Vanilla Color Stabilizer

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Hi and good morning! I use a VCS from a supplier that states to use" .25%-.50% "stabilizer to the weight of fragrance oils. OK. So If my FO amount is , say, 2 oz for my batch, I calculate... /and here's the question. 2 X .25=0.5 oz of the stabilizer OR 2 X .25%=0.005 oz of stabilizer?? See, adding the % sign to my calculator results in a very different amount! Am I using WAY too much at the 0.5 oz??
 
Is the rate 25% of the fragrance oil or .25%? It makes a big difference.
When converting percent to hundredths, move the decimal point two places to the left. 25% would be converted to .25

.25% would be converted to .0025
 
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"Start out with .25%-.50% to your fragrance in making soaps and lotions" Thanks for your replies: I copied & pasted from their site. Yes, that's what gets me confused, Isg, it makes a huge difference. (This product is from Aztec) .0025 is "close to 3Gr, not but a spit in the bowl LOL. I can measure .25 oz...The vanilla content of this particular FO is 1.5%, Mulberry.
cmzaha, mind telling me where you buy your VCS? Aztec's is 5.99/pound...pretty cheap stuff. When I make a special order, sure don't want it to discolor for my customer :(
 
I am assuming you are using VCS CP version...I use it and get it from wholesale plus. Their directions are...DIRECTIONS: In a glass or plastic mixing container, slowly stir 1 part Vanilla Color Stabilizer to 2 parts fragrance oil. When mixing with fragrances with over 10% vanilla, use a 1 to 1 ratio. Stir well and allow to sit for 2 minutes then immediately add to base formula. Mixture best used within 15 minutes of mixing.
 
I too use BCN. It’s the best one I’ve found and hold off discoloration a long time. I have some soaps I made in February last year and they are just starting to tinge a little bit. 1:1 is now I use it.
 
I bought a bottle from Natures Garden and have not used it yet. From the reviews it's about 50/50 on some liking the product and the others not liking it. But on the website for it 0.3% by weight.
 
I think I've tried every stabilizer on the market, and the best one by far I've used is BCN's. It's the ONLY one that I have found that will hold off the color for either very long periods of time (9 months to a year on the very highly discoloring FO's) to indefinitely.

Others I tried from almost everywhere else discolored before the cure was even complete.
 
I think I've tried every stabilizer on the market, and the best one by far I've used is BCN's. It's the ONLY one that I have found that will hold off the color for either very long periods of time (9 months to a year on the very highly discoloring FO's) to indefinitely.

Others I tried from almost everywhere else discolored before the cure was even complete.
Have you ever had problems with it making your soap soft.
 
"Start out with .25%-.50% to your fragrance in making soaps and lotions" Thanks for your replies: I copied & pasted from their site. Yes, that's what gets me confused, Isg, it makes a huge difference. (This product is from Aztec) .0025 is "close to 3Gr, not but a spit in the bowl LOL. I can measure .25 oz...The vanilla content of this particular FO is 1.5%, Mulberry.
cmzaha, mind telling me where you buy your VCS? Aztec's is 5.99/pound...pretty cheap stuff. When I make a special order, sure don't want it to discolor for my customer :(
I do not use it, my daughter used it in her m&p and purchased hers from B&B. I simply deal with the color discoloration. I really would not use it in lotions and most I have looked up do not recommend it in lotion
 
Have you ever had problems with it making your soap soft.
Never. The only difference between the soaps I make that have the VS and the ones I don't is the color discoloration rate. Other than that, you cannot tell there is stabilizer in there. But as I said, I will only use BCN's stabilizer as every other one I have tried has failed, so I never used/reordered from them. I have tried NG, WSP, BB, and a few other places I can't remember now, and all failed/discoloration came back, within 6 months or sooner. Not good enough for me. BCN's stabilizer will keep discoloration on almost all of my soaps indefinitely with only a few stubborn scents (like pink sugar) starting to discolor only after about a year or so.
 
I have just always dealt with the discoloration. I was afraid that these would affect the fragrance or the soap itself. Jcanleattic, do you see any negative issues at all using the VCS?
None. Once the soap is saponified, you honestly don't even know the VS is in the recipe other than the soap does not discolor.

ETA: I do gel all my soaps. Sometimes, when the batter is wet it will give a very yellow color, however, after saponification, the color returns to what it is meant to be, especially with a full gel. I will dig up a pic to show you what I mean, and post it to this thread.
 
ETA: I do gel all my soaps. Sometimes, when the batter is wet it will give a very yellow color, however, after saponification, the color returns to what it is meant to be, especially with a full gel. I will dig up a pic to show you what I mean, and post it to this thread.
Okay, this is with a VS, before and after saponification.

When wet, the white part is yellow, the pink part is orange. After saponification and gel you can see it turned back to what it was meant to be.

Pink Camouflage Soap 005.JPG
Cut Camouflage soap 002.JPG
Cut Camouflage soap 006.JPG
 
As for figuring out percentages, please have a full understanding of figuring out how much you need. It is very important if you make lotions in order to use the proper amount of preservative.

On a side note, I use enough additives in my soaps that I do not want to add another chemical, plus I hate the smell of VCS. Then there is the fact I do not want to add in another expense to my soaps
 
It does stink, no question about it. I only use it generally for special orders for bridal/baby showers when they want a discoloring fragrance and nice colors or if I really don't want something to discolor. The one I posted I did for a baby shower. It is an additional expense.
 
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