Does anyone test out their EO blends in a diffuser?

[akseattle]

Does anyone test out their EO blends in a diffuser? before trying them out in soap? or since the EO is dropped into water, does this change things so that a test like this wouldn't translate at all? I'm kind of a chicken about trying blends. But, if I could test a blend in my diffuser first, experimenting could be pretty easy.

 

[Mobjack Bay]

I don’t own a diffuser, but will be interested to hear what people think. To test blends, I usually put drops of the EOs on a cotton ball in the desired ratio, stick the cotton ball in a jar with a lid and let it sit for a few hours before I decide if I like it. If I’m in a hurry, I put drops of the EOs together on the end of a strip of paper towel, leave it alone for a few minutes and then take a whiff. I don’t think any method is going to give you an exact replica of how the scent will be in soap, but these approaches work for me.

 

[dibbles]

I do what @Mobjack Bay does. I haven’t yet tried this, but I have seen people adding a few drops of fragrance to a tablespoon of salt and heating it in a wax tart warmer/melter.

 

[akseattle]

@Mobjack Bay and @dibbles, what the to of you do right now seems pretty easy and straightforward. Sold!!
Not sure why that didn't occur to me.... Not sure about the salt and wax tart warmer. Come to think of it, I don't even know what that is

I meant "the two of you"

 

[Linda105]

Testing your essential oil blends in a diffuser before using them in soap or other products can be a helpful approach to get an initial sense of how the scents might interact. Diffusing can give you a general idea of the aroma profile and how the different oils blend together.

The way an essential oil blend smells in a diffuser might differ from how it smells in soap or other products. The diffuser disperses the essential oils into the air, allowing you to experience the scent directly and immediately. In soap, the scent might change due to factors like saponification, heat, and interaction with other soap ingredients.

When essential oils are used in soapmaking, they can undergo chemical changes during the saponification process. This can alter their scent profiles. So, while a blend might smell wonderful in a diffuser, it's important to do a small test batch in soap to see how the scent holds up during and after the soapmaking process.

 

[Zany_in_CO]

Does anyone test out their EO blends in a diffuser?

Yes. I do. I think it's a good way to determine whether I like a newly formulated combo or not.

However, I've found the best way to test a blend for soap is to put a cotton ball on a square of tinfoil. Put 10 drops of the blend onto the cotton ball. Fold the tinfoil over and seal with a label that identifies the blend. I set it aside on a shelf in my office. Then I sniff it after an hour or so; after a day or so; after 2 weeks, etc., to see how it mellows and whether it flashes off over time.

If I like it, I bottle it up, attach the tinfoil pkg to the bottle with a rubber band, and store it on a shelf in a cabinet in the laundry room.

 

[ScentimentallyYours]

If I like it, I bottle it up, attach the tinfoil pkg to the bottle with a rubber band, and store it on a shelf in a cabinet in the laundry room.

So @Zany_in_CO, I have to ask. How many scent blends in bottles do you currently have on your laundry room shelf???

 

[Zany_in_CO]

How many scent blends in bottles do you currently have on your laundry room shelf???

TOO MANY!!! I keep telling myself I need to cull the herd. It's on my Round Tuit list! Thanks for asking. You just motivated me to get to it.

 

[Savage Daughter]

Yep, I do this all the time. When what I smell coming out of my diffuser makes me swoon I know I'm on the right track.

Yes, your blend will smell slightly different in your soap vs the air in your home, but it is still a good register of what your scent is going to come across as.

I even add water to containers I have mixed scent blends in after the essential oils are no longer in them, just their residue, using that water in my diffusers. Then I refill it with water for the next diffuser use, put a lid on & let it sit til I need it again. I get up to 8 times usage out of that jar for my diffuser, so very little goes to waste.

 

[akseattle]

Testing your essential oil blends in a diffuser before using them in soap or other products can be a helpful approach to get an initial sense of how the scents might interact. Diffusing can give you a general idea of the aroma profile and how the different oils blend together.

The way an essential oil blend smells in a diffuser might differ from how it smells in soap or other products. The diffuser disperses the essential oils into the air, allowing you to experience the scent directly and immediately. In soap, the scent might change due to factors like saponification, heat, and interaction with other soap ingredients.

When essential oils are used in soapmaking, they can undergo chemical changes during the saponification process. This can alter their scent profiles. So, while a blend might smell wonderful in a diffuser, it's important to do a small test batch in soap to see how the scent holds up during and after the soapmaking process.

@Linda105 thank you for the information!

 

[akseattle]

@QuasiQuadrant, I might follow your practice in my diffuser just to get more mileage out of my EO's when I'm misting a room. I have noticed that my diffuser always leave a small amount of water at the bottom. I don't know if this is a defect in the diffuser. I usually dump it or add on top of it if I think the EO's won't clash. But, now I'm thinking I'll add water to stretch the EO a little. I do think Zany's approach of putting some drops on a cotton ball then wrapping up in tin foil is probably pretty effective and makes alot of sense. I haven't tried any blends since I initially asked my question but that will be how I do it from now on. Thanks for your input.

 

[Savage Daughter]

@QuasiQuadrant, I might follow your practice in my diffuser just to get more mileage out of my EO's when I'm misting a room. I have noticed that my diffuser always leave a small amount of water at the bottom. I don't know if this is a defect in the diffuser. I usually dump it or add on top of it if I think the EO's won't clash. But, now I'm thinking I'll add water to stretch the EO a little. I do think Zany's approach of putting some drops on a cotton ball then wrapping up in tin foil is probably pretty effective and makes alot of sense. I haven't tried any blends since I initially asked my question but that will be how I do it from now on. Thanks for your input.

Not, not a defect They usually automatically shut off when they get to that low of a water level.

I always leave that water in there & just add more water, often a little more essential oils. You would be surprised how well some of the oddest combinations blend, giving you something totally unique. This is how I accidentally discovered that lavender & vanilla essential oils (yes I know vanilla is not 'technically' an EO before anyone jumps on that) give the unique combination of smelling almost like baby powder. I'm not a fan of that scent, but if I was, I would definitely use this blend over any petroleum product based fragrance oil. You might have to experiment with different types of lavender to get this, but it can be done. I don't remember which one it was I used that time, it was many years ago, but believe me, I was shocked.