The first time you smell a fragrance or essential oil out of the bottle is definitely memorable. A fragrance can immediately inspire designs, colors and additives for your next soap recipe. But, sometimes the fragrance and essential oils can fade or change in cold process soap. The pH level of cold process soap can attack components of the oil, causing them to smell differently. It can be very disheartening! All Bramble Berry fragrance and essential oils are tested to ensure the scent sticks to cold process soap for months after making the soap. That being said, there are tips and tricks to make scents last even longer.
How much fragrance or essential oil used in the recipe plays a big role in scent retention. For a strong scent, with regulations taken into account, you can add .8 ounces of fragrance or essential oil per pound of cold process soap. For melt and pour, you can add .25 ounces of essential oil per pound, or .5 ounces of fragrance oil. This number will vary based on the scent selection. For instance, Almond Fragrance Oil is on the stronger side. Just .16 ounces per pound of cold process soap will provide a hefty scent. To find out exactly how much to add to the recipe, check out Bramble Berry’s Fragrance Calculator. Find out how to use the calculator here.
The Bramble Berry Fragrance Calculator amounts are based on safety guidelines created by IFRA (International Fragrance Association) and RIFM (Research Institute for Fragrance Materials). Each fragrance and essential oil have a maximum usage rate that is deemed safe for bath and beauty products. The “strong,” amount of fragrance recommended by the calculator is based on this maximum usage rate recommended by IFRA and RIFM. Using more than this amount can cause skin irritation.
Even with the highest scent recommendation, some scents don’t make it through cold process soap making. Cold process is a harsh environment, as it goes through several pH changes. Coconut scents, like Coconut Cybilla Fragrance Oil, can be very light in cold process soap. This is also the case for citrus essential oils, like Lemon Essential Oil and Orange Valencia Essential Oil. Still want a coconut or orange scent that lasts? You can use Coconut Cream Fragrance Oil or 10X Orange Fragrance Oil. Check out the tutorials using those fragrances below.
Left to right: Juicy Orange and Sweet Rose Cold Process Soap, Coconut Cream Pie Cold Process Soap
Don’t give up on citrus or coconut scents just yet! They work great in melt and pour soap and other bath products, like the Coconut Oil and Pink Salt Scrub. That tutorial uses Island Coconut Fragrance Oil and Lime Fragrance Oil. You can also anchor light scents. That involves pairing them with a deeper, earthier or more complex scent to “anchor” the fragrance in soap. Some examples of anchoring scents include Amber Fragrance Oil, Patchouli Essential Oil and Sensuous Sandalwood Fragrance Oil. In the Lime in the Coconut Milk Cold Process Soap, Lime Distilled Essential Oil was paired with earthy Coconut Lemongrass Fragrance Oil to help it stick.
This Lime in the Coconut Milk Cold Process Soap uses earthy lemongrass to anchor the lime scent.
Some soapers like to use kaolin clay in their soap to help hold scent. While we haven’t done a lot of scent testing with kaolin clay, we have found it adds a nice “slip” and subtle color to soap. Kaolin clay was used in the Sea Clay Swirl Cold Process Soap. To add it to your soap, mix 1 tsp. of clay in 1 Tbsp. of distilled water beforehand. That helps it disperse evenly. It also prevents clumping and acceleration, as clays tend to absorb moisture. Read more in the Sunday Night Spotlight: Brazilian Clay.
Kaolin clay gives the Sea Clay Swirl Cold Process Soap a subtle white color.
Temperature is another factor to consider when soaping. Each fragrance and essential oil has a flash point, which is the temperature at which, under certain circumstances, the liquid in question can ignite with a flame. This means the liquid needs to be at the flash point temperature and come in contact with an open flame. Some people believe if a scent is heated to the flash point temperature in recipes, it can cause the fragrance to fade.
We haven’t noticed substantial scent fading at higher temperatures, but it is something to take into consideration. If you’re using a low flash point scent, you may want to avoid gelling the soap. During gel phase, soap can get as hot as 180 ° F. Read more about gel phase here. It may be something to consider when making hot process soap as well, as the soap temperatures are typically around 160 ° F or hotter.
Some soapers only use medium or high flash point oils when making hot process soap, like the Marbled Clay Hot Process Soap.
To ensure the scent stays strong during the cure, store it in a cool, dry place that’s not in direct sunlight. Learn more about storing your products here. You can also dip a cotton ball or balled up paper towel in the fragrance or essential oil and place it by the soap while it’s curing. That is thought to help the soap “absorb” some of the scent as it cures. Just remember that fragrance oils and plastic do not get along, so be sure your cotton ball is not sitting on a plastic surface. Click here to read more about how plastic and undiluted fragrance oils don’t mix.
Storing your soap in a cool, dry place out of direct sunlight can help that scent stick.
