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What could be some nice scent blends for summer? So far, i looked through Marie’s soaps and spotted 3 “themes”: citrussy, minty and the fresh/foresty. I ruled out spicy blends with cinammon and cloves, because although i love it, it is a wintery scent to me. What are your favorite blends for summery soap? Is there a problem with citrus essential oils in soap causing photosensitivity? It is a wash off product and in theory there shouldn’t be a problem, but what if? Also, what scents do the men in your life prefer in soap? My bf isn’t too keen on anything that might smell like insect repellent!! 😛
Hello Sophie!
Photosensitivity in soaps is not something you really need to be worried about. Soap is a wash off product, so you are generally safe using citrus essential oils in them within the recommended amounts.
The biggest problem using citrus essential oils in soap making is the stay power of the scent. It just doesn’t stick around. It fades. No matter what you do to try to anchor it.
I have begun using fragrance oils to keep the scent around a lot longer and again, citrus fragrance oils do fade after a time compared to other scents that are never fading.
I make and sell soaps here in China, and I’ve discovered that men like pretty much the same as women. They are just embarrassed to say so. Citrus, woody, spicy, tropical, fruity always seem to be popular. Male customers like the floral, but seem to be a little more picky on this one.
Hopefully this helps!
Sophie, I like citrussy smells, tropical/coconutty/fruity blends, and florals for summer. My husband doesn’t care for many fragrances but is generally OK with citrus smells. Sorry we left you hanging for an answer! I thought I had responded to your question but must have gotten interrupted and didn’t post my response.
Thank you ladies for the replies. I’m a bit skeptical towards fragrance oils. I have an autoimmune condition and unknown ingredients that might mess around with hormones sort of scare me. I find most perfumes annoy me. A few years back i couldn’t get enough of Dior’s Poison and Kenzo’s Flower, now i hardly ever wear them. It is the main reason i want to start making my own cosmetics, to see if staying away from fragrances and other stuff in store bought products helps me in any way. But the lower price tag, infinite scents and the fact they persist through CP curing really intrigue me. Maybe fragrance oils in CP soap won’t be much of a worry since it is washing off? What is your experience?
Honestly? Soap is a wash off. And its soap. I don’t care what it looks like, or smells like as long as it does the job and I can shave with it without issue. That’s what I care about. I find customers care a great deal which I don’t really get but meh.
Basically, what I am trying to say is, if the soap is being made just for you, I’d say go without and don’t risk the chances of problems. If you are curious, I’d say make a 500g batch of soap, split in two and try a fragrance oil or an essential oil and see what happens. Each person is different and what works for one may or may not work for another.
I have a lot more allergic reactions to essential oils then I do to fragrance oils. I have had zero with the fragrance oils, yet I have a growing list of essential oils that have given me problems. So, I’d start off buying the tiniest bottles you can of both types of oils and test them out. I can’t tell you how much money I’ve wasted on bottles of essential oils then are now collecting dust and I can’t use them, either for personal care products or to diffuse.
I have an auto immune issue and I’m the essential oils junkie. Fragrance oils aggravate me, but essential oils don’t. That said, I’m finding that the ones which are phlatate free minimize my reactions. So, it’s a sorting game, like Twin said. Build a small base of reliable essential oils and fragrance oils you can use without problems. Only then expand once you get comfortable.
I will tell you that essential oils do dissipate faster in soap unless they’re anchored. But again, depends on your needs. Right now, I’m loving my first batch of soap. I snagged a small piece to try and I really like it.
I made a funky combo the other day and I am in love! But I say that with almost every soap I make these days. Strange I know.
This combo is: Miami Beach (NDA-America), Passion Fruit (FNWL) and Tangerine (FNWL). After unmolding the scent was wicked strong of Passion Fruit with no scent of anything else. A day later, I smell a little more tropical scent from the Miami Beach with a soft hint of cheery citrus.
A few more oils came in the mail this week for scents: cucumber, um. brain fart. Green tea…. and another brain fart.
Anything that makes you smile in my opinoin will be perfect for summer.
So, i went ahead and got the essential oils i posted in Cyn’s first soap project thread. I made my first batch of soap using one of Marie’s older soap formulas regarding the oil percentages (like in lots and lots of Clay, or Mojito soap), substituting tallow for palm oil. I added 2 tsp kaolin at trace and the scent blend. The essential oils used were 6gr lavender, 3 gr cedarwood and 3gr patchouli. I thought to start with a usage rate of 2-2.5% which will make it a mildly-medium scented soap and see how i like it. The first couple of days half the house smelled of patchouli which made my bf complain a lot. It’s been curing for a week now, and the smell is confined to the curing room. It smells powdery or like incense to me.
Next up will be buying fragrance oils samples to try. My supplier offers their f.o. in tester kits, so i can try a few without spending much 🙂I know what you mean about the strong smells Sophie! Any strong smell, no matter what the source, irritates my nose and eyes, and sometimes gives me a headache. Thankfully, after a few days of curing, the smell from soap will settle down. There have been a few I’ve made that I was tempted to stick in the garage, they were so strong. But, they were fine after a few days. I try not to go overboard, but sometimes I apparently lose my mind and go heavy on scents. All I can say is thank goodness they mellow out in soap!!
My poor closet has been white tea and pear for weeks, but it’s getting better. 😁 Personally, it’s nice as an occasional scent. Lol.
I love citrus. Coconut, not so much. But sold, Barb! 😁
The trouble with coconut is, it is overpowering. If you cut it right, it is a warming scent and complimentary to the more tropical sweet scents of the citrus or any fruit.
I know what I am going to make today!!!! Coconut Silk lotion! BOOYAH!!!! Thanks for the idea Cyn!
Sure…I’m brilliant? Lmao! Coconut is one of those flavours/scents that makes me go EWWW. But maybe if it’s a minor scent, I’d be okay. Hmmm
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