FO/EO

[wanalearn2soap]

Not to sound totally pitiful I have a good reason for admitting that right I can not find money in my budget for anything that smells good like FO's or EO so can anyone suggest natural fragrance's. I thought about vanilla or cinnamon but I'm afraid to try it and waste a pot of soap no matter how small I try to make. If anyone could help me I sure would be grateful. See, my husband went to war came home very sick so I was off work for a year without any kind of pay that was 08-09 and we still haven't recovered financially now as my health has declined I have been off work for many weeks also non paid leave (I know sorry story huh) so that meant further behind. Still trying not to sound pitiful or asking for sympathy all I'm asking is for advice. However if anyone has any FO or EO they don't like and or don't want and want to pass them to someone who will put them to good use I'll take them and smile. I have made several batches of soap and all but 1 has turned out nice. Well expert soapers and brand new soaper please don't be too hard on me. I am so happy to be part of the soap makers world. Thanks to everyone.

 

[lsg]

Welcome to the forum. Honey and oatmeal soap has a great smell all of its own. You might add a little cinnamon (but go easy) for color and smell. Unrefined cocoa butter will also give some scent to your soap. If you have access to lavender, rose petals etc. you can infuse oils with these and use them as a superfat oil after hot processing a batch.

 

[Seifenblasen]

For CP/HP soap, vanilla is almost always a complete waste. Second what lsg said. Also want to add not all essential oils are expensive. You may want check out peppermint or spearmint (make sure it is essential oil, not food flavoring) at your local health food store. 2 to 3% by weight will give CP/HP soap a nice smell great for the holidays without ruining your budget.

 

[judymoody]

Where are you pricing FO/EO? There are many that can be had for $2 per ounce which is enough to scent a two pound batch of soap, roughly 8 bars.

As mentioned above, some EOs like peppermint, spearmint, rosemary and cedar are very economical. Camden Grey has reasonable prices if you are on a budget.

FOs - Nature's Garden has a deal if you order 10 sample size (1 ounce), you get 50 cents off each sample. Peak Candle also has a great deal on sample packs (just make sure they are all skin safe, a minority are for candles only) Candle Science, Aroma Haven, and Bitter Creek North are also very reasonable - some of their fragrances are candle only also, so check. Aroma Haven also allows you to select two sample sized fragrances for free with every order.

 

[wanalearn2soap]

Apparently I'm looking at the wrong suppliers because I haven't found any EO's for 2$. I'll take a look at the supplies mentioned here. Thank you all for your replies.

 

[Seifenblasen]

I would not use EOs that are $2 a bottle (depends on the size of bottle, I guess). However, Nature's Garden's FOs are about $2.60 for a 1 oz. bottle. If you get 10 you get $0.50 off each, which makes them $2.10 a bottle. Unfortunately when you add shipping, you end up paying almost $3.00 a bottle. You might want to check out any local crafts stores and compare prices. Even Michael's/Hobby Lobby have skin-safe fragrance oil - not the best quality or prices, but you save on shipping.

Before you start using EO, you might also want to read this:

viewtopic.php?f=3&t=33981

 

[Seifenblasen]

Just got back from Hobby Lobby earlier today for some packaging supplies. I went and checked on their skin-safe FOs.

They have some FOs, $2.99 for 0.5 oz. Also saw some on sale, $5.99 for 8 oz.

 

[wanalearn2soap]

Thank you all for help. The soap making world is full of kind helpful people. I hope one day to be as helpful to another newbie like myself!! Y'all are the best!

 

[judymoody]

Apparently I'm looking at the wrong suppliers because I haven't found any EO's for 2$. I'll take a look at the supplies mentioned here. Thank you all for your replies.

try the following:

Adobesoapworks.com
1rawplant.com

If you buy an ounce at a time, it will cost more. But you can get more common oils like lemongrass, mint, rosemary, litsea cubeba, anise, cinnamon, clove, etc. for $2 an ounce if you're willing to buy in two to four ounce increments.

 

[wanalearn2soap]

It appears there are many many more EO/FO suppliers than I realized thank you all for the info.

 

[Lindy]

I think your best bet for inexpensive FO's is Nature's Garden - good FO's and great pricing.... especially if you live in the US...

 

[regina niebler]

I have used cinnamon and vanilla in my cp soaps before and never had any problems with it, don't use vanilla extract because that may burn the skin, if you use vanilla FO make sure you use a stabilzer so your vanilla don't go rancid

 

[AlchemyandAshes]

I have used cinnamon and vanilla in my cp soaps before and never had any problems with it, don't use vanilla extract because that may burn the skin, if you use vanilla FO make sure you use a stabilzer so your vanilla don't go rancid

Vanilla Extract won't "burn the skin". It is not used in CP soaping because of its alcohol content and it is not stable scent-wise in a highly alkaline environment. Vanilla Stabilizer is not used to prevent rancidity. It is used to (try) to prevent discoloration from Vanillin content in FOs that are notorious for turning brown.

 

[Lindy]

Personally I prefer to use TD to prevent the browning of FO's with vanilla as I haven't found the stabilizer to keep it under control for any length of time. Sometimes I just embrace the brown..... :wink:

 

[green soap]

You can infuse some of your oils with cinnamon, strain them (I find the cinnamon scratchy) and use the oil for soap making. This will give you a faint but lasting cinnamon scent. I do this for my oatmeal and honey soaps. However, the cinnamon also costs something, so I am not sure if it saves money. FO and some EO are not to expensive, and you got some good recommendations already.

Sometimes I infuse rosemary herb from my garden, so we could say those are 'free'. I then use the infused oil to make soap. You get some scent out of it, but it is subtle. Also, this rosemary infused oil accelerates when making soap. I would not do this for a first soap, but if you have rosemary and do not mind working fast, this is another option.

 

[Hausfrau007]

Personally, there's nothing like a fresh, unscented bar of soap that you made yourself. It smells so clean and perfect and unspoiled! The room where I'm curing my soaps smells like nice fresh air,and walking by the open door puts a smile on my face.

Seriously, my advice would be, if you're strapped for cash, skip the fragrance. Plus, there's then nothing to worry about in terms of discoloring, sped-up trace, potential allergic reactions, etc., and as you've probably found out, life is complicated, so keep it simple and cheap.

I admire you for making ends meet, and you and your husband are in my thoughts. I hope things will turn around for you soon!!

 

[wanalearn2soap]

I've infused lavender, cinnamon, nettle, rosemary, and a few others to get the color and scent. This is what I was asking. Thank you all for your valuable information. A special thank you to Hazel, she knows why and to Isg they both have gone the extra mile which is what I have learned about soap makers. Kind, considerate and helpful and most are nonjudgmental. May God Bless all of you.