For the best scent retention, make sure the fragrance or essential oil you’re using has been tested thoroughly and is approved for use in soap. We test all of our scents and include performance notes in the essential oil and fragrance oil descriptions.
Do you have any tricks for making scent last? Personally, I like to scent my soap recipes on the stronger side to ensure my fragrance really comes through.
I am very new to cold process and my question is do I need to add EO and FO both to the soap? I understand that FO is only for the fragrance and EO is also for the therapeutic benefits. But is EO enough if I’m looking for mild scent too and if I skip the FO.
You can add just fragrance oil, just essential oil, or a combination of the two. Both essential and fragrance oil add really nice scent to your soap. Which one you choose is personal preference. Learn more about the difference and how to add them to soap here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fHvuWaClMz0&list=PLAADF6209996265D2&index=3
Find out how much to add to your batch with our Fragrance Calculator: https://www.brambleberry.com/Pages/Fragrance-Calculator.aspx
-Kelsey with Bramble Berry
I am really not happy that my coconut mango FO I purchased from here vanished in my soaps. Now I have un-scented cup cake soaps and soap bars. I waited until the temps were around 125 before adding. So what happened?
I’m sorry about that Shandy, when we tested that fragrance we found it stuck well in cold process soap. How much did you add to your batch?
-Kelsey with Bramble Berry
Do you have any recommendations on using diatomaceous earth (food grade, of course) in melt & pour soap? Or collagen? Would you use the collagen powder that you can mix in your juice in the morning or would I need to use a different grade? Looking to use things in bars that are beneficial to the skin. Thanks!
We haven’t worked with those ingredients, but I think they would be OK! Because diatomaceous earth is a dirt/clay, I would recommend using it like one. For clays, we recommend about 1/2 teaspoon per pound of soap to start with. You can mix it with alcohol beforehand to help it mix in more easily and prevent clumping. Learn more about working with clays here: https://www.soapqueen.com/bramble-berry-news/sunday-night-spotlight-brazilian-clay/
I would also recommend a small test batch to see how the diatomaceous earth and collagen powder work in your soap. 🙂
-Kelsey with Bramble Berry
Hi! I just had a problem with my coffee fragrance oil (locally bought here in our country) and it was a disaster. I’ve mixed my oil first then I added 2 teaspoons of Kaolin Clay, I mixed them well before adding my lye coffee. For the first 3 to 4 minutes of stirring, my batter (32 oz) was all fine so I decided to separate my batch into two. After that I’ve added the coffee fragrance oil(.8oz) to my main batter and while mixing it for about 5 minutes, little clumps formed everywhere…sound like RICING, right? However, the one I separated was sitting there just like nothing happened so I guess I know who is the real culprit. Now, am I using the FO the right way?? It cost me a lot for that. Can I mix the fragrance oil first with my base oils before adding the lye?
It sounds like that fragrance oil causes ricing. If that happens, you can stick blend the soap until the ricing disappears. Keep in mind that will make it fairly thick, so you may not be able to get your original design. I wouldn’t recommend adding the fragrance to your oils. Once the lye hits the oils, it will begin to rice. It helps instead to add the fragrance toward the end of the process. This post talks more about how to work with misbehaving fragrances: http://www.soapqueen.com/bath-and-body-tutorials/tips-and-tricks/soap-behaving-badly/
-Kelsey with Bramble Berry
Hi Kelsey,
Can I still use the soap when it clumps like rice (tapioca pudding)?
P.S. I am not able to stick blend the soap until the ricing disappears.
It’s tough to say! Sometimes if the clumps are bigger, they can contain extra fragrance or lye. If you notice any irritation with the bars at all, you’ll want to stop using them. When you’re stick blending the soap the ricing isn’t going away at all? Do you know if it’s the fragrance causing it? Let me know and I’ll help you troubleshoot. 🙂
-Kelsey with Bramble Berry
Hi these, I love reading all your articles. I’m new to soap making and I have an issue with my essential oils, I can’t get them to mix properly in the base, they stay separated and when the soaps set in the mould I have all the oil sitting on top in little bubbles. ( I have chosen goats milk melt and pour base). Any tips here would be a great help. Thanks, Staci.
Absolutely! How long are you stirring in your essential oils? How hot is your soap when you’re adding the essential oils? Also, how much are you adding? Are they pure essential oils or do they have additives? Let me know and I can help you troubleshoot. 🙂
-Kelsey with Bramble Berry
Hi also new to soapmaking. All my batches so far come out smelling like plado….. I have tried using different amounts and they are all brambleberry. any idea as to what is causing this? 🙁
That Playdough smell can happen if the oils are rancid. Do you know how old your oils are? Also, are you noticing any orange spots? If so, it may be dreaded orange spots. Read more about those here: https://www.soapqueen.com/bath-and-body-tutorials/tips-and-tricks/dreaded-orange-spots/
-Kelsey with Bramble Berry
Hi!, I just made a few more batches and they still smell awful! They are all new bottles I just bought (BB) and there are no spots. What am I doing wrong:( my husband came home trying to figure out what the smell was 🙁 the only oils I use on her olive oil coconut oil sweet almond oil grapeseed oil an avocado oil sometimes these are the only oils I have is it one of these that’s causing my problems?
