Testing fragrances (with pictures!)

[Andrea]

Hello

I did a mini batch yesterday to test out a handful of fragrances I want to use in upcoming batches and wanted to share my results! I was actually testing for ricing / acceleration and completely forgot about possible colour changes and it's a good thing I did mini batches because look at the 4th pour!

I didn't have a sectioned soap mould so I used an empty ice cream container split up with cardboard pieces wrapped in freezer paper It isn't pretty but it was good enough for what I needed to do. (Maybe banana shaped soap will come into trend? )

The fragrances I used (from left to right) are:

1. Milk & honey
2. Grapefruit
3. Lavender
4. Buttercream Vanilla (naughty vanilla!)
5. Lemon zest

I find it so interesting just how quickly and how much the vanilla one turned orange/brown! It's not even a bad brown at the moment although I have heard they continue to brown over time, I could use a stabiliser but I'm thinking more of mixing with with something like caramel or chocolate and making use of the colour.

Anywho, here is the picture with the soap in the mould. I'll take another picture once I've taken them out and cut them up into cubes

 

[Serenity]

I think the Buttercream colour probably suits the fragrance. I bet it smells nice.

 

[Andrea]

It's hard to smell them at the moment as I just get a combined scent of all 5 but I'll sniff them tonight when I take them out! Oooh and you have given me an idea about the buttercream now, I will just let it be with its own colour and then keep a bit of unfragranced soap aside to use as a whiter topping on the soap... Mmmm I can't wait to make that now!!

 

[dagmar88]

Sounds like a plan! For me, most of my vanilla containing fragrances work perfectly fine with their discoloration. The only exemption are some lightly scented kids soaps.
When I'm working with several different fragrances, my nose just gets an overdose
Keeping a bowl of coffee beans or grounds nearby and sniffing them in between different scents, really helps.

 

[Andrea]

Keeping a bowl of coffee beans or grounds nearby and sniffing them in between different scents, really helps.

That's very interesting! I'll have to try that next time!

 

[Andrea]

More pictures! Last night I made a batch with the confirm-idly amazing smelling vanilla buttercream and after de-moulding it took a picture of it alongside the sample of the same FO soap I made over the weekend. (I scented the main bit and left the topping un-scented to have it remain whiter)

I thought it was interesting to see side by side what the colour starts off as (only coloured by FO btw), and what it turns to after 2 days. I think that's amazing, I can't wait to see my soap turn the nice dark brown!

(Oh, and sorry for the slightly gross shaped dark brown soap sample LOL)