We’ve had numerous customer questions regarding fragrances ‘freezing’ in transit. So I thought others might be interested in the “fix” as well. Below is a fragrance oil (Hello Sweet Thangto be exact) that we left outside in the cold overnight. This is what the fragrance looked like after a night in the cold. Some of the fragrance components have cooled off enough to harden up and sink to the bottom of the mixture. But have no fear, the fragrance oil can be brought back to life using our simple heating trick.
Before…
Hot Water Bath: Bring water to a boil on the stove, turn the heat off and submerge the fragrance oil bottle (with cap off) in the hot water. This can take up to an hour for the fragrance to get back to normal so be patient! Re-cap and give the fragrance a good shake and store in a comfortable room temperature and your fragrance should be a-okay.
After…
Essential Oils, like Anise, can freeze in lower temperatures as well. They are a-okay to use once you get them mixed back in normally =)
Is this post solely about fragrance oils oppose to essential oils? What about EOs? are they still okay to use and in good quality if they freeze? Thanks for any thoughts!
Ayesha,
Did you send me a message via email? What email addy? You should definitely have gotten an email response so I want to track it down if you didn't.
You can recycle the brown bottles like you would with beer bottles. Just rinse 'em out and put them in the recycling like normal glass.
You can also check this blog out that I wrote a couple years ago about reusing your packaging:
http://soap-queen.blogspot.com/2008/11/reusing-amber-boston-rounds.html
It's definitely something to think about and do your best with. =))
OH and curious – I sent a msg months ago up the chain to see if there is any way / place / recommendation to recycle used EO / FO bottles? sort of like LUSH and the 5 pots? =) thoughts? doesn't make much sense from a SP perspective?
I think this is a good place to say how much I love Hello Sweet Thang. Just love it love it love it and love that you taunt me every time with a free sample and i end up getting more! =) thanks!
Very imformative. Thank you!
Very well said, Anne Marie! 😀
So glad to know that cold temps don't damage fragrances.
Especially Hello Sweet Thang!
Nah, disagreements are great! It's a wonderful way for us to all learn.
I'm not a big fan of flammable items near open flames either. I'll edit the post with the option to switch the burner off.
In this case, the fragrance is in a pot of water and has two layers between it and the stove and at no point should the fragrance ever come in contact with any sort of flame. But you are right, accidents can and do happen. Safety fist! =)
Let's talk about flashpoints and flammability.
Things like Gasoline (with a flashpoint of -45) are definitely a concern whenever they can be exposed to an ignition source. Fragrances under 100 degrees F are considered a workplace hazard. Most fragrances Bramble Berry carries are between 142 and 200+ degrees for their flashpoint. Fragrances with a higher flashpoint seem to work better in CP soap (though this is primarily anecdotal and not confirmed through scientific testing).
The flashpoint number is the lowest temperature at which the fragrance can vaporize to form an ignitable mixture in the air **when exposed to an ignition source** (like a flame).
A fire point is the temperature at which vapor continues to burn after being ignited.
Flammability is the rate at which something will burn or ignite, causing fire or combustion.
What does all this mean for soapmakers? It means a few things:
1. Being extra cautious around flame sources with your fragrances and essential oils
2. Checking flashpoints when making gel candles
3. Not shipping fragrances or essential oils with flashpoints under 200 in the mail
4. Checking with airline regulations about combustible or flammable materials if flying with essential oils or fragrance oils
5. Storing your fragrances and essential oils away from your furnace or wood stove
Lauri has an excellent reminder for us all that soapmaking is fun and enjoyable when safety comes first =)
XXOO,
A-M
I really HATE to disagree with The Queen here – but FOs are FLAMMABLE and should NEVER be used around an open flame! Please turn off the flame BEFORE you put the Fragrance Oil in the water bath. It will still work but be MUCH safer!
Thanks for the info – LOVE your blog! My soap pot just had a batch of Oatmeal Mint!!!
I live in Homer, Alaska and noticed years ago that anise essential oil crystalizes even in temps above 32. I keep my garage well above freezing but the eo's are next to an outide wall. The anise oil was certainly fine after bringing it into the main part of the home for a few hours.
Good information. I am sure I will encounter the freezing fragrance issue some day.
Does this remedy apply to both fragrance and essential oils?
I have never had them feeze but I have had them get crystals and heating a little will dissolve that also.
Michelle in NV
I do not mean to be a stinky poo but I live in California and had no idea products could freeze in transit. Soggy from flooding or muddy from the slides, but frozen? Guess I should start selling East of the Redwoods or something…
Thanks for the tip…
Debbie from the East Bay Area
If you're getting your 1, 4. 8 or 16 oz. bottles from Bramble Berry, you won't get your fragrances or essential oils in plastic. Our 5 pound size comes in plastic and that is a heat safe baggie that is designed to be placed in a warm water bath.
If it's another vendor and they are selling you fragrances in plastic, I would transfer the fragrances to glass before heating since most plastic containers do not stand up well to heat.
great tip
now that I live in a colder place I may start running into this problem
I am glad to hear that they will still be ok even when freezing on the way to me. We (here in the midsouth) got hit with a big ice storm this past weekend, just a few days after I placed several orders! How do you know if the plastic bottles are ok to be heating in a double boiler on the stove–I would be afraid of the part that touched the bottle might warp the plastic. Would a hot water bath in the sink be fine too?
This happened to one of my perfumes over the winter, in transit to Canada! I'll be linking to this post for a good quick fix! Thank you!!