Because the oils are fresh, I’m not sure why they are giving off that smell! I would recommend going through and sniffing each one individually. It may be that a certain oil has a distinct smell you’re not loving. Once you find it, you can eliminate it from your recipe! You can also add fragrance or essential oil to help cover that smell up. 🙂
Fragrance oils: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ywjpbThDpE
Essential oils: https://www.brambleberry.com/Essential-Oils-C157.aspx
The Fragrance Calculator tells you how much to add to your batch: https://www.brambleberry.com/Pages/Fragrance-Calculator.aspx
-Kelsey with Bramble Berry
Catrina,
I’ve made chocolate soap using grapeseed oil & other vegetable oils. The soap had a weird smell, and the soap was very soft. It almost smelled rancid. Try reformulating your recipe to not include grapeseed oil. I truly believe it was the culprit. Teresa of PixieBubbles Soap
I am new at soapmaking and i tried using the oatmeal milk and honey FO. the scent came out beautifully after i made the soap but completely faded after 2 weeks. i am now on the 20th day of curing and can hardly smell any scent on the soaps. i used 33% each of olive oil, coconut oil, and palm oil for a total of 900g of oils and used 45g of the FO. i wonder what happened.
I checked our Fragrance Calculator and you used the exact amount we recommend for a strong fragrance, so I’m not sure why that’s happening! We do choose all our fragrances based on a 6 week cure time, as some fragrances do tend to develop more as they cure. I would recommend waiting until then to see if you notice that scent coming back! You can also place cotton balls or paper towels soaked with the fragrance near the bars. The theory is that they reabsorb the scent as they cure. 🙂
-Kelsey with Bramble Berry
I love all your fragrances, but I’m really disappointed in your Almond fragrance. The same one you mention above. After a few months (4) it’s completely gone. I’ve never had that happen with any other. Like you said above its 0.16 oz per lb, and I used even more (1.25 oz/80oz) and its gone. And that was such a big batch too. You can see it on my Instagram, it’s the one I named “Marzipan”, except that doesn’t work now, does it? 🙁
I’m sorry about that Martina. I’m surprised because I have a bar made with the Almond Fragrance Oil that’s about a year old and it’s still strong! Can you tell me a bit more about your recipe and how you’re storing the soap? I can help you troubleshoot and see if there’s something we can do! 🙂
-Kelsey with Bramble Berry
Martina,
I’ve used B.B. Almond many times. I’ve never had it fade. Could be your recipe, or storage.
I recently moved to a new house and we have two separate pantries in the kitchen. I took over one to use as my soap curing rack!! I also put the mold in there after the soap is poured. I feel like since I started putting all the soaps in there, all together, with the door closed, they don’t smell as strong after a couple of days. Would that environment have an effect on scent retention you think? I thought maybe leaving the door open instead of closing it might help. Trying that out now. Just trying to brainstorm a little 🙂
We store all our soaps together on a bakers rack and don’t find that affects scent retention! It may be a bit of scent fatigue. With all the fragrant bars mingling together, your nose may get used to the scents and not be able to pick up on them anymore. If you like, you can dip some cotton balls or paper towels in the fragrance and put them next to the bars. The theory is that they reabsorb the scent as they cure. 🙂
-Kelsey with Bramble Berry
I totally agree. I feel almost nose-blind sometimes to all the mingling scents. My customers can smell them just fine, but I cannot.
Once a soap is cured should it be stored in a sealed or open container. I cant seem to find that answer anywhere? Thanks.
Hi Dail!
You can store them either way! You just want to make sure the soap has a bit of airflow so any leftover water can evaporate. You can store them in a plastic container with the lid slightly off, or open on bakers racks. 🙂
Learn more about storing your soap here: http://www.soapqueen.com/bath-and-body-tutorials/tips-and-tricks/how-to-store-handmade-bath-products/
-Kelsey with Bramble Berry
I want to make a Lemon Poppy Seed cold processed soap using lemon essential oil. Is there something I should add to hold the scent of lemon? Thank you.
You can use a deeper, more earthy scent like lemongrass or patchouli! That will anchor the lemon essential oil nicely. 🙂
Lemongrass essential oil: https://www.brambleberry.com/Lemongrass-Essential-Oil-P3822.aspx
Patchouli essential oil: https://www.brambleberry.com/Patchouli-Essential-Oil-P3420.aspx
-Kelsey with Bramble Berry
Any experience with the ratio to anchor? What would be the recommended % of patchouli in this situation? Thanks!!
