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Using Essential Oils for Soap Making

in Essential Oils for Soap Making

Many soap makers enjoy having control over every ingredient that goes into their final product. Essential oils are a natural way to scent soap and can be used in place of synthetic perfumes.

The concentrated aroma of essential oils is fantastic for soap but there are some usage guidelines to be followed and precautions to take to make sure your soap comes out with the scent you imagined.

Each essential oil has its own usage rate, which tells you the amount of oil that is safe to use for different applications. It is important to research the usage rate in soap of each essential oil you plan to use. This will show the amount of essential oil that can be used as a percentage of the total weight of only the base oils in a soap recipe.

Ex: Total Oil Weight = 1 pound

Lavender Essential Oil Usage Rate is 5%

5% of 1 pound = .8 ounces or 23.7 milliliters

When making your own soap, it is crucial to wait when adding your essential oils until close to the end of the process. If they are added too soon, the fragrance can be destroyed by the lye. Some essential oils, such as citrus and floral scents may accelerate the saponification process, causing the soap mixture to thicken more quickly and become difficult to work with. You can combat this effect by mixing your oils and lye at a lower temperature; around 100° seems to do the trick in many recipes.

Once you get the hang of using essential oils in your soap, the possibilities are nearly endless. Use single oils or create blends for a truly unique product. Just a few essential oils can be blended in many different ways and create a variety of aromas.