# amount of E.O



## goat girl (Dec 11, 2007)

I recently found out that I am using way to little orange E.O and that is why I have very little fragrance in my one bar that has coffee and orange e.o. I was using about 3-5 ml for 7.5 pounds of olive oil--I only make olive oil soaps. Someone told me I should be using 4-7 oz! Now, I only want a small hint of orange so I was figuring on using 2-3 oz. What do you think? Then my second question is, what happens when I add this much liquid at trace? Will it just mix in fine or what should I expect? I am use to adding tea tree and lavender EO but use them very sparingly--I have that bar exactly where I want it--but not sure what to expect if adding this much liquid at trace. I oven process my soap.
Thanks!
Christine


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## hsmomof4 (Oct 31, 2008)

Well, I would think that it might throw off your lye/fat balance, since it is increasing the amount of oil in your recipe by 2-3 oz. If it did, you'd have extra unsaponified oil in your soap (ask me how I know). You might have to experiment to get it right...or it might be just fine anyhow.


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## NubianSoaps.com (Oct 26, 2007)

Citrus oils on their own fade quickly, why you are better off with blends, like your teatree and lavender. Blend your orange with some clove and cinnamon or? This way you use less of all EO's and it simply seats the citrus allowling it to stay around better. There are few single note scents that are really pleasing.

I would wonder about the quality of the EO if it is used at 1 ounce PPO. Some, like your tea tree, all mints I have used, patchoulli etc...are just way to strong to use them anywhere near that. Vicki


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## Sondra (Oct 25, 2007)

Just from my experience with Orange oil from Lil don't use too much it is goop and way to oily by itself. Ask me how I know. even with rebatch still isn't a hard bar of soap.


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## Guest (Feb 18, 2009)

I have had the same experiences as Sondra with my orange oil.. it makes my soap oily if used by itself.. It is wonderful in a mix 
Barbara


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## goat girl (Dec 11, 2007)

This is a soap with coffee grounds and orange essential oil. I was told by someone that the coffee grounds would be the stabilizer with orange--keep the orange from fading too quickly. I am new to working with essential oils. For 7.5 pounds of oil--and it only being olive oil --what amount of orange E.O. would you use--I put in 2 tablespoons of coffee grounds. The E.O is Orange 5 fold from Majestic Mountain Sage. I am only wanting a hint of orange smell.

Thanks
Christine


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## NubianSoaps.com (Oct 26, 2007)

I would doubt coffee has enough oils in it to be a seater for anything. So much stuff you hear is just folks talking. Use a real seater that you know will work....cinnamon, clove, patch, listea. EO's are just too expensive to play around with guessing. In fact EO's have gotten to the point with some of them that I am charging full retail to some of my stores to carry their EO bars that are special orders, plus buying the whole batch.

Your price point when using something you are going to use 5 ounces of EO that is 3 or 4 or more times per ounce of FO's, in your 7 pounds of oils, is poor. It's like purchasing those expensive oils or butters for soap period, or those scent places charging $25 per pound on FO's, unless you have a special order soap that you can get that price back, you are wasteing your money. In an all oil soap like you are doing I would subtract your EO weight from your olive oil in the recipe so you don't have too much oil in your soap as you try to cut. My only all olive soap is scented with a Eucalyptus blend I do which I use 4 ounces for 14 pounds of soap, so it's no biggy. Vicki


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## Guest (Feb 18, 2009)

Christine, I had no idea you were using 5X orange when you talked to me. I thought you had Sweet Orange from Lillian. If you only want a hint you should be fine with 3oz. Cinnamon would be so nice with the coffee and Orange.



> I would doubt coffee has enough oils in it to be a seater for anything. So much stuff you hear is just folks talking.


Yeah, well that was me talking. Coffee holds scent for me. I don't think has to do with the oils in the coffee though...

Christy


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## NubianSoaps.com (Oct 26, 2007)

Sorry Christy.

Who made the coffee exfoliated....kitchen soap last swap. I am using it in my kitchen right this moment. It is lovely. Is there orange in this? Vicki


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## goat girl (Dec 11, 2007)

Okay, I like this idea of cinnamon, orange eo and coffee. Here are 2 more questions--on cinnamon--about how much would I add--If I do 7.5 oz olive oil, 2 tablespoons coffee grounds, 3 oz orange essential oil (and according to Vicki I actually would decrease my olive oil to 7.2 oz--right?) how much cinnamon--I am clueless when trying to figure out how much of each additive to do it---I know a lot is trial and error---but it seems I usually always end up on the ERROR side--And my family already has probably enough "error" soap to last a few decades!!!! So any help is appreciated---probably most by my family! Now Vicki or whomever, if I am decreasing my olive oil to add 3 oz of orange e.o do I put the e.o in at the same time as I pour my lye mix into my olive oil or do I save it for trace? Sorry for all the questions!!!
Christine


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## hsmomof4 (Oct 31, 2008)

If you do 7.5 POUNDS  of olive oil, that's 7 lbs 8 oz, so reduce it by the total amount of EO you are putting in, if 3 oz, say, do 7 lbs 5 oz of olive oil. (Which is not the same as 7.2 ... if your scale does metric, it would be 7.3125 ...round off wherever you want, say, 7.3). That doesn't answer your question as to how much of the cinnamon EO to use, though, or when to add it, though I would think at trace. And I think that they were talking about cinnamon EO, rather than ground cinnamon from your pantry, but hopefully someone will clarify that for you.


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## NubianSoaps.com (Oct 26, 2007)

Also go to rainbowmeadow.com and look at their essential oil mixing area, they have wonderful recipes predone for you on how much of each EO to use. You could even put in orange, cinnamon and clove and they will make you several recipes with those 3 ingredients or even more. Vicki


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## Guest (Feb 19, 2009)

I recommend .5oz Cinnamon EO and 2.5-3oz 5X Orange. 

Rainbow meadow is great but the amount of EO they suggest is way too high. The only EO that I have found to be weak is Sweet Orange. I almost never use more than a total of 3oz per 7lbs oils.

Christy


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## Sondra (Oct 25, 2007)

Christy do you add the EO when first mixing or at trace when using 5x orange?


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## Guest (Feb 19, 2009)

I always add mine at trace, works for me :shrug2 

Christy


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