter and use 30g of fragrance that's a medium level for most fragrance.

Or are you trialling different fragrances so making 1 pound of batter then dividing it into four and putting a different fragrance in each bar?

One way is the weigh 30g of fragrance then spoon it out using a 1/8 teaspoon and work out how many 1/8 tsp make up 30g. Then you know weight of 1/8 teaspoon and can scale up.
 
You guys are on an entirely different level than I am. I am generally making a few bars at a time, no more than a pound. 1ml-5ml in fragrance.

the new fragrance company I am trying is P & J Trading. Found them on Amazon. They have a lot of interesting scents, good reviews, and free shipping. The thought process being, if I can learn to use their scents, it really opens the doors on what I can make.

The specific scent I used with Brambleberry that wasn't very strong was Sensuous Sandlewood. I thought since the calculator specified what type of fragrance, that they were all different.

I have a LOT to learn. Thank you again.
 
I'm making soap in one pound batches now most of the time, and I measure my fragrance out with a scale. I just use the same scale I use for measuring my other ingredients, since I don't feel the need to get milligram accuracy with the fragrance. I tend to be kind of light-handed with mine, since I don't like strongly scented soap (I also have no plans to sell, so I'm the main person I need to please with my soap). I usually use about 20 grams in a batch, though some things (like patchouli) I use less of.
 
20 grams per pound, so 5 grams for a single bar. I can work with that. Good starting point. Thank you very much.

I know my scale can handle grams, but in such small quantities, I worry about accuracy. We shall see!
 
BlazeCarolina said:
20 grams per pound, so 5 grams for a single bar. I can work with that. Good starting point. Thank you very much.

I know my scale can handle grams, but in such small quantities, I worry about accuracy. We shall see!
Click to expand...

For some things, yes, you'd need much greater accuracy. For fragrance, not so much unless you're working with something that has IFRA restrictions on usage limiting it to a VERY low rate like .1 or .05%. In general, within a gram or two should be acceptable. The suppliers you get your fragrance oils from should be able to supply you with the technical data, including IFRA info. You can also go here to find info: http://www.ifraorg.org/
 
I am way out of my depth in this conversation, but I found this on the listing.

" P&J Premium Grade Fragrance oils are highly concentrated, enhanced formulations designed by our IFRA certified master perfumer. Vegan; Cruelty-Free; Gluten-Free "
 
My scale weighs 1000 gr in 0.1 gram increments and 100 gr in 0.01 gr increments, quite accurate enough for fragrances. I'm currently using drops, either from the integral cap from Bulk Apothecary or from a standard laboratory disposable plastic pipette. When I feel the need to accurately repeat batches I'll start weighing.

But I use so little compared to most people I can be quite cavalier, I think -- typically I use around 0.5 to 1 gram per pound of oil, and many of them are too strong at that level for me. Hot process mostly.

Use a glass cup of some sort to weigh your fragrances in, so you can "rinse" it will a little bit of oil if you want. Also, plastic sometimes doesn't hold up well to the fragrance components, along with the issue of scent "sticking" in plastic forever....
 
psfred said:
Use a glass cup of some sort to weigh your fragrances in, so you can "rinse" it will a little bit of oil if you want. Also, plastic sometimes doesn't hold up well to the fragrance components, along with the issue of scent "sticking" in plastic forever....
Click to expand...

This part I'll disagree with. Glass is fragile. I tried some little glass shot measuring cups for mixing my fragrances and colors. Broke the first time one slipped out of my fingers and fell less than a foot while I was washing it. Stainless steel condiment cups are conveniently sized, unreactive, unbreakable (without a lot of effort, anyway), easy to clean, and inexpensive.
 
BlazeCarolina said:
the new fragrance company I am trying is P & J Trading. Found them on Amazon. They have a lot of interesting scents, good reviews, and free shipping. The thought process being, if I can learn to use their scents, it really opens the doors on what I can make.
Click to expand...

I'll be waiting for your reviews! I've seen those FOs, too. I've never seen anything here about them, and I'm not too quick to trust Amazon reviews.
 

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