Need some advice on fragrances especially vanilla.

[nighttrain123]

I actually posted some of this stuff on reddit but didn't get a great reply.

I want to use 'natural' fragrances. Normally this means essential oils, but some botanicals don't yield an essential oil. My main concern is vanilla. My second concern is that I heard that the saponification process will destroy certain fragrances?

I only recently discovered that Vanilla is never really an essential oil according to the IFRA and that that in many cases it is fully synthetic. Essential oil is understood as being pressed or steam/water distilled from the plant.

I bought some 'vanilla essential oil' a while ago to put in a balm but now I realise it was probably heavily diluted extract or absolute in alcohol, glycerol or something. I didn't mix properly with the oil phase.

As I understand it the vanilla extract is made by running ethanol through the beans and leaving it to age.

The absolute is made by using supercritical CO2 or ethanol as the solvent.

Or you can get an infused oil like sunflower oil which as been steeped in the beans for some time.

It's a really confusing issue for me since it seems both extract and absolute can use ethanol in the process.

I don't want to use a synthetic vanilla 'cos I want a natural product.

But the cost of non-synthetic stuff is massive. I'm looking at over 300 GBP for 100 ml of absolute. A sunflower oil infusion is 170 GBP for 100 ml.

I've no idea how people 'natural' cosmetic products with vanilla in them and make money.

Anyone got any advice here about what vanilla I could use in a soap or any cosmetic really? Does the saponification reaction disfavor certain vanillas?

 

[Obsidian]

For soap, absolute is the only vanilla that will survive the lye. You'll either have to shell out the $, not make vanilla soap or use synthetic.

Teas, oil infusions, extracts and herbs themselves won't survive lye.

I've never tried it but I would think if you infused oil with the beans, you could use it in lotions or balms and retain some scent.

The beans are insanely expensive right now, you can get ground beans for a somewhat better price and they should work just as well.

 

[SaltedFig]

... I want to use 'natural' fragrances. Normally this means essential oils, but some botanicals don't yield an essential oil. My main concern is vanilla.
...
I've no idea how people 'natural' cosmetic products with vanilla in them and make money.

Anyone got any advice here about what vanilla I could use in a soap or any cosmetic really? Does the saponification reaction disfavor certain vanillas?

Peru Balsam might be an essential oil that can economically deliver the vanilla notes you are looking for in your soap (in comparison to the CO2 vanilla extract).

The description and reviews here are indicative of the scent.

 

[nighttrain123]

For soap, absolute is the only vanilla that will survive the lye. You'll either have to shell out the $, not make vanilla soap or use synthetic.

Teas, oil infusions, extracts and herbs themselves won't survive lye.

I've never tried it but I would think if you infused oil with the beans, you could use it in lotions or balms and retain some scent.

The beans are insanely expensive right now, you can get ground beans for a somewhat better price and they should work just as well.

Thx that's really interesting.

I might try making my own infusion on a small scale.