EO versus FO

[MountNView]

I've only made 10 batches of soap, all goat's milk and have used FO in all. I love the smell of TeaTree and I bought some EO. Do you use the same amount as FO? I've read this is a strong EO so I'm looking for some guidence. Also, some of my soaps have gelled and others have not. Still figuring that out. I had thought gelling was a good thing but it seems you all try not to let that happen by putting it in the freezer. Why?

 

[moose]

I generally use .5 oz per pound of soap, but tea tree is fairly strong so maybe not quite as much. are you using straight tea tree, or are you mixing it with other eo's?
brambleberry has a fragrance calculator that you could check to see how much is recommended for specific eo's

 

[osso]

Agree, the Bramble Berry fragrance calculator is great for EOs.

 

[dixiedragon]

I also like the smell of tea tree EO. It is very potent. I like to mix it with a little lavender EO to soften it a bit.

I find it interesting b/c when I first started making soap (10+ years ago), gelling was practically a requirement. Now it seems to be about half of soapers prefer soap to gel, and about half don't.

I actively seek gel. If my soap doesn't appear to be gelling, I will put it in the oven on the lowest possible heat. If I am using a column mold that won't fit in the oven, I put the mold in a 5-gallon bucket and surround it with hot towels.

 

[MountNView]

Thank you and the others for your reply....I appreciate the suggestion of mixing it with lavender..and having someone with your years of knowledge helping us newbies.

So are there any advantages or disadvantages to gelling? Does the soap still last as long with either method? I will say I do like the color of my Goat's milk soap better without the gelling. But I would rather it be a good soap rather than pretty if I have to choose. Maybe some others will comment and see what they have to say.

 

[judymoody]

Regarding EO, a general rule of thumb is no more than 3% of your soaping oils' weight. Some known irritants like peppermint, clove, or cinnamon would be used more sparingly.

I prefer to gel most of the time. It's primarily an aesthetic issue. Gelling gives a more translucent look and brighter colors and you can cut faster. Ungelled is more opaque and creamy looking and should stay in the mold longer to firm up. Preventing gel basically slows down saponification and requires a bit more cure time IMO. If you want lighter colored, more pastel, or whiter-looking soap, then try to inhibit gel. Also if you're using a FO or EO that tends to fade (like citrus EOs), preventing gel may help it to stay around a bit longer as the scent is not being exposed to high heat.