Scenting CP soap without EOs?

[linne1gi]

I'm looking for an easy way to scent my soaps, without using EOs or FOs.
I'm not looking to heavily scent them, just to have a whiff of smell, something mild other than none at all. It would be great if it the smell could last for 4 months or so.

I've read a bit on infusing the oils, but would there be other ways?

Thanks!

I make a soap with coconut milk, colloidal oatmeal and honey with no additional scent. The lovely oatmeal and honey scent has stayed quite well as my soaps are over a year old and still have a nice scent.

 

[Rahmi]

Thanks all!

Personally, I also do not like EOs too much. The production of EOs consumes large amounts of energy. Once in the soap, the lye kills most of the scent, and of what is left over in the soap after 3 months, 95% goes down the drain. Not very eco-friendly.

Yes, this is my reasoning too. Such a shame the scent doesn't last.

Dried chamomile + lavender flowers with cocoa butter adds a light sweetish scent,
I also second the coca powder and coca butter givingva slight chocolate scent

Greenthoughts, you mean oil infused chamomile and lavender? or just the dried things?

I've been thinking about experimenting with leaving soaps sitting somewhere with a strong ambient aroma to pick up scent. I did it on accident with a coconut milk soap a few years ago. The coconut milk soap picked up a very light scent of some nearby Ivory soap, and it permeated the entire bar. It would take a while for the soap to pick up the scents around it, but you could try. I'm going to try with pipe tobacco and coffee grounds since I'm having a hard time finding FO's that I like for those.

Iseleigh, that's interesting. Just wondering, what if I punch in some needle holes in the newly unmolded soap and drop some EOs then? Would the soap absorb it? It'll be as if the soap is picking up scent from something very nearby. Maybe I'll try that next.

 

[Iseleigh]

Iseleigh, that's interesting. Just wondering, what if I punch in some needle holes in the newly unmolded soap and drop some EOs then? Would the soap absorb it? It'll be as if the soap is picking up scent from something very nearby. Maybe I'll try that next.

I've never tried the hole-poke method. I feel like there could be some issue with putting EO directly on the soap (discoloration maybe) but don't know enough about it to say for sure.
You could always make a small batch then divide it and try different methods on each piece to judge the outcomes.
I have a coconut/jasmine/neroli coconut milk bar and a buttermilk Bastille baby bar with lavender trying to soak up some scent right now. I'll let you know what happens.

 

[linne1gi]

Thanks all!


Yes, this is my reasoning too. Such a shame the scent doesn't last.


Greenthoughts, you mean oil infused chamomile and lavender? or just the dried things?



Iseleigh, that's interesting. Just wondering, what if I punch in some needle holes in the newly unmolded soap and drop some EOs then? Would the soap absorb it? It'll be as if the soap is picking up scent from something very nearby. Maybe I'll try that next.

I don’t think punching holes in soap and putting eo’s In there is such a good idea. Eo’s need to always be diluted with a carrier oil in order to be skin safe.

 

[Greenthoughts]

I used dried and finely ground flowers added at trace

 

[linne1gi]

I used dried and finely ground flowers added at trace

Wouldn’t that work more as an exfoliation than scent? Sounds like it could be quite scratchy.

 

[Greenthoughts]

I grind them to a fine powder. Yes, it's a mild exfoliant, you can feel them. But if ground fine enough they are not to scratchy!
And they lend a mild sweet scent, not overbearing, but it's there

 

[linne1gi]

Nice, do you have a photo?

 

[Greenthoughts]

It's already labelled..sorry not the best photo. But you see how finely powdered the herbs are, and slight color

 

[linne1gi]

Very pretty. I can see the herbs I think. Did you use dried Camomile?

 

[Greenthoughts]

Thank you! Yes, dried, ground, at trace.
I used both chamomile and lavender.
It is not a strong scent; but slightly sweeter than soaps without the chamomile and lavender.