No Scent Remains after Use

[JohnnyM]

Very new Soap maker here.

I've had what appears to be excellent success making tallow-based soap using a very basic recipe and very basic peppermint essential oil. Everything set up well, however, while the soap lathers well, cleans well, rinses well and smells great while being used (the shower has a very strong peppermint scent), they leave zero scent on my skin immediately afterward.

I used 65 grams of Plant Therapy peppermint oil in a 1650 gram batch of soap at medium trace. As I said, the soap smells like peppermint and there's no mistaking the scent, however, while my skin smells clean, no peppermint.

That's not necessarily a bad thing as I don't want to end up smelling totally like Wrigley gum, but I would like to have a bit of the scent remaining, especially when I begin using other scents that I DO want to remain.

Any idea what, if anything, I'm doing wrong?

Appreciate any help you can offer

john

 

[amd]

Any idea what, if anything, I'm doing wrong?

Nope, you're not doing anything wrong. Expecting a wash off product to leave a scent maybe a bit unrealistic. Some people's skin holds scents better than others - this is the case with myself (I just smell clean after showering) and my husband (I can tell which soap he used because his skin holds scents). If you want scent, use a corresponding lotion, body spray, skin balm... etc. You get the idea.

Welcome to the forum! If you haven't introduced yourself, head over to the introduction forum.

 

[JohnnyM]

Very cool!

Thanks for the feedback.

I'll make it over the newbie forum in a bit.

J

 

[Mobjack Bay]

As a soap maker I have learned that scent blindness is a real thing. People coming into my house (before social distancing) were always telling me how wonderful my house smells. I can't smell it at all. You may smell like Wrigley gum without realizing it!

 

[JohnnyM]

Lol.. Let's hope not. Re: Wrigley gum

 

[penelopejane]

As a soap maker I have learned that scent blindness is a real thing. People coming into my house (before social distancing) were always telling me how wonderful my house smells. I can't smell it at all. You may smell like Wrigley gum without realizing it!

Yes! Me too. I have friends who have to close the door to my soaping room when they stay because it smells too strong!
I can smell it close up but it’s not at all overpowering to me.

 

[earlene]

If you want a scent that remains on the skin after using a soap, give Dragon's Blood a try. I found that it does linger for a little while. Of course if you don't like the fragrance, you may not want it to linger.

 

[shunt2011]

Dragon's Blood, Perfect Man (Nature's Garden) and Cracklin Birch (Nature's Garden) all stick well to the skin. At least my family that uses them. I could always tell what soap my ex-husband used or my father when I visited him. I've found Men's scents or scents with strong notes are more likely to stick. All my other fragrances, not so much.

 

[DeeAnna]

Very few scents in the soap I've made leave a lingering odor on the skin. Even the pine tar soap my husband likes so well doesn't have a long lasting scent, even when he washes his hair with it.

I tend to scent my soap fairly strongly, but don't think the amount of scent is as important as the type of scent. In my experience, scents that tend to linger on the skin tend to be fragrances based on resins and woods. I agree with the others about dragon's blood, patchouli, Cracklin' Birch, etc. Even so, I don't think you can expect scent in soap to linger for hours like perfume or cologne.

 

[JohnnyM]

Dragon's Blood, Perfect Man (Nature's Garden) and Cracklin Birch (Nature's Garden) all stick well to the skin. At least my family that uses them. I could always tell what soap my ex-husband used or my father when I visited him. I've found Men's scents or scents with strong notes are more likely to stick. All my other fragrances, not so much.

Thank you for your feedback and advice! I'm very new to all of this so I'll be trying a lot of things.

Very few scents in the soap I've made leave a lingering odor on the skin. Even the pine tar soap my husband likes so well doesn't have a long lasting scent, even when he washes his hair with it.

I tend to scent my soap fairly strongly, but don't think the amount of scent is as important as the type of scent. In my experience, scents that tend to linger on the skin tend to be fragrances based on resins and woods. I agree with the others about dragon's blood, patchouli, Cracklin' Birch, etc. Even so, I don't think you can expect scent in soap to linger for hours like perfume or cologne.

Being a "sixties kinda guy" I really am eager to try patchouli, so I'm glad to hear it may leave a bit of a scent.

I actually don't mind just smelling "clean"!

Thank you, everyone!