Freezer Soap Fragrance Question

[Soapman Ryan]

The white soap I make with Titanium Dioxide as colorant, I freeze overnight so it doesn't gel to prevent glycerin rivers. My question has to do with fragrance. It seems with frozen soap the scent is lost and sometimes very little. So far in a soap I've used kaolin clay to hold fragrance, results: Very little scent. Another, I used the maximum aloud fragrance (for the fragrance I used), max. was 7%, results: Can barely smell.
Any thoughts on how to keep scents in freezer soaps?

 

[lsg]

The scent may return as the soap warms up and ages.

 

[Obsidian]

I've never had issues with scent fading when freezing soap, it always comes back as soon as the soap is warmed back up. What supplier are you using for your FO's?

 

[Soapman Ryan]

I smell the fragrance when the bar warms up just fine. It's after the five week cure time (one additional week because it's not jelled) the scent is either very low or gone. I use WSP for fragrance. The issues were: #1) Hand Soap with kaolin clay (1.5gr. per 100 gr. oil=1.5%), WSP-Black Tie-6%, can barely smell. #2) Face Soaps, WSP-Black Pepper (Molton Brown)-Max.7%, no scent and WSP-Jacob’s Desire-5.5%, can barely smell.

 

[beardguy]

I used black tie at 5% in a cp soap and that fragrance is strong. It did gel.

Split the same recipe using a reliable fo but force gel in one batch and freeze the other and then compare ?

I also find that a soap may need 3-4 outings in the shower to regain its scent so to speak.

 

[shunt2011]

I'm thinking it just may be the scents you are using. Some fragrances just don't do well in soap regardless of gelling or not. They just fade. I've never had to use anything to anchor the fragrance in my soaps.

 

[Soapman Ryan]

I've never had to use anything to anchor the fragrance in my soaps.

1) What fragrance brand do you use?

 

[shunt2011]

1) What fragrance brand do you use?

I use fragrances from several different companies.... WSP, Nature's Garden, Rustic Escentuals, Soapalooza, Fragrance Lab and a couple others.

 

[IrishLass]

I also find that a soap may need 3-4 outings in the shower to regain its scent so to speak.

Although I have not used the specific FOs mentioned, I second what Beardguy said^^^. I have a couple of FOs that I use from different other companies that seem to smell quite weak on the surface of my soap after cure, but once I'm lathering them up in the shower they 'bloom' (i.e., they wake up/regain their strength/take on a new life of their own), even to the point of smelling up the whole bathroom and the entire adjoining bedroom and hallway beyond.

And then there are other FOs that are just plain duds whether in or out of the shower.

Which brings me to my next point- don't fall into the trap of thinking that all of the scents from a certain company are weak just because you found one or more of them to be weak. As all of us long-timers can tell you with certainty- pretty much every single FO company out there that we've all used has both strong, long-lasting winners and weak short-lived faders.

The best way to weed out the faders from the winners of each vendor is to read the reviews of the scent you are interested in. This scent review board is my favorite for such reviews, but there are others out there as well. Also- before buying a scent, you can always inquire here on the forum if any of us has used the scent you are interested in and what our experiences were.

For what it's worth, I'm like Shari (and several others)- I don't stick to just one supplier for my FOs. I have strong favorites from each of the following vendors: WSP, Daystar, Oregon Trails, Peaks, Soapalooza, Nature's Garden, Rustic Escentuals, Gemlight, MMS, etc... Each have weaklings, too, but like I mentioned above, the scent reviews help me to weed them out before pressing 'order'.

Also- another factor to consider is that it's possible you may be experiencing what is known as 'candle nose'- a temporary phenomenon that happens when one is around a certain scent for a prolonged period of time. What happens is that ones nose gets so used to the scent that they can't quite smell it presently because the scent receptors in the nose are so saturated with it, but if you go outside and subject your nose to the fresh air for a bit, or else go for a drive to the store or some other different environment where your nose is exposed to other smells, and then come back inside your house again, you'll find that your nose is able to detect the scent again.


IrishLass