Hi Staci!
It’s personal preference! I would recommend starting out with a 1:1 ratio of patchouli to your other fragrance. Then, give that a sniff. If you want more of one or the other, you can add more from there. You don’t need to use too much to anchor the scent, just enough to give it an earthy note. 🙂
Read more about scent blending here: https://www.soapqueen.com/bath-and-body-tutorials/tips-and-tricks/fragrance-oil-blending-tips/
-Kelsey with Bramble Berry
A small amount of Patchouli does definitely help to retain citrus scents. If I use 5 oz. of a citrus scent, then I use maybe only 1 teaspoon of Patchouli. It gives citrus scents a warmer smell.
I’m wondering if it’s possible to use dendridic salt in the soap to help hold the fragrance. Maybe put the fragrance into the salt first. I know it works wonderfully in bath bombs and such and the addition of a bit of salt would produce a slightly harder bar, which is also a plus. You shouldn’t need to use too much. Just enough to hold the fragrance oil adding your super-fatting oils to that at the end of your trace. >> I haven’t tried it yet, but it sounds feasable to me. Holding soap fragrance is a concern for all of us and a great conversation. It’s something worth this discussion. I’m glad you addressed it.
Hi Louise!
We haven’t given that a try so I’m not sure how the scent retention is. You can definitely try it out though! Salt bars are nice and firm and provide a bit of exfoliation. I’ll include some salt bar recipes below. 🙂
Lavender and Rose Pink Salt Bars: https://www.soapqueen.com/bath-and-body-tutorials/cold-process-soap/lavender-and-rose-pink-salt-bars-diy/
Pretty in Pink Salt Bars: https://www.soapqueen.com/bath-and-body-tutorials/cold-process-soap/pretty-in-pink-salty-cold-process/
-Kelsey with Bramble Berry
I love your fragrance oils and Energy is a favorite with everyone. I would like to make soap that scents your skin. I have found if I buy soap from various manufacturers it smells wonderful AND that scent clings to your skin. My cold process soap, lotions ( I bought a lotion kit from you last year and everyone loves the recipe…thick and creamy) and body butter smell amazing but the scent does not cling to your skin for very long. I am wondering if it is because the milled soaps add the fragrance after the saponification process. Is there something to add that makes the fragrance cling to your skin longer ?
Hi JoAnn!
In wash off products like soap, the scent won’t last on the skin too long. You can increase the usage rate slightly! That may help it last a bit longer. You can use our Fragrance Calculator to find out how much to add to your soap and lotion: https://www.brambleberry.com/Pages/Fragrance-Calculator.aspx
Our Fragrance Calculator amounts are based on IFRA (International Fragrance Association) guidelines. If you use more than the strong recommendation, it can cause skin irritation. I would recommend sticking within those guidelines.
Another thing you can do is make a perfume with the fragrance in your soap! That way if you love the scent, you can smell it all day. A perfume spray would be really cute in a gift set as well. 🙂
This Body Oil Perfume Spray is a nice simple recipe: https://www.soapqueen.com/bath-and-body-tutorials/body-oil-perfume-spray-tutorial/
And this video talks more about how to make perfume: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ID6wC7kTgAY
-Kelsey with Bramble Berry
It is too bad that most coconut scents don’t make it through cold process soap making. That is definitely my favorite fragrance. I’m glad you offered some solutions so that I’ll still be able to make coconut scented handmade soap. I’ll check these tutorials out and if that doesn’t work I can always buy some online, thanks.
You’re welcome Patricia, glad you found the post helpful! You may also like Coconut Cream Fragrance Oil. We’ve found it sticks well in cold process soap. 🙂
Coconut Cream Fragrance Oil: https://www.brambleberry.com/Coconut-Cream-Fragrance-Oil-P5936.aspx
-Kelsey with Bramble Berry
Hi. Kelsey..I m big fan of yours…I have learnt a lot from your tutorials…now I m actually selling soaps …getting good feedback as well…
So thought of thanking u…thank u so much…
Regards
Swar
That’s awesome Swar, congratulations on selling your soap! That is such a huge accomplishment. I’m glad the Soap Queen tutorials helped you get that business up and running. Thanks so much for your sweet message. 🙂
-Kelsey with Bramble Berry
Hello~
I don’t know if this has been asked or explained before, I’ve been searching all night and can’t seem to find an answer to the issue I seem to be having.
I’m still fairly new to soapmaking, I’ve made a little over a dozen different batches so far, I do cold process and I use fresh-frozen goats milk. Usually the oils I use are sweet almand, castor, palm, and coconut oil (and a few other variations), and I’ve been using fragrance oils… a different fragrance each batch.
