How much cinnamon?

[welovesoap]

Today I'm going to make a cinnamon oatmeal soap, and I'm wondering how much cinnamon I should put in ppo. I'd like it to scent the soap as well as color it, but I know too much can be scratchy and a skin sensitizer.

Does anyone have a good rule of thumb?

 

[IrishLass]

From all I've read, cinnamon powder will not leave behind any scent in one's soap, so you're better off using a FO for a cinnamon scent. I have never used cinnamon in soap myself, but I've heard you need to be very careful to go real easy on it since it is a well-known skin sensitizer- especially in the nether regions of the body (and it can be scratchy).

Hopefully others who have used it will chime in.

IrishLass

 

[Fragola]

Somebody here has used a cinnamon infused oil. If I recall correctly, the smell wasn't very distinct or strong, still they were happy with the results.

 

[MeadowHillFarmCT]

I used cinnamon infused OO for this apple scented soap. It contributed to the color of the bar but not the scent. I strained the oil so all the bits didn't end up in my soap. I used a nylon covered tea strainer..

 

[welovesoap]

Hmm, thanks everyone for the input -- I'm glad I didn't try it without asking! I think I've found a solution... I'm going to use my Apple Jack and Peel scent for the cinnamon... it will just be a cinnamon apple oatmeal scent! (Which, perhaps not coincidentally, is my favorite kind!)

 

[Dragonkaz]

Love the sound of what you're going to do now!

I agree with the posters above. I made a soap with cinnamon EO and ground cinnamon. The cinnamon EO smelled divine, but accelerated trace and the final result wasn't too pretty, plus the ground cinnamon made that soap very scratchy.

 

[honor435]

I used a cinnamon fo( skin safe) and the guy got red everywhere, I felt SO bad. I didnt do that one again.

 

[green soap]

I use cinnamon infused oil regularly, in honey oatmeal and chocolate soap. I also use it sometimes along with cinnamon leaf essential oil, but be very careful with the cinnamon leaf (or bark) EO, it speeds up trace like crazy.

The times I have used straight cinnamon (the ground spice), I loved the scent but the soap was too scratchy.

Now I only use it in infusions. I infuse 1/2 cup ground cinnamon in a quart of oil. Heat in warm (200F) oven for 6 hours or so. Keep in the dark until I need it. The cinnamon sometimes transfers a little bit of color (beige brown), I use it mostly for the scent, not the color.

I use about 30% of this infused oil in soap. The scent is noticeable and lasting. The cinnamon infusion does not speed trace like the EOs do.

 

[Maythorn]

I never add more than 1 eight teaspoon per lb soap with scratchy spices. I learned the hard way about that!

 

[JuliaNegusuk]

I use cinnamon leaf oil regularly in soap I sell. In Europe you can't use cinnamon bark oil in soap as it is a strong allergen. I would have thought it would be the same for the powder. The cinnamon leaf oil I find plenty strong enough at 1%, which is the maximum allowable usage under EU rules. I don't find it accelerates trace but I see others on the forum do. Personally, I have never had a problem. I use it in my cinnamon, honey and oatmeal soap and it smells great.

 

[Iluminameluna]

I made a cow's milk, cocoa, and ground cinnamon (1/4 tsp ppo) soap, with strong coffee replacing the water for lye mix.
It's now been about 3 months (made it mid-December) and it smells like chocolate with cinnamon still.
Yesterday I gave my mom the last soap (turkey shaped!) and she loved the scent. I'll have to ask her by Friday if she liked how it felt.
I did give one to a taxi driver friend of mine who used his right away after it had cured for 2 months (saw him yesterday a month after I gave it to him) and he was delighted that it was a bit scratchy. He told me it wasn't irritating at all and he loved how it made his skin feel after a day of driving in the heat and humidity.
Here's a pic of them.

 

[Zany_in_CO]

When I first started soaping (2004) I tried several "natural colorants" from my spice rack. Cinnamon was one of them. Added 1/4 teaspoon to the lye solution while it was hot. Left it in for a pretty speckled effect.

For fragrance, because both cinnamon & clove are heaters/sensitizers, and accelerate trace, I make up a blend, store it on the shelf until I need it, and add 1% to a blend of other EOs or FOs:
3 parts cinnamon bark
1 part clove bud

For future reference, you may want to download Frann's Essential Oils Safety Quick Reference Chart:

http://www.frannsalthealth.com/blog/essential-oils-safety-quick-reference/

 

[Clarice]

Thank you for the link @Zany_in_CO

I made an Oatmeal and Cinnamon soap last week following a recipe from one of my books - forget which.

It recommended 1/2 cup rolled oats pulverized for 855 grams of oil - and between that and the cinnamon leaf EO, it accelerated trace like CRAZY. I put part in a loaf, part in a slab - and I wish I had put ALL in a slab. It got super hot during the gel and got wonky (the loaf not the slab).

I am going to make notes on that recipe that i think 1/2 C rolled oats is mad - I needed far less!

GOOD LUCK - it does indeed smell lovely!

 

[Zany_in_CO]

Thank you for the link @Zany_in_CO

You're welcome, Clarice.

 

[Clarice]

I just downloaded it and WOW

My sister uses blood thinners and I had no idea how many EOs are contraindicated - so glad you shared!!!