Essential oils should be definitely used in soap making since they emit strong aromas, which is, of course, very important when it comes to soap making.
Besides, essential oils are also believed to have therapeutic properties. Some of them come from the aroma itself (olfactory), while others are believed to come from contact with the skin (topical). So, soaps and essential oils are a perfect combination.
What do you need to know about essential oils?
Essential oils are crucial for making wonderfully scented soaps. There are many kinds of essential oils and they are easily available. It means that the scent options are numerous too. Although essential oils are natural ingredients of your soap that provide it with certain benefits, there are some facts about them you should be acquainted with. In order to find a perfect kind of essential oil for your soap, you should have in mind a few things:
-There are some essential oils that are better than others. Pure or therapeutic grade essential oils are the most effective. However, there are also diluted variants of pure essential oils. They are packed with chemicals to intensify certain scents or increase the margin of sale on the oil. For the best effects you should make sure you choose the premium quality essential oils.
– Each essential oil has a specific set of benefits. You should research them. Thus not only will you get a wonderfully scented soap, but you will also reap some health benefits.
– Although essential oils are natural substances, you should be aware of certain guidelines since these substances are highly concentrated and may be very harsh for the skin. They need to be lightly diluted in certain cases. You should be especially careful when it comes to the skin of infants and babies. Be very sparing with the use of essential oils with topical application of soap to the skin of babies.
– A Frenchman G.W. Septimus Piesse categorized essential oils based on a musical scale of top note, middle note, and base note. Top notes are fleeting and this scent is felt first. Middle notes aren’t recognized immediately, but they are the body to a scent mixture. Base notes evaporate very slowly. They are long lasting and act as a fixative in a mixture. They are usually rich heavy scents.
How to test essential oils?
In order to test essential oils, you don’t have to go out and buy fragrance strips. You can use toothpicks instead. It’s fun, cheap, and very easy. You probably already have toothpicks in your home and they will conserve on oil as well. Dip the tip of a toothpick into a bottle of essential oil and that toothpick will be “scented” then.
Repeat this for each oil you want to test in a blend. Hold the scented toothpicks together, and smell them. You can also put these “scented” toothpicks in a sealable container and smell later in order to decide whether you still like the scent.
Take your time to find out what works best for your nose and body. Feel free to experiment and have fun.
How to select your ideal essential oil?
In order to be able to decide which essential oils are the best for soap making, first you should know something about the health benefits each of them provides. You will read about this in the following lines.
However, have in mind that all these essential oils may or may not be effective for your problem since each human being is unique and therefore has different reactions to different products. The most important thing when it comes to these natural oils is to check which one suits you best.
Acne – Spearmint, Bergamot, Cedarwood, Clove, Frankincense, Chamomile,Geranium, Grapefruit, Lavender, Lemon, Rosewood, Lemongrass, Lime, Mandarin, Tangerine, Palmarosa, Patchouli, Peppermint, Ylang Ylang, Petitgrain, Rosemary, Sandalwood, Tea Tree, Thyme
Anti-Bacterial – Black Pepper, Chamomile, Neroli, Clary Sage, Frankincense, Geranium Ginger, Grapefruit, Oregano, Lemon, Lemongrass, Sweet Orange, Lime, Nutmeg, Patchouli,Citronella, Palmarosa, Pine, Rose, Sandalwood, Sweet Marjoram, Tea Tree, Thyme
Anti-Septic – Anise, Basil, Bergamot, Cedarwood, Black Pepper, Cinnamon Leaf, Bay, Citronella, Clary Sage, Clove, Eucalyptus, Frankincense, Lemon, Ginger, Grapefruit, Fennel, Jasmine, Lemongrass, Rosemary, Lavender,Lime, Mandarin, Neroli, Nutmeg, Oregano, Peppermint, Pine, Rose, Rosewood, Myrrh, Geranium,Sandalwood, Spearmint, Patchouli, Sweet Marjoram, Sweet Orange, Tangerine, Tea Tree, Thyme, Petitgrain,Ylang Ylang
Aphrodisiac – Cedarwood, Black Pepper, Ginger, Clary Sage, Clove, Jasmine, Nutmeg, Patchouli, Rosemary, Rose, Rosewood, Sandalwood, Neroli,Thyme, Ylang Ylang
Astringent – Bay, Bergamot, Cinnamon Leaf, , Frankincense, Geranium, Grapefruit, Clary Sage, Lemon, Lemongrass, Lime, Patchouli, Peppermint, Myrrh, Rose, Rosemary, Spearmint, Sandalwood, Thyme
Athletes Foot – Clove, Eucalyptus, Lemon, Lemongrass, Lavender, Patchouli, Myrrh,Tea Tree
Chapped/Cracked Skin – Myrth, Sandalwood, Patchouli
Deodorizing – Bergamot, Clary Sage, Citronella, Geranium, Eucalyptus, Lemongrass, Lime, Lavender, Patchouli, Pine, Petitgrain, Neroli, Rosewood
Insect Repellent – Bergamot, Basil, Cinnamon Leaf, Citronella,Cedarwood, Geranium, Lavender, Lemon, Lemongrass, Clove, Pine, Patchouli, Rosemary, Sandalwood
Depression – Bergamot, Basil, Clary Sage, Geranium, Grapefruit, Frankincense, Jasmine, Lemon, Lemongrass, Lavender, Neroli, Peppermint, Sandalwood, Petitgrain,Sweet Orange, Patchouli, Ylang Ylang, Rose, Rosemary, Rosewood,
Insomnia – Basil, Cedarwood, Clary Sage, Frankincense, Chamomile, Lavender, Neroli, Mandarin, Rose, Sandalwood, Petitgrain, Tangerine, Thyme, Sweet Marjoram, Ylang Ylang
Dry Skin – Chamomile, Jasmine, Lavender, Frankincense, Sandalwood, Rosewood,
Eczema – Bergamot, Chamomile, Cedarwood, Myrrh, Geranium, Lavender, Patchouli, Peppermint, Palmarosa, Rose, Rosemary, Thyme
Hair Growth (promoting) – Basil, Rosemary, Grapefruit, Bay, Ylang Ylang
Dandruff – Cedarwood, Bay, Eucalyptus, Clary Sage, Lemon, Lavender, Rosemary, Patchouli, Tea Tree
Oily Skin – Bergamot, Bay, Clary Sage, Citronella, Geranium, Juniper Berry, Fennel, Jasmine, Lemon, Lemongrass, Lavender, Mandarin, Petitgrain, Patchouli, Palmarosa, Sandalwood, Rosemary, Rosewood, Tea Tree, Thyme, Ylang Ylang
Psoriasis – Lavender, Bergamot
Rashes – Chamomile, Lavender, Sandalwood, Tea Tree
Mature Skin/Wrinkles – Clary Sage, Fennel, Frankincense, Lavender, Geranium, Jasmine, Myrrh, Mandarin, Neroli Patchouli, Palmarosa, Rose, Rosemary, Rosewood, Ylang Ylang
How much scent should you use in your soap?
Actually, there are no strict rules of the dosage of essential oils in your soap. Since essential oil usage in making soaps is more art than science, trying various scents and blends and determining which ones work best for you is the most effective means.
The most important thing to remember when it comes to essential oils is that they are only natural substances, not medicines. That’s why they mustn’t be replaced by the advice of your doctor. Try each of these oils and take the time to check how they agree with your body and mind.