WSP Patchouli

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I just made some soap with WSP's Patchouli. I don't like patchouli but someone asked me for that fragrance so I tried it, as WSP's got such good reviews. OOB, it smells pretty much like I expected it to, but the soap smells only like dirt. HAve other people found this or does it round out and develop more with time?
 
patchouli does best when blended with other scents and that goes for any patchouli, but I wasn't real crazy about wsp's at all.
 
I've only tried 3 different suppliers for patchouli. I've got peaks right now and it's ok, but none of them have been a scent I adore out of the bottle. With the one I got from wsp I blended it with sw.orange, sandalwood and oakmoss (whick is probably what I'll do with these) and I liked the fragrace real well. But I'm still on the look-out for a knock-your-socks off patchouli fo. I don't know...maybe this is as good as it gets. :roll:
 
Peak's also got rave reviews and I have some of it. Doesn't smell as much like dirt as WSP's and people I've talked to seem to think authentic patchouli requires that dirt note. Since I don't like patchouli all that much, I don't know that I'll ever find a knock your socks off FO. I recall Carebear's comment that it smells like ass to her- seriously, will we find a knock your socks off ass smell and what exactly do you blend ass with? Oranges, apparently.

My next soap- Butt Blood Orange. If only I could get a little pucker in the middle of each bar.....
 
Thanks for the link. I hadn't heard of that. Do you know if they age it in some particular way? WOndering if you bought a good brand of p. oil but kept it stored in appropriate conditions for a few years, if you'd get a similar quality. A bit expensive, but if it's that good and you use it sparingly, might be worth it.
 
newbie said:
Thanks for the link. I hadn't heard of that. Do you know if they age it in some particular way? WOndering if you bought a good brand of p. oil but kept it stored in appropriate conditions for a few years, if you'd get a similar quality. A bit expensive, but if it's that good and you use it sparingly, might be worth it.
It's the way it's distilled that brings that special quality to this EO. It is great quality. I also have a 20 year old Patchouli that is divine.
 
The vessel used for the distillation changes the color of the oil and patchouli gets better with age so yeah, 20 years old must be quite something.

Patchouli is a base note and a fixative so it really should be blended with something else, whether it's a spicy oil or floral or citrus.
Perhaps you should find out which of these your friend would prefer.
 
My dad is allergic to musk, and it's EXTREMELY difficult to find anything without musk. I mean, he can tell if I'm wearing minute traces of it that I applied HOURS ago! LOL So I'm trying to think of a blend I can make for him. Would Patchouli work as a good fixative replacement for musk? I've about given up making anything for him since I have such a hard time finding any fo's sans musk! lol
Thanks!
 
true musk comes from animal source.
Patchouli (and all essential oils) come from plants.
Would it be a good replacement? Perhaps.
It's a great fixative and it has wonderful properties but it doesn't smell anything like musk, if you were looking for something similar from the organoleptic point of view.

Perhaps you should avoid FOs since none of the suppliers will tell you what's in them....so you may never know if there's musk in them or not.
 
I was thinking I would have to try EO's instead of FO's. I have very few EO's right now and a bazillion FO's. I think the only ones i have are lemon eucalyptus, tea tree, and clove. Not a good combo there. LOL I think I'll do some digging around and see what kind of good EO combo I can come up with. I'm thinking I can do something with the clove.
Thanks for the info cat! :)
 
Patchouli EO

I've been a huge fan of Patchouli most of my life (nope, not a hippie). It is best to blend Patchouli Essential oil with others. I have tried many, many FO's and EO's, but the best I have come up with is a blend below.

The Patchouli really comes out, and the other scents are not detectable. I have used an earthy Sandlewood as well as Frankincense in place of Sassafras successfully.

4 Tsp Rosewood Essential Oil
3 Tsp Patchouli Essential Oil
3 Tsp Geranium Essential Oil
2 Tsp Cedarwood Essential Oil
2 Tsp Sassafras Essential Oil

Mix, store in a Amber Bottle for 12 days to cure and Viola! Best Patchouli Ever!

Bill Zehnpfennig, Hobbes 7718 @aol.com
 
Ah! Such a learning curve here! Never ends. Now I have a number of dumb patchouli bars drying that smell like dirt. Maybe I can find a hunter who'd like them!

THanks for sharing your recipe ideas and your actual recipe, Soapy! I have everything but the geranium- have you substituted anything for that? I think I will try a small batch with your basic recipe, but something else for that geranium element. Will have to see what I have. I love frankincense but I don't have much left so I think I'll keep that for other purposes. I do have a bit of 10Xorange and some other florals. Hmmmmm.

Thanks again and I'll be keeping my eye out for chance to try that iron distilled patchouli oil- have to save to justify an expense like that.
 
The actual recipe amounts can be scaled down - think "parts" instead of Tsp.

Aka, 2 parts A, 3 parts B, 3 parts C and so on.

I think Orange could work dandy in place of the sassafras - I personally like Orange Patchouli scents. I have no clue as to what the finished essential oil blend would smell like with Orange - only way to know is to try. I'd recommend keeping the Geranium - mid note binder.
 
I do not like patch, ive tried, yuck, I made a loaf for a repair guy at work, he either quit working at my work or got fired, so I have 9 bars that I cant sell or use. Oh well.
 
Patchouli seems to be one of those scents that you either Love or Hate - with no middle ground. People (men especially) that I thought would love it turned out to hate it. Women seem to be on the fence about it.

I've seen it used where you can't tell it's there at all. Of course the opposite is true too - I made a citrus patchouli blend of EO for CP - I couldn't smell the Patch - only the Citrus. My GF said she could only smell the patch. I guess it comes down to your nose.

I orderded some seeds and I'm going to try and grow some plants for my house.
 

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