Adding fragrances

[Leecy]

I just made some soap, I used lemon myrtle/lemon scented gum tea for the liquid, about 10ml of lemon myrtle EO and added the mooshed up leaves/ginger at trace. Will this have much smell? The total weight of oils is 1250g.

The mooshed up leaves, EO and ginger smelt really strong before I put them in at trace, but now it doesnt seem to have much smell. Does the smell disappear once its mixed in or will it come back when it cures a bit more?

[Feegles]

mmm lemon myrtle.. mmmmmm lemon verbena.. mmmm

[Gianna]

Lemon Myrtle is just about my favourite smell in soap but sadly, it doesn’t seem to last. I’ve been reading about it a bit and you need to watch your temps for one. If you add the Essential Oils to soap that is too hot, the EO will evaporate. Other people spoke about using different blends of Essential Oils to help “fix” the scent. You could try adding a tiny bit of Patchouli as that helps to hold the smell.

Seeing as EO’s are so expensive, I am now starting to understand why many people use fragrance oils or fragrance oils with essential oils. For me, fragrance oils usually just don’t cut it. I can smell the “artificiality” of them same as I can pick an “imposter” perfume. The Honey and Oatmeal fragrance oil, smells horrible to me but it’s one of the best sellers. I do have a Coconut fragrance oil that is not bad though.

[Leecy]

Damn 🙁 Hopefully the lemon myrtle leaves, and the fresh ginger will keep the smell there a bit 🙁

[shadowdancer]

I have found that if you want to make something with a “high note” essential oil, then the lower the temps of the water/lye and oils have to be to help it stay. Around 40oC is fairly low, but the temp that reaches when mixed, is low enough to keep some of the scent. I am like Gianna, I won’t use artificial fragrance oils, although I have purchased some for a trial, I have only used them once, and find them hideous in the end product.

I also use Benzoin to fix a high note essential oil. High note essential oils are ones that dissappear very quickly, or evaporate for a want of a better word. I use Lemon Myrtle and oatmeal, where I mix the ground oatmeal first with the essential oil, and leave it for a few hours. This helps to hold it within the oatmeal during the heating gel phase of CP soapmaking, which in turn fixes the scent.

Also be aware, that if you have your head over them in the first instance, and they’re there for the entire process, then towards the end of the process, you won’t smell them anymore! Walk away, go and smell coffee for a little bit in the fresh air, then come back in, and smell your soap! You’ll probably find that it’s still scented, just that you’re “used” to it and can’t smell it. 😀

[Gianna]

I hope so too Leecy. It smells a bit stronger when you wash with it.

[Leecy]

I just went and had another sniff, it is quite lemony still. Perhaps because I mixed the EO in with the mushed up leaves and ginger it has stayed a bit. I blended at blood temp. I don’t have a thermometre and I’m not about to go get one.

Are there any other natural additives that can be used for fragrance? I’d prefer to stay away from the fragrance oils etc. *not* having those fragrances is the whole point of making soap to me :uhoh:

[Gianna]

Have you done a Lavender one yet?

[Leecy]

No not yet, I have a fair bit of that EO tho so I think that will be next. I dont have any growing tho. Will plant some after we move so I can add some dried flowers to it.

[Gianna]

Peppermint is nice but you can’t use too much because it tingles. 😀

[Leecy]

What about non essential oil things tho? Or is making teas etc too weak?

[Reid_alderbooks]

Gianna wrote:

Lemon Myrtle is just about my favourite smell in soap but sadly, it doesn’t seem to last.

Is that for just lemon myrtle or all fragrances in general?

We have been focusing over the last few batchs on getting a hard lathery soap. Now that we seem to have that down pat, DW want smell :noapprove:

[debby-lee]

I “think” its just citrus-like kinds of scents. But I got lemon myrtle thinking (from what I read on the scent page) That it would be the longer lasting lemony scent 🙁 I used 25 ml in 1300g tho, so I tried to make it kind of strong incase. So far so good :/

[julesbaby]

I use lemon myrtle Eo and put clove eo with it. Keeps the fragrance in my soaps for ages.

[Gianna]

Hi Julesbaby, How much clove do you use with lemon myrtle (%) ? Does the clove not overpower the lemon smell?

[Author]

Posts