Soap Losing Smell

[Lrhea]

Hi all!

So I have been making batches of soap using Peppermint and TeaTree EO's and the soap just doesn't seem to hold the distinct scent like it should.

I tried using carrier oil's such as Almond and Avocado oil which helped but still over time the bars lost their scent on the outside.

I still have some sample bars of the same recipe (tea tree and peppermint) from a manufacturer that are about 8 months old and when I pick up the bars to smell them they still have a wonderful scent to them!

Once I start using my bars in the shower the scent opens up but when I hand someone a bar of soap I want them to be able to smell it and experience the same scent without having to use it!

Any suggestions or insight on why this is happening....

 

[AmyW]

How much PPO are you adding?

 

[LauraHoosier]

I actually started adding small amounts of eucalyptus EO to bring out the peppermint a bit better. How much are you using? I use 1/2 to 1 tablespoon ppo for the peppermint then toss in a tablespoon, or 2 depending on size of batch, of eucalyptus to give it a bit more kick.

 

[Lrhea]

Well I am making it in bigger batches...

12 oz of Peppermint Oil and 8 Oz of Tea Tree Oil... So roughly about 1.25 lbs of Essential Oils for about a 48 lbs batch....

 

[reallyrita]

Since both fragrance oils and essential oils have different densities, depending on that specific oil, measuring by teaspoon and tablespoon might not always give you the results you want. It is a good idea to weigh your scent oil just like you do with your other ingredients. Many soapers use the standard of one ounce of fragrance to one lb of total carrier oils. Some fragrances, either FOs or EOs, can be pretty strong at that amount so a little trial and error is the best way to figure it out. I have found that tea tree oil sticks well so less than one ounce will usually be ok. Peppermint oils vary a lot depending on the supplier so you might need to make sure you are using a full ounce weighed out on the scale. The one ounce standard is for the total of the scented oils you use in any one batch.

 

[judymoody]

Well I am making it in bigger batches...

12 oz of Peppermint Oil and 8 Oz of Tea Tree Oil... So roughly about 1.25 lbs of Essential Oils for about a 48 lbs batch....

If I do the math right, your fragrance ratio is 2.6% of your total oil weight. That seems too low. Try doubling it? That would work out to the equivalent of roughly .85 oz of EOs PPO.

48 lbs? That's some batch! What kind of molds do you use?

p.s. I don't think that using avocado oil or SAO would have any bearing on whether or not your fragrance sticks or not. Some people use clay or cornstarch to anchor scent but I've never done that so I can't comment on its efficacy. You might also try anchoring your scent with a small % of a base note EO, patchouli perhaps?

 

[PrairieCraft]

One wonders why in the world you would make such a huge batch if you don't have your scent ratio figured out? Even at a full 1oz ppo most of the EOs I've used in CP soap have faded. I haven't found anyone else's soap made with EOs to smell any stronger. That's an awful lot of soap to have wasted. Do you still sell it even though it doesn't smell?

 

[Fragola]

I have started recently to experiment spraying soap with a mixture of EO and alcohol.

Maybe you can try this on couple of bars from your big batch and see if you're happy with the results. Just not a good idea if your soap has air bubbles under the surface.

I actually started adding small amounts of eucalyptus EO to bring out the peppermint a bit better.

You might also try anchoring your scent with a small % of a base note EO, patchouli perhaps?

How does this thing work: using a certain EO to modify the scent intensity for another one? Is there a basic principle or a more complicated theory that I could read about somewhere ?

 

[LauraHoosier]

Quote:
I actually started adding small amounts of eucalyptus EO to bring out the peppermint a bit better.

Eucalyptus EO is a lot stronger smelling, more bold, and adds to the peppermint EO's minty-ness kind of like giving it a solid bottom. I can't remember where I read about it, probably here though. I just know my testers and friends absolutely love it done this way.

 

[FreeRabbit]

those are not very sticky EOs
sometimes the scent comes back when showering with the bar

 

[dOttY]

One wonders why in the world you would make such a huge batch if you don't have your scent ratio figured out? Even at a full 1oz ppo most of the EOs I've used in CP soap have faded. I haven't found anyone else's soap made with EOs to smell any stronger. That's an awful lot of soap to have wasted. Do you still sell it even though it doesn't smell?

I would have thought, if the only 'downside' of the soap was that it wasn't fragrant, it would still be fine, and therefore not 'wasted'? I could be wrong though.

I haven't used EOs yet, they scare me.... Stupid I know, LoL. I've ordered some Spearmint, but no doubt it will sit on the shelf for a while yet.

 

[judymoody]

One wonders why in the world you would make such a huge batch if you don't have your scent ratio figured out? Even at a full 1oz ppo most of the EOs I've used in CP soap have faded. I haven't found anyone else's soap made with EOs to smell any stronger. That's an awful lot of soap to have wasted. Do you still sell it even though it doesn't smell?

I would have thought, if the only 'downside' of the soap was that it wasn't fragrant, it would still be fine, and therefore not 'wasted'? I could be wrong though.

I haven't used EOs yet, they scare me.... Stupid I know, LoL. I've ordered some Spearmint, but no doubt it will sit on the shelf for a while yet.

Dotty, EOs aren't scary at all. Most don't accelerate (ylang, clove, and cinnamon being notable exceptions) and I've had less discoloring issues (although citrus FOs, especially folded ones, will impart an orange or yellow tinge to your soap). The one caution I would add is to consult IFRA safe usage guides as some EOs must be used sparingly (clove, cinnamon, sweet birch, for example). Also there are some substances that are known sensitizers (benzoin, peru balsam). This is by no means a complete list, just a few obvious examples.