I’ve had great success with all my batches so far, smelling and looking great, except for my last two batches. The first I used a cappuccino fragrance that smelled wonderful right up until I went to cut into it, to which I found it smelled less like cappuccino and more like… playdough? I asked others to smell it and they said it kinda smelled like cappuccino but just very mild. I thought maybe it had just faded really bad, which I thought weird since it had only been a few days, and also wondered if maybe after curing for a few weeks it might smell better. It’s been a few weeks now and I find I still smell that playdough smell only not as strong as when I first cut into it. I settled with thinking it must have been a poor fragrance oil, and set out to make my next batch. This second batch I used a buttercream fragrance oil, and again it smelled amazing for the last two days. But when I went to cut into it tonight, I can’t smell any buttercream, just that weird playdough smell again…
What would cause this to happen? I am using the same recipes I’ve used on other batches that have turned out smelling great, the only difference being that I switched to a slightly larger mold, but its silicone just like my other. Maybe not enough fragrance oil to meet the larger amount going into the bigger mold? I’m feeling pretty disappointed right now
Hi Stacy!
I’m wondering if the oils in your batch may be rancid. Rancid oils create an unpleasant smell in soap that sort of reminds me of playdough. They can also create Dreaded Orange Spots (DOS). You can read more about DOS here: http://www.soapqueen.com/bath-and-body-tutorials/tips-and-tricks/dreaded-orange-spots/
Several things can cause DOS, including oils past their shelf lives, a really humid environment, and even the water you use. I can help you pinpoint the cause of DOS! Can you tell me how old your oils are, where you’re storing the soap, and what kind of water you’re using? Thanks Stacy. 🙂
-Kelsey with Bramble Berry
I just looked at my oils, and are no expiration dates on the tubs, though they look and smell fine. I contacted my supplier and waiting for a reply about when the dates would be, though the website guarantees good for one year after purchase and I only purchased them a few months ago. On these batches I did not use water, I used 100% frozen goats milk. And I stored them in my cellar, where it is a bit cool, and had my mold wrapped in a thin towel.
There is no orange spots or anything on the bars, they are a smooth color all the way through, and the playdough smell is very mild.
I was hoping I could try and save them with a rebatch or something, but if something is gone bad I guess I will not be so lucky
Hi Stacy!
I’m wondering if it may be the milk instead! When the milk reacts with the lye, it creates an odd smell – it sort of smells like ammonia. As the soap cures for 4-6 weeks, that smell should start to fade away. Also, the good thing about that is the bars are still totally fine to use!
To help reduce that smell, we like to keep the milk nice and cold. To do that, we recommend freezing the milk before adding the lye. Then, when the soap is in the mold, we recommend popping it in the fridge or freezer for 5-24 hours to keep in nice and cold. 🙂
Read more about working with milk here: http://www.soapqueen.com/bath-and-body-tutorials/tips-and-tricks/how-to-add-lye-to-milk-for-cold-process-soap/
-Kelsey with Bramble Berry
I don’t know what it is, but I have that playdough scent too since I use three new things : mineral oil for lining my Milky Way mold to make unmolding easier, shea butter and cocoa butter in my soap recipes. Nothing else has changed since I found that playdough scent in my soaps. My oils and butters are not rancid and I didn’t either use milk in these soap recipes. Hope we could find what there’s in common and so find the source of the problem.
I’m not entirely sure what could be causing that scent! We do find the soap gets an odd smell when it’s rancid, or has scorched milk or another liquid. Are you using any fragrance in your batches?
-Kelsey with Bramble Berry
I’m using essential oils. Maybe not enough but I never had this smell before. The playdouh scent seems to fade a little since the beginning of the cure, about two weeks. But it’s still there. I hope it will continues to fade and let the place to my essential oils scents! Today I try a batch with Milky Way molds lined with coconut oil. I will see if it can make a difference.
I would recommend making a small test batch without the essential oil to see if you still notice that scent. If it’s still there, you may try one recipe without the cocoa and one without the shea. That way you can find out if any of those are causing the smell!
For future batches, you can use our Fragrance Calculator to find out how much essential oil to add: https://www.brambleberry.com/Pages/Fragrance-Calculator.aspx
Also, I wouldn’t recommend using coconut oil in the molds. It will turn into soap in the molds, and may not help them slide out easily. Instead you can use cyclomethicone! It’s a liquid silicone that helps the soap slide out easily. 🙂
Cyclomethicone: https://www.brambleberry.com/Cyclomethicone-P4560.aspx
Read more about working with cold process in plastic molds here: https://www.soapqueen.com/bath-and-body-tutorials/tips-and-tricks/unmolding-cold-process-soap-from-plastic-molds/
-Kelsey with Bramble Berry
I’ve had that smell in my soaps too. I call it “The Soap Stink”. It happens a lot with oatmeal, milks and even beer. It doesn’t matter which base oils or essential oils I use, it just seems to be there sometimes. But once the soap is fully cured, the stink always goes away. So my advice would be to just leave it to cure for a few weeks.
