I Tested CHEAP vs COSTLY Fragrance Oils! (my soap seized)

[@JaisyStreetSoapery]

Truly, I have never seen a more entertaining and informative channel on soap making. You are great!

[@SoapUniverse]

Thank you so much! 😃

[@kattaylor9294]

The way these behaved will give me nightmares. Great job!

[@LadyGecko]

I thought for sure you were going to compare something from a big box store or Amazon with a reputable soap supplier. But as you illustrated, even FOs from reputable soap suppliers can be problematic and it's not about price, but often comes down to the 'notes' (for want of a better word). Florals and spice scents tend to be the most problematic, but not always...which is why I tend to test all my FOs before making regular batches of soap. I say 'tend' because I procrastinated year before last and didn't test any of the Christmas scents I had purchased and it was only through sheer luck that 1) they weren't any worse that you blue soap and 2) I only had to toss one of the six soaps I made.

[@SoapUniverse]

Haha that’s a video for another day! I actually tested a fragrance from the dollar store today and it worked beautifully - no ricing, acceleration, or discolouration. And it wasn’t even meant for soapmaking. What’s your favourite fragrance that’s a pain in the butt to work with?

[@LadyGecko]

Not a ‘favorite’ per se, but I have a very large bottle of Pearberry from the former Rustic Escentuals now Wholesale Supplies Plus that I haven’t been able to tame in CP soap…instant concrete. I’ve tried it twice now with the same results. May just have to use it in Lotion Bars or Bath Salts. I’m thinking to try the Christmas soaps again (I had bought 8oz bottles), but I change up how I do things. If that doesn’t work, nothing wrong with a single color soap.

[@SoapUniverse]

@@LadyGecko I’d rather have a simple bar that smells good over a beautiful bar that smells like nothing! Have you ever made liquid soap before? Or wax melts? Those are pretty good ways to use up the fragrance without having to deal with stubborn soap.

[@LadyGecko]

@@SoapUniverse - I agree with you about scent. I have no interest making liquid soap and I did consider making wax melts long enough to look into it, but I would no use for soy wax in any other product and it's a different set up.

[@james.clinton]

I always learn something watching these! Great video!

[@SoapUniverse]

Thanks! I try 😃

[@Lauraisabelgonzalezart]

Ahhh I look forward to your weekly videos!

[@GemmaleeDee]

Hot Mess Boulder Queen.. the pink color was super pretty though :D

[@SoapUniverse]

It’s one of my favourite pinks!

[@ladymsoaps]

I have found I don’t trust many of wsp oils. I buy all of mine between natures garden and bramble berry mainly.

[@SoapUniverse]

It’s funny, because I had high expectations since tons of soap makers use their fragrances but from a behavioural standpoint, I had better luck with my Voyageur fragrances. What I will give WSP is all of the ones I’ve bought from them have smelled great! Being in Canada, Natures Garden and Brambleberry are just too expensive to source but I’d like to try them out in the future.

[@ladymsoaps]

@@SoapUniverse yeah wsp has some good products like I love their perfume base. It works beautifully and doesn’t separate like some others have. But when it comes to their fragrance oils, I have a bunch that I’ll use in candles and even my perfumes, but for CP not a chance. Too many failed batches with them. I’ll have to check voyageur out. I’ve been looking for another company to try out.

[@sarah-elizabethellis3479]

That's when you break the old crock pot and hot process

[@SoapUniverse]

I’ve never actually hot-processed before! And I’d like to keep it that way 😂

[@ciaociara]

5:18 Sir, that’s some mash taters right there.

[@tanyabonnett7787]

Definitely not always true in Australia

[@amandacurwick851]

How do you get your cardboard to stay in place? I tried to make a half batch-the cardboard seemed to be a snug fit and it gave when I got the half I was working with full.

[@SoapUniverse]

Sorry you had some trouble! The cardboard I use is quite rigid, and when I measure the width I make sure it’s exactly as wide as the inside of the mold. I also wrap it in parchment, which makes it a tighter fit. My silicone mold is pretty firm so it holds on to the cardboard pretty tightly. If yours is a little softer then you might want to reinforce the cardboard with two or three extra layers. Hope that helps!

[@dianehedricks7860]

GREAT information!!!

[@deborahmcdonald4371]

To me it seems like way too much FO

[@sarah-elizabethellis3479]

You really Crack me up 😅😅😅

[@nadja9526]

❤ ur videos 🥰 Q.: am curious about the IFRA max usage rate of each for category 9? Thks

[@SoapUniverse]

Thanks a lot! 😃 The IFRA for Coconut Sands is 10.56% and has a vanillin content of 0.3%. Beach House has a usage rate of 12% for soap.

[@nadja9526]

Thks so much! I was curious to see if the more expensive f.o.’s max usage rate would have been less.. I bought ocean breeze from new directions aromatics Canada and didn’t realize til after the purchase that the max usage rate in soap was only 0.5%!!

[@SoapUniverse]

@@nadja9526 Oh I’ve definitely made that mistake before! I bought 4oz of a cappuccino fragrance oil only to realize that its usage rate was similar to your ocean breeze… what am I supposed to do about that?!?!! It seems like the usage rate is dependent on the allergenic properties of the aromas compounds themselves. Some are more likely to cause contact dermatitis in smaller amounts (like vanillin, for example) and those compounds will probably yield fragrances with lower IFRA usage rates!

[@michelevalletta3966]

What oil did you use?

[@SoapUniverse]

My batches are a blend of olive, coconut, palm, sweet almond, and castor oil!

[@michelevalletta3966]

@@SoapUniverse So the oils used were not the problem. How can you avoid that acceleration?

[@SoapUniverse]

@@michelevalletta3966 Since some fragrance compounds act as a catalyst for saponification, there’s really not much you can do to prevent it. The best thing you can do for those sorts of fragrances is choose a simpler design and keep your trace as light as possible before adding it. Hope that helps!

[@michelevalletta3966]

@@SoapUniverse Alright cheers! Would you say this happens regardless of the amount added per kilo?

[@SoapUniverse]

@@michelevalletta3966 I’d say it depends! I’ve combined naughty fragrances with neutral ones and sometimes they still misbehave (despite being diluted) and sometimes their ill effects are canceled out.