My nose tends to prefer EOs or EO/FO blends. Like FOs which I find vary in their intensity and durability over time, there are some EOs that stick better (lemongrass, patchouli) and some that don't (citrus for example). Citrus EOs are best if you use the folded versions (5x or 10x) and anchor with litsea cubeba, lemongrass or patchouli and if you suppress gel.

HTH.

 

[PrairieCraft]

One wonders why in the world you would make such a huge batch if you don't have your scent ratio figured out? Even at a full 1oz ppo most of the EOs I've used in CP soap have faded. I haven't found anyone else's soap made with EOs to smell any stronger. That's an awful lot of soap to have wasted. Do you still sell it even though it doesn't smell?

I would have thought, if the only 'downside' of the soap was that it wasn't fragrant, it would still be fine, and therefore not 'wasted'? I could be wrong though.

I haven't used EOs yet, they scare me.... Stupid I know, LoL. I've ordered some Spearmint, but no doubt it will sit on the shelf for a while yet.

Well, I'm guessing he isn't going to use 48 pounds of soap himself. The only reason I can see to make that much is if you're selling it. Of course unscented soap is still good soap but as far as being able to sell it, it's kind of a waste because not many people want to buy unscented soap (especially if it is supposed to smell liketea tree and peppermint) and that obviously wasn't what he was going for. I wasn't trying to say it's a waste as in you need to throw it out or something. :roll:

Oh, and spearmint was one of the few EOs that was a pretty good sticker for me. It lasted at least a couple months. I would have to check it now to see how it is 6 months later, probably faded some.

 

[BakingNana]

Lrhea, I'm glad you asked this question. I don't use EOs a lot, and I have a custom order for tea tree. I planned on the standard 1 oz PPO; would be interested in everyone's opinion as to whether I should or need to increase it. What I read is that tea tree oil itself should be diluted rather than used neat. Since using it in soap is an automatic dilution, I'm assuming I can get away with increasing this a bit.

If so, and pertaining to your question, if one of the EOs in a blend CAN be used neat or slightly diluted on the skin, why couldn't you increase the total percentages of EOs in that batch. In other words, could you leave the peppermint at a safe rate, say .8 PPO or so, but use IN ADDITION 1 oz. tea tree PPO, or perhaps even more? Experienced EO users comment??

...and I don't see any reason not to sell the soap with a faded scent. Just would change the name and/or description, keeping the EOs in the ingredients list of course. It's (I'm assuming!) good soap regardless.

 

[PrairieCraft]

I wouldn't want to buy a soap with barely any scent (again, unless I was buying unscented soap). I'm surprised that others think that's ok. The soaps I have received as gifts or purchased myself that had a faded scent I would never re-buy. When the lady I bought soap from for years (before I made my own) starting selling soaps that had too light of a fragrance it was the last time I purchased from her. To me, the smell is half the point. I'm apparently in the minority here. My guinea pigs always complain and don't like the soap (even if it's my usual formula) if the scent has faded. If the scent doesn't come through I don't even try to give it away, can't imagine being ok selling it.

I'm speaking from a consumer stand point here as far as what I like. Obviously, there are customers out there looking for lightly fragranced products. As far as my take on selling it, if a batch didn't come out as good as it could or how it should or how I wanted, I wouldn't feel comfortable selling it. My initial point to the OP was, why make such big batches if you haven't figured out the correct scent ratio yet.

 

[carebear]

I wouldn't want to buy a soap with barely any scent (again, unless I was buying unscented soap). I'm surprised that others think that's ok. The soaps I have received as gifts or purchased myself that had a faded scent I would never re-buy. When the lady I bought soap from for years (before I made my own) starting selling soaps that had too light of a fragrance it was the last time I purchased from her. To me, the smell is half the point. I'm apparently in the minority here. My guinea pigs always complain and don't like the soap (even if it's my usual formula) if the scent has faded. If the scent doesn't come through I don't even try to give it away, can't imagine being ok selling it.

I'm speaking from a consumer stand point here as far as what I like. Obviously, there are customers out there looking for lightly fragranced products. As far as my take on selling it, if a batch didn't come out as good as it could or how it should or how I wanted, I wouldn't feel comfortable selling it. My initial point to the OP was, why make such big batches if you haven't figured out the correct scent ratio yet.

what she said

 

[Lrhea]

I first started this out in small batches...worked wonderfully people loved the soap, so I started making in more bulk to sell of course!

Now...as soon as you start using the soap in the shower it smells wonderful and there is no debating that there is peppermint and tea tree in the soap; however, over time as some bars have been sitting out I have noticed that the bars lose their scent on the outside.

I might be in the minority here too but I like a bar that has a distinct scent; now if I were to go to a store and contemplate buying a soap that has no smell when I pick it up to sniff it then I am going to assume that the entire bar smells that way.

Therefore, that is why I was asking how do you get a bars scent to stay on the exterior so that when someone picks up the bar it still smells the way it does when you use it....

 

[dOttY]

Prairie, I think I'm in the minority, moreso than you. I don't mind unfragranced soap. My DH has an ultra sensitive nose and many scents send him off on a sneezing fit. So there's definitely a market for it, but obviously a small one.

And.... I really must familiarize myself with ounces! I'm a metric girl and didn't realize what 48 ounces was exactly. That's some serious soap

 

[PrairieCraft]

And.... I really must familiarize myself with ounces! I'm a metric girl and didn't realize what 48 ounces was exactly. That's some serious soap

It was 48 pounds! Depending on how thick you cut that is close to 400! bars of soap.

 

[dOttY]

And.... I really must familiarize myself with ounces! I'm a metric girl and didn't realize what 48 ounces was exactly. That's some serious soap

It was 48 pounds! Depending on how thick you cut that is close to 400! bars of soap.

Pounds, ounces...argh!!! I wish there were one universal measuring practice! It throws me all the time *blushes*