EO lose of aroma?

[Trussell76]

Hi

My first batch was lavender, I used 2 oz for 90 oz of oils
at first it was very fragrant, but now after a few weeks of curing, I can hardly smell it at all...I just washed my hands, and can't really pick up the lavender?! Does the aroma fade that much, did I put enough in, I got my EO from New Directions..
Or am I just getting use to the smell so I can't even notice it anymore?

Any advice would help>.....

 

[carebear]

I typically use lavender EO at 5% or about 1 ounce per pound of oils. You may simply need more.

 

[newbie]

I use FO's far more often then EO's but it seems like the general rule of thumb is about 0.5 ounces (weighed) per pound of oils. Your oils are at about 5.5 pounds, so you'd need about 2.75 ounces of EO. You're a bit short, but it could be that the fragrance is fluctuating as it cures. I've had some soaps go through a period where the scent was harder to detect and then easier to detect after a while. I'm sure there are a lot of people here who use lavender EO- we'll see what they say.

 

[savondebilal]

lavender eo

Hi there!

For essential oils, the issue of fading over time is inevitable. How long that time actually is - will vary for people. Using an antioxidant like Rosemary Oleoresin will help, as will fixatives such as 'solid floating objects'... including but not limited to, Oatmeal, Clays, Herbs, etc.

With Lavender Essential Oil - it is generally a strong EO, so it shouldnt dissipate quickly. However, testing the intensity of an EO in a soap shouldnt be limited to smelling your hands while/after lathering. Smell the soap itself, and guage it's strength that way. Using more will definitely help - perhaps .7 ounce per pound of oils - and soap at a LOWER temperature - as heat will burn off the lovely lavender scent that we all love... and most others for that matter. Try room temperature cold process soaping - avoiding heat as much as you can. My HP soaps using the same ratio of lavender smells nothing like my CP soaps, because although the HP is fully saponified and now 'lye free' - the temperature of the mixture burns out the lavender EO, keeping it's scent much less fragrant than the CP. I often use lavender EO from new directions - and they are great quality oils, so I wouldnt worry about the source - but the method/temperature.

Hope that helped, Lots of love!

 

[carebear]

Why would an antioxidant help with lavender EO? It's not particularly susceptible to oxidation.

 

[savondebilal]

thats true - its not particularly prone to rancidity - but nonetheless, ROE would help for a few reasons... first, because the smell of a soap that goes rancid generally smells muggy and will overpower the subtle notes of a multi-layered EO like lavender. Countering that by using shelf stable oils will eliminate that as well, however - everyone has different recipes and oil/fat preferences. Also, essential oils are still 'oils' - and have a shelf life in and of themselves. Lavender EO from 5 years ago smells alot different than fresh bottle from the same source. At the end of the day, ROE isnt 'the solution' to EO's dissipating - however, anything that helps and/or adds to some kind of longevity, is definitely a good thing!

 

[soapbuddy]

For 90 ozs. of oils I would have used 4.1 oz. of Lavender EO. It also depends which Lavender you use. I like Lavandula Abrialis, but your preference may vary. I don't use ROE.

 

[reallyrita]

Soapbuddy is spot on. You need way more EO for that size batch. I am sure that is your main problem here. I use 40/42 Lavender from New Directions and it is strong and very long lasting. I soap cool and don't gel if I have a fragile FO or EO. I have gelled this lavender in soap and I have also used it in my non-gelled goat milk soaps and it is stable and strong both ways.

 

[Guest]

Soapbuddy is spot on. You need way more EO for that size batch. I am sure that is your main problem here. I use 40/42 Lavender from New Directions and it is strong and very long lasting. I soap cool and don't gel if I have a fragile FO or EO. I have gelled this lavender in soap and I have also used it in my non-gelled goat milk soaps and it is stable and strong both ways.

sounds u've done a good job.

 

[carebear]

thats true - its not particularly prone to rancidity - but nonetheless, ROE would help for a few reasons... first, because the smell of a soap that goes rancid generally smells muggy and will overpower the subtle notes of a multi-layered EO like lavender. Countering that by using shelf stable oils will eliminate that as well, however - everyone has different recipes and oil/fat preferences. Also, essential oils are still 'oils' - and have a shelf life in and of themselves. Lavender EO from 5 years ago smells alot different than fresh bottle from the same source. At the end of the day, ROE isnt 'the solution' to EO's dissipating - however, anything that helps and/or adds to some kind of longevity, is definitely a good thing!

If her soap is already rancid, I think the EO is the least of her problems!

 

[savondebilal]

lol your totally right! rancid soap is like your car breaking down - totally ruins the day