Reduce EO evaporation

[Lyma]

Hi there!

I would like to make a quick question (which may be silly) regarding the essential oils evaporation in CP soap.
I've read that some carrier oils (e.g. Fractionated CO) or natural clays act as fixatives and help scent last longer in CP.
While our vegetables oils used in recipe have already start saponifying when we reach trace, and it's time to add our EO blend, will it make any difference, as for the last of scent in the final soap, if we dilute for example a small amount of fractionated CO with our EO ? (except from the extra superfatting )

 

[shunt2011]

Hi and welcome! I’ve never heard that FCO will anchor a fragrance. Also doing CP you can just add your SF oils to your batch as the soap will take what oils it wants during saponification so you really can’t pick your SF.

EO is famous for fading. You’ll want to work with those that will stick. There are a several posts on this subject. Rosemary, Eucalyptus, Patchouli, Mints, Tea Tree are some that work.

 

[Lyma]

Hi and welcome! I’ve never heard that FCO will anchor a fragrance. Also doing CP you can just add your SF oils to your batch as the soap will take what oils it wants during saponification so you really can’t pick your SF.

EO is famous for fading. You’ll want to work with those that will stick. There are a several posts on this subject. Rosemary, Eucalyptus, Patchouli, Mints, Tea Tree are some that work.

Thank you shunt2011 for your reply. I'm just experimenting with DIY perfumes this period, and trying to find natural ways to maintain scent both in perfumery and soapmaking. Of course i'll search for the EO that fade less, and see if there are any further options.

 

[Zany_in_CO]

Shunt's suggestion to add the EO to the warmed oils before adding the lye solution is a good one. That's what I do most of the time, depending on what I'm making.

Just as you mentioned, a bit of clay (1 tsp - 1 Tbls) or any other dry ingredient will help to stick the scent. Adding EO to an oz. or so of carrier oil the night before soaping, also helps. FCO for perfumery works well due to its almost indefinite shelf life. I have a few aromatherapy blends stored in FCO.

For soaping, I've tried FCO, but using an oz of one of the vegie oils in the recipe works better. My preference is adding the fragrance to an oz of castor oil to sit overnight -- then adding it after trace (CP) or after the cook (HP).

For some reason, lard is the best fat for sticking EOs. Lard was used in the early days of perfumery to do a process called "Enfleurage" where fresh picked flower petals were added to lard and pressed through 2 panes of glass overnight. The petals were then removed the next day and more petals were added. This was repeated until the lard held the optimum amount of fragrance from the petals.

See this technique in action in a movie entitled Perfume (2006), starring Ben Whishaw, Dustin Hoffman & Alan Rickman. Here's a link:

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0396171/

Spoiler Alert: NOT for the squeamish, but interesting nevertheless if interested in perfume the way it was made in the 18th century and the celebrity status of "a nose" back then.

HTH