It's a Lemon

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anjouwu

obsessed
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Have any of you found a good lemon FO that doesn't discolor horribly or smell like a cleaning product?

I've tried BB's Electric Lemonade, which is pretty synthetic, NG's Lemon, which all but disappeared during cure, and Nurture's Avobath, which I love but is a lemony blend with other notes. I've ruled out Nurture's Lemon Twist because of recent reports (@artemis especially) of hardcore discoloration.
 
Have you looked at lemongrass at all? I like it as an alternative to lemon in soaps

I use lemongrass sometimes, and I like it a lot, but it's just not the same. The closest I've come to the real deal is lemon EO, but we all know how long that lasts. Even if the Lemon Twist didn't discolor so much, it is only lemon-ish. By now, it smells like some kind of lemon pastry-- there's a spicy note in there.

ETA: thanks for the info on the Avobath. I've been wondering about that one.
 
I use lemongrass sometimes, and I like it a lot, but it's just not the same. The closest I've come to the real deal is lemon EO, but we all know how long that lasts. Even if the Lemon Twist didn't discolor so much, it is only lemon-ish. By now, it smells like some kind of lemon pastry-- there's a spicy note in there.

ETA: thanks for the info on the Avobath. I've been wondering about that one.

It's my general distaste for for lemongrass that leads me to agree with you. It has lemony notes but it is a herbacious scent of another family.
 
Nurture's Avobath cures out to a simple lemon - or at least much simpler than it starts with.

Sounds like your looking for a true lemon scent like nature intended. I would suggest hot process with sodium lactate to keep the batter more workable as you cool the temperature down as much as possible before adding in a blend of 5x lemon essential oil with lemon myrtle essential oil. But just read the usage rate for lemon myrtle carefully because it's much smaller than you'd think. Soap Making Resource carries lemon myrtle, and either New Directions or Eden Botanicals.
This is the best way I've been able to get a true lemon scent - except for liquid soap.
 
If you want EOs, lemongrass and litsea are both good options and stick well. I prefer litsea.

If you want an FO, I like lemon verbenas. They are a bit more herbal, but soften the lemon rather than change it. I've used both WSP and Sweet Cakes, and like them both. To bump up the lemon, I have blended WSP lemon verbena with WSP meyer lemon. The meyer lemon doesn't smell like furniture polish to me, but everyone is different, and I have only used it in a blend. It might be one to try.
 
Zany, I'm on SMR email list and got an email saying that something was wrong with their email system and it seemed that a lot of people weren't getting their emails. They also said that they were backed up with filling orders - something to do with molds that were out of stock - and weren't taking any new orders until they had fulfilled all that they already had. I hope they get things straightened out. Well, for their sake. I don't order much from them, but I do love the planer/beveler that I have.
 
Lots of great advice and recommendations! Thank you.

I will investigate a few of the Lemon Verbena (and possibly Litsea) options you all suggested. I haven't been a fan of Lemongrass in the past but that might be that it didn't work as well with my base oils.

Thanks for the suggestion about hot process @lenarenee! It would be a first for me, but perhaps this is just the time to break out the crock pot and experieent.
 
Lots of great advice and recommendations! Thank you.

I will investigate a few of the Lemon Verbena (and possibly Litsea) options you all suggested. I haven't been a fan of Lemongrass in the past but that might be that it didn't work as well with my base oils.
...

I haven't tried the verbena, but Litsea is a lot more like lemon than is lemongrass. Well, maybe not like natural lemon so much as old-school Pledge lemon.
 
I will investigate a few of the Lemon Verbena (and possibly Litsea) options you all suggested.

Just in case you don't already have it in your fragrance tool bag, Fragrance Oil Finder is a great way to find suppliers who carry the scent you're looking for:

http://www.fragranceoilfinder.com/catalog/index.php

Warning: This site is a total time-thief at the get-go. :mrgreen:
 
I should have added: I use the 5x lemon and lemon myrtle eo combo in dold process soap too, but only when I know the soap won't be sitting around more than 4 to 6 months as the scent will fade a lot. It's best used by 3 months.
 
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