Citrus woody scents

[user 58006]

Looking for good citrus scent to play around with . Wondering what everyone doing out there .

 

[dibbles]

EO or FO?

 

[user 58006]

EO or FO?

EO . Thanks for the reply

 

[Vicki C]

Not really woody, but I use litsea cubeba a lot - it sticks in CP soap, unlike many citrus EOs which to my nose go away quickly - and is lighter than lemongrass which I find a little cloying on its own. It’s also not too expensive, I just bought some from Jedwards for $32 for 16 ounces.

 

[dibbles]

I agree with @Vicki C. Litsea is lovely, and I like it a lot more than lemongrass. It blends well too

 

[Zany_in_CO]

Looking for good citrus scent to play around with .

Aromatherapy sites like Aroma Web are good sources for learning about EOs, blends and blending.

Creating EO blends: I set aside a morning or afternoon when I know I won't be disturbed and set to work. I first plan what I want to create. I imagine it with my nose (what does it smell like?). Then I write down 3 variations of the EOs I will be using to create the blend. I put 10 drops on a cotton ball set on a square of tinfoil for each variation and tweak from there. After I finish sniffing them all, I fold the foil over the cotton ball, add a label with contents and date and sniff on and off over the next 2 weeks and longer.

 

[Savage Daughter]

I put together a mix of litsea & ginger many years ago which was really nice in soap. It had good staying power as well, I seem to remember. I would modify the blend now to include a couple more oils if using that specific blend again again, but even just those 2 were very nice.

 

[user 58006]

Aromatherapy sites like Aroma Web are good sources for learning about EOs, blends and blending.

Creating EO blends: I set aside a morning or afternoon when I know I won't be disturbed and set to work. I first plan what I want to create. I imagine it with my nose (what does it smell like?). Then I write down 3 variations of the EOs I will be using to create the blend. I put 10 drops on a cotton ball set on a square of tinfoil for each variation and tweak from there. After I finish sniffing them all, I fold the foil over the cotton ball, add a label with contents and date and sniff on and off over the next 2 weeks and longer.

I have never hear of Aroma Web. Im going to check it out more . Looks good.

That amazing . Im similar . But I use q tips and jars . I love hearing the process . Make it more interesting.

Thanks for the info .

 

[user 58006]

I put together a mix of litsea & ginger many years ago which was really nice in soap. It had good staying power as well, I seem to remember. I would modify the blend now to include a couple more oils if using that specific blend again again, but even just those 2 were very nice.

Ill check it out . Thank you very much

 

[user 58006]

Not really woody, but I use litsea cubeba a lot - it sticks in CP soap, unlike many citrus EOs which to my nose go away quickly - and is lighter than lemongrass which I find a little cloying on its own. It’s also not too expensive, I just bought some from Jedwards for $32 for 16 ounces.

I have some. And to be honest I have never used it . Im going to be working with it much more now .

Thank you

 

[user 58006]

Whats everyone process when making essential oil blends ?

Im interested !

 

[Nona'sFarm]

I like mixing Litsea with other citrus, usually one to one. For example one part lemon to one part litsea.

For testing blends I use the toothpick method. I dip a plain toothpick into the EO and put it in a zip lock bag. One toothpick for each part. For example, a blend of 1 part peppermint, 2 parts litsea , and 3 parts lemon would have 6 toothpicks in it. One of peppermint, 2 of litsea, and 3 of lemon. Close the bag up and sniff after 30 minutes, then again after about 12 hours. Adjust or try different combinations from there. It's not perfect, but it does get you in the ballpark.

 

[Savage Daughter]

Whats everyone process when making essential oil blends ?

Im interested !

I do things by the drop, into a small closable container. I have some very small 1/2 dram-type bottles I use for dosing out homeopathic remedies that I bought in bulk. I am using these now. They can be reused after cleaning with grain alcohol, which is the type I prefer to use for this cleaning of containers. Other types of alcohol have too many chemical additives blended in to them which can leave residues behind which interfere with the next blend of essential oils I will be mixing up.

I will record how many drops of each essential oil I used, the date so I know how long the mix has been marinating together (they do change over time, as scents do, especially plant-based scents). I work that all out in percentages, so I can later scale this up for my larger batches of soap. If I am feeling underwhelmed by a scent blend, I continue playing with it, adding a drop of this or that until I'm happy with it.

As @Nona'sFarm said, it's not a perfect system, but it does work for me every single time. I've put together some very nice blends like this.

I find other citrus-type-but-not-citrus essential oil scents stand my hair on end...citronella *gag* lemon eucalyptus *gag* lemongrass *gag* But you may love them.

I love pink grapefruit, blood orange, lime....lemon I find to be incredibly underwhelming, unless in food...yes, I do use a drop here & there of certain essential oils in food. Far safer & healthier than synthetic flavorings.

 

[dibbles]

@QuasiQuadrant I thought the same about lemon eucalyptus OOB, but I used it in soap - un-blended - and it mellowed into a very pleasant scent. It still isn’t my favorite, but I was surprised.

 

[Savage Daughter]

@QuasiQuadrant I thought the same about lemon eucalyptus OOB, but I used it in soap - un-blended - and it mellowed into a very pleasant scent. It still isn’t my favorite, but I was surprised.

Yes, I was really surprised at how, when I opened my 500ml bottle of lemon eucalyptus, I recoiled from it LOL I think something has changed with my body, because I don't ever remember reacting to it like this in the past. It smells so strongly of citronella tones to me that I just

So now I have 500ml of lemon eucalyptus essential oil which I don't even want to open I may try it in a test batch this week if thats the case...if it chills out on me as my soap cures & becomes something I can tolerate...but I won't be buying it again

Maybe I'll try some litsea with it...might get rid of that gagtastic smell! I know you said unblended, but I think I will have a difficult time doing that LOL

 

[Tammyfarms]

@QuasiQuadrant and @dibbles you have convinced me to try and do something with the lemon eucalyptus EO I have in the cabinet. I really don’t like it OOB.

 

[dibbles]

@QuasiQuadrant and @dibbles you have convinced me to try and do something with the lemon eucalyptus EO I have in the cabinet. I really don’t like it OOB.

Make a small batch - you still might not like it

 

[Tammyfarms]

Make a small batch - you still might not like it

Absolutely, I have a small mold that holds about 500 grams of oil weight.

 

[Zany_in_CO]

I thought the same about lemon eucalyptus OOB, but I used it in soap - un-blended - and it mellowed into a very pleasant scent. It still isn’t my favorite, but I was surprised.

Me too! Very pleasant minty scent. Not only that, but it's long lasting as a single note, evidenced in the story in this post. AND a top drawer skeeter repellent, bar none (Field tested during a trip down the Amazon... not me, but that's another story.)

https://www.soapmakingforum.com/threads/whats-good-with-lemon-eucalyptus.84052/page-2#post-892416

 

[user 58006]

I like mixing Litsea with other citrus, usually one to one. For example one part lemon to one part litsea.

For testing blends I use the toothpick method. I dip a plain toothpick into the EO and put it in a zip lock bag. One toothpick for each part. For example, a blend of 1 part peppermint, 2 parts litsea , and 3 parts lemon would have 6 toothpicks in it. One of peppermint, 2 of litsea, and 3 of lemon. Close the bag up and sniff after 30 minutes, then again after about 12 hours. Adjust or try different combinations from there. It's not perfect, but it does get you in the ballpark.

Love the method. Thank you for sharing .