Thanks for the great tip Debra! Beer and milk mixed with lye do smell a bit odd. We’ve found that scent goes away as the soap cures as well. 🙂
-Kelsey with Bramble Berry
I know these comments are older, but I hope this helps. I’ve been soaping for several years now. I make mostly goat milk soap. The play dough smell is VERY normal. It is almost a bit like ammonia which always goes away during cure. It is just part of the saponification process. Some of my recipes and fragrance combinations have it stronger than others. I also noticed that my 10lb logs have it worst at cutting time on the surfaces that have not yet been exposed to air. But again, it does disappear usually in the first week or two of cure and the expected fragrance settles in nicely.
My question is kind of the opposite of holding scent and more about how it fades or how I might bring it down a bit. I made my first loaf cold process oven process with rose water, rose infused olive oil, coconut oil, castor oil, a little jojoba and a little apricot oil. I also added a handful of rosehips and dried rose petals with rose clay. My issue is that I added too much essential oils. I was adding geranium, a little patchouli and lemon to enhance the rose… I used a fragrance calculator to tell me how much to use but had a problem with my scale not registering the weight as I added it to my mix. So, I ended up with a geranium bomb. It’s pretty strong after cutting into small sticks (1x1x3) several days ago. They are for a gift set and I’m afraid that they won’t mellow in the coming weeks. I’d hate to give away a crap batch. Do you think the scent will calm over time?
Hi Shannon!
Oh no, I’m sorry about that. I have definitely scented some of my batches quite heavily – I learned quickly that peppermint essential oil is quite strong!
I would recommend letting the soap cure for a couple of weeks. As it sits, it may mellow slightly. If it’s still a bit strong, I would recommend rebatching the soap with equal amounts of unscented soap. The unscented soap will help calm the scent down so you can give it away. 🙂
Learn how to rebatch that soap here: http://www.soapqueen.com/bath-and-body-tutorials/cold-process-soap/soap-queen-tv-presents-how-to-make-rebatch-soap-2/
If you don’t have an unscented loaf on hand, our rebatch bases would work well: https://www.brambleberry.com/Rebatch-Bases-C14.aspx
-Kelsey with Bramble Berry
Hi – I recently purchased a few bars of scented soap to give away as little gifts at Christmas. What is the best way to store them so that they:
a. keep their scent
b. don’t mix with the different bars scents (I bought four different ones and don’t want the lavender to leak into the citrus, etc.)
I was thinking of wrapping each bar in tin foil, but thought you might have some better advice.
Thanks.
Hi Lori!
Those are going to make great Christmas gifts! I would recommend storing them in a cool, dry place with good air flow. That will keep those bars of soap fresh until they can be gifted. You can store them on a bakers rack, or in a plastic tub with the lid unsecured.
You can store the scents next to each other if you like! We often do that in the Soap Lab and have found that the scents don’t co-mingle. 🙂
Read more about how to store soap here: http://www.soapqueen.com/bath-and-body-tutorials/tips-and-tricks/how-to-store-handmade-bath-products/
Then, once they’re ready to be gifted, we have some fun wrapping ideas you make like! You can find those ideas here: http://www.soapqueen.com/bath-and-body-tutorials/tips-and-tricks/packaging-inspiration-with-heathoriginal/
These glittery soap boxes are really cute too: http://www.soapqueen.com/bath-and-body-tutorials/home-crafts/how-to-up-level-your-soap-boxes-with-glitter/
-Kelsey with Bramble Berry
When you are talking about using a base note to “anchor” a scent , how much should be used?
And can you use essential oil and or fragrance oil?
Hi Diane!
You can use essential oil or fragrance oil! Either one works great. You just want a deeper and more complex scent to hold onto the lighter scents. For example, Petitgrain Essential Oil has some woody and green notes that are great for anchoring scents: https://www.brambleberry.com/Petitgrain-Essential-Oil-P6340.aspx
As for fragrance oils, Mahogany Fragrance Oil is deep and woodsy and makes a great anchor: https://www.brambleberry.com/Mahogany-Fragrance-Oil-P5939.aspx
As for how much to add, I would recommend a 1:1 ratio of anchor to lighter fragrance. Then, give it a sniff. If you want more, you can add from there. 🙂
Learn more about blending fragrances in this post: http://www.soapqueen.com/bath-and-body-tutorials/tips-and-tricks/fragrance-oil-blending-tips/
Learn how much scent to add to your batch with our Fragrance Calculator: http://www.soapqueen.com/bath-and-body-tutorials/tips-and-tricks/use-fragrance-calculator/
-Kelsey with Bramble Berry
Aloha Kelsey and fellow soap makers,
My question is…would sticking your soap in the fridge/freezer (not gelling) make the scents stay longer since its not going through the heat gelling phase?
