Essential Oils

I truly enjoy great smells! Isn't it wonderful that there are so many essential oils to choose from? Their varied scents represent all corners of the planet and are widely used today in aromatheropy to help heal the body and mind.

Oils are extracted from a plants various parts and many different scents can come from one plant alone. The extraction process is usually done by distillation (the use of steam) or expression (cold-pressed).

If you enjoy using scent as much as I do, they are a great, natural way to add fragrance to your homemade soaps. Use the table below to become familiar with the different oils and their characteristics, then visit the Blending Scents page for ideas on how to create your own calming, soothing, or invigorating scent blends.

Curious as to how much scent to add to cold process soaps? Opinions on this matter vary just as much as each individuals sense of smell. My general rule is to add between 3 tsp - 4 tsp (15 ml - 20 ml or .5 oz - .7 oz) per pound of base oils.

Anise	Basil	Bergamot	Black Pepper
Catnip	Chamomile	Cedarwood	Cinnamon Leaf
Citronella	Clary Sage	Clove Bud	Eucalyptus
Fennel	Frankincense	Geranium	Ginger
Grapefruit	Jasmine	Juniper Berry	Lavender
Lemon	Lemongrass	Lime	Mandarin
Marjoram, Sw	Myrrh	Neroli	Orange, Sw
Oregano	Oakmoss	Palmarosa	Patchouli
Peppermint	Peru Balsam	Petitgrain	Pine
Rose	Rosemary	Rosewood	Sandalwood
Spearmint	Sweet Birch	Tea Tree	Tangerine
Thyme	Vanilla	Vetivert	Ylang Ylang

Cold process soap making can be a harsh environment for essential oils and the curing period can sometimes leave the scent wanting. The use of a fixative can help to cure this problem.

Fixatives are ingredients that are used in soap making to hold or "fix" a scent to the soap. They are quite useful when you want to make oils like sweet orange or other fleeting top notes last longer.

Benzoin powder or e/o, orris root powder, frankincense e/o, patchouli e/o, oakmoss e/o, cedarwood e/o, myrrh e/o, ylang ylang e/o, vetiver e/o, copaiba balsam e/o and kaolin clay are all examples of fixatives that can be used in soapmaking.

Use caution when handling any of the oils. They are very concentrated and some can be irritating to the skin when not diluted.

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