Talk to me about Vanilla

[bluevervain]

I want to make some soap that smells like Vanilla.
I know you can't put vanilla extract in soap and I know that the easiest thing to do would be to buy vanilla FO. However, I prefer, essential oils whenever possible. I also quickly realized you can't buy vanilla EO, instead you can buy vanilla absolute (so expensive it's not practical) or vanilla oleoresin (more in the price range I'm willing to pay)and that vanilla oleoresin is a different consistency than most essential oils and also has some solubility issues.

So I'm looking for some advice. Is there anybody out there making soap with Vanilla Oleoresin? Are you happy with the results? Do you have trouble working with it? Do you have a favorite source?

Vanilla seems like such a common thing; I feel like there's got to be a way to make natural vanilla soap!

I'm not entirely rigid about the whole EO/FO thing. If oleoresin isn't practical I will use a Vanilla FO. Do people have favorites? It seems that there are many, many varieties of Vanilla FO out there.

 

[Genny]

I've tried many vanilla absolutes & oleoresins & planifolias. The problem is, they just don't survive saponification. They might stick for a week or two, but that's about it. They work wonderfully in perfumes, mp, bath salts, but not CP.

As for plain vanilla fo's, even with anchoring them with clay or arrowroot, they are still very fleeting as well.

Your best bet may be to go with a vanilla-ish smelling eo.

 

[sabon]

Has anyone tried using the powdered vanilla bean in soap? I remember using it in my initial days of soapmaking when experimenting with natural colours and it was a small patch of vanilla(just an ounce or so) soap but I remember it faintly smelling of vanilla. I need to try it again to let you know for sure though.