Many thanks!
Hi Janelle!
We store our soap all sorts of ways, depending on the recipe. That includes room temperature, gelling, fridge and freezer. As far as scent retention, we haven’t noticed a huge difference among the storage methods. I find gelled soap has similar scent retention to frozen soap. I think adding more fragrance and using one that sticks in cold process really helps.
I would definitely encourage you to give it a try and see if you notice a big difference. That can help you determine how to store your soap. 🙂
-Kelsey with Bramble Berry
Does the soap smell different from when it being made and the final product? I mean, initially when the oils and lye are being mixed, it smells weird. Will it smell the same way after it is cured?
Hi Ramya!
As the soap cures, the scent will smell different! The out of bottle scent versus the cured soap scent may change quite a bit. If you’re not sure about a fragrance out of bottle, we recommend smelling it after a 6 week cure. You may be surprised and find you like it quite a bit! 🙂
-Kelsey with Bramble Berry
Hi Ramya,
How are you ? I rarely come across indians on soaping sites 😀 So I felt I had to try get in touch with you. Do let me know if you would like to discuss soap or if you found this extremely disconcerting.
Regards
Sameera
Have learnt so much from your tutorials. Thank you for all the valuable information. Have been soaping since January and love it. I invite you to check out my website simon’snaturalsoaps.com
Hi Jenny!
You are so welcome! So glad you find the tutorials helpful. Thanks for your kind words, they really mean a lot to us. Can’t wait to check out your website. 🙂
-Kelsey with Bramble Berry
Hi bramble berry, this article will help me when I finally take the plunge and make my first batch of cold process soap, but I guess my comment is about bath bombs and bubble bars?
My first test batch of bath bombs and bubble bars I made stopped smelling after about the six month period.
So if anyone has any information about how to anchor scents better to this type of product I would love some input.
Hi Robin!
So glad you found the blog post helpful!
With bath bombs, you can add up to .5 ounces of fragrance oil per pound of mixture for a strong scent. To find that out, you can use our Fragrance Calculator. Just select “Salts” from the drop down menu: https://www.brambleberry.com/Pages/Fragrance-Calculator.aspx
Over time, that scent can fade. To prevent that, you can wrap your bath bombs tightly with plastic wrap. Learn more in the How to Store Handmade Bath Products post: http://www.soapqueen.com/bath-and-body-tutorials/tips-and-tricks/how-to-store-handmade-bath-products/
-Kelsey with Bramble Berry
Good day,
Excellent article, thank You!
I do have one question, do different companies selll different strengths of fragrance oil? I live in Canada and much as I would adore to get all my fragrance oils from you afraid you aren’t able to ship them all to me. And when I have consulted other suppliers I have received such different responses about correct usage I really did wonder if some are diluted? Even if yours are not do you know if diluting them before sale might be a practice for some suppliers? Just curious since it does make calculating correct usage a bit tricky.
Thanks,
Grey Dove
Hi Grey!!
I live in Toronto and order some of my scents from SaffireBlue.com. They are just of me and I have had great luck with my scents from them. The only one that totally disappeared was Cotton Candy, but this has happened with all cotton candy from other companies too.
Try Saffire Blue out, shipping is very fast and they carry everything a soaper needs.
🙂
Hi Grey Dove!
Fragrance oils can vary from company to company! Our usage rates are based on International Fragrance Association guidelines. I would definitely recommend following the suggested usage rates from the companies. Because they test the fragrance oils, they most likely know the correct usage rate.
Also, thanks for your suggestion Michelle! 🙂
-Kelsey with Bramble Berry
Thanks for the article.
You’re welcome Jocelyn! Thanks for reading. 🙂
-Kelsey with Bramble Berry
There is some good information here. I wrap my soaps with bands and then store them in boxes to prevent scent loss also. One thing that confuses me is that you recommend 0.8 oz. per pound of SOAP for a strong scent. That would be 4 oz fragrance for a 5# batch of soap. I find that 0.8-1.0 oz. per pound of OILS, not total pounds of soap is plenty of fragrance. If you input 0.8 or 1.0 nto the SoapCalc lye calculator under fragrance amount for a 5# batch it gives 2.75-3.5oz of fragrance for 5 pounds. Is the fragrance calculator on Brambleberry’s site base meant to have the total pounds of soap entered or oils?
Hello!
I think this article says “per pound of soap” not “per pound of oils” is because you add the fragrance oil once the lye and oils have emulsified into soap batter, not just to the straight oils. Is that what you meant?
-Cadence 🙂
I have wondered this same thing for months. Is the fragrance calculator referring to amount of soap or amount of oils in “how much are you making?”
Hi Vicki, Cadence and Robin!
Our Fragrance Calculator is the amount of fragrance or essential oil per pound of soap. That includes oils, water and lye. It is not a recommendation per pound of oils. Hope that helps clear things up! 🙂
-Kelsey with Bramble Berry
Kelsey – Some soapers discount their water when making soap, for a wide variety of reasons. However, the water eventually evaporates once the soap is fully cured. I am confused as to why your fragrance amounts would take into account the water weight because that could vary a lot depending on the water discount used. Why does BB based the amount on total soap weight vs. oil weight? thanks!
Hi Kelsey!
That’s a great question! Our Fragrance Calculator amounts are based on the finished soap losing water during evaporation. If you’re doing a large water discount though, you can estimate that number and plug it into the calculator! For instance, if your final soap weighs 16 ounces with the water discount, you can plug in that amount to get the fragrance usage. To be extra precise, you can weigh the finished bars after they’re finished curing to find out how much water is lost and adjust from there. 🙂
-Kelsey with Bramble Berry
Hi Kelsey..
I am now very confused.. you say it’s .8 per pound of soap which includes oil, lye and water.. but in SoapCalc only the amount of oil is used to determine how much scent to use.
Actually.. when comparing Brambleberry Frangrance Calculator, it seems only the oils are being taken into account and does NOT inlcude the lye and water.
Hi Mac!
I’m not entirely sure how SoapCalc calculates fragrance amounts, but I can tell you ours are the total weight of the soap, including oils, water and lye. Those are based on International Fragrance Association (IFRA) guidelines.
If you ever have any questions on usage rates, we can provide IFRA documents for a specific fragrance! To request those, email MSDS (at) brambleberry (dot) com. 🙂
-Kelsey with Bramble Berry
Hi there..
Well, I was comparing your Brambleberry’s chart with SoapCalc and they are the same.. when using .5, .7, or .8 ppo..and i can tell you Soap calc only goes by total amount of oils because even if you change the amount of water or lye, the amount of scent stay the same..so, that tells me they only use total amount of oil. – and it so happens to match the amounts from your chart.
This article also makes a pretty good point about including water and lye when calculating how much scent…
http://www.lovinsoap.com/2014/06/essential-oil-and-fragrance-oil-usage-rates-in-soap/
Hi Mac!
Thanks so much for sharing the article! We think using the full weight of the soap for fragrance calculation is a good idea as well, and it’s what we use for our Fragrance Calculator. You can find out more about our Fragrance Calculator here: http://www.soapqueen.com/bath-and-body-tutorials/tips-and-tricks/use-fragrance-calculator/
I’m not too familiar with SoapCalc, but from what I understand you can change the fragrance amount to always be .5 ounces per pound, .7 ounces, etc. It seems to be a blanket amount they use for all fragrance. Our calculator is tailored to each fragrance!
For instance, you can add up to .8 ounces of Blue Man Fragrance Oil per pound of cold process soap. With Lemon Verbena Yankee Type Fragrance Oil, you can add up to .2 ounces per pound of cold process soap. Those amounts are based on IFRA guidelines. If more of the Lemon Verbena is added, it can cause skin irritation.
What I love about our Fragrance Calculator is it gives you a range of suggestions – light, medium and strong. That means you can use whichever one you like within the suggested usage rates! For instance, you can add .4 ounces of Blue Man to 1 pound of cold process soap for a light scent.
If you want that scent to go a long way, you can use a nice strong one. For instance, Peppermint Essential Oil is quite strong! I typically only use a couple of drops per pound of cold process soap.
Peppermint Essential Oil, 1st Distill: https://www.brambleberry.com/Peppermint-Essential-Oil-1st-Distill-P3828.aspx
Hope that helps! If you have any other questions, let me know. 🙂
-Kelsey with Bramble Berry
oh wow.. ” a couple of drops of Peppermint per pound?” – omg.. I’ve used about .3oz ppo..is that too much?.. will it be irritating?
For instance, I made a 65oz batch and used 2oz of EO.. 1oz Vanilla and 1oz Peppermint.. it smells really good, the peppermint is not too strong and it just smells great with the vanilla fragrance…but now, Im worried the 1oz of Peppermint might my irritating…what do you think?
Hi Mac!
That amount should be just fine! You can actually add up to 3.3 ounces of Peppermint Essential Oil in a 65 ounce batch of cold process soap, so the 1 ounce shouldn’t cause any irritation. 🙂
Fragrance Calculator: https://www.brambleberry.com/Pages/Fragrance-Calculator.aspx
The Fragrance Calculator will tell you light, medium and strong recommendations! We don’t recommend going over the strong recommendation, as the Peppermint Essential Oil can cause a cooling sensation.
-Kelsey with Bramble Berry