# New Fragrances Arrived!



## Failte Gate Farm (Sep 20, 2011)

I have already noted that half the addiction to soapmaking is the dazzling array of fragrances to choose from. Aroma Haven has become my new best friend. :crazy

Today my order of Rose Geranium and Oatmeal, Milk, & Honey arrived. I received Little Black Dress and Celtic Moonspice as samples.

I'd like to try to add some real oatmeal and a tad of honey to the OMH batch but am a bit worried because I hear that honey heats things up considerably. I am only doing it for marketing, but I'm curious as to how much honey I can add before a problem occurs. How much oatmeal before I end up with oatmeal pudding? 

(Note: Vicki was sooo right when I told her that I only wanted to make soap for myself and she said, "That's how it starts! Then you give some as gifts, and then people want to buy it." Folks are asking for gift baskets for Christmas, so my mind is already thinking about which fragrances OTHER people would want . . . )

I'm eager to try the Rose Geranium as I like a rose-scented soap. I took a chance on Little Black Dress since it was a big seller and am pleased to say that I like the fragrance a lot but haven't soaped with it yet. The Celtic Moonspice was also a big seller, but was a bit heavy on the vanilla for me. On the other hand, I can see that if you really like vanilla you would like that one too.


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## NubianSoaps.com (Oct 26, 2007)

When your initally just doing small batches, adding 7 ounces of honey to your 7 pound walmart recipe is going to heat things up, don't cover your molds and also put a fan on the soap once you pour it. I add 3 big squirts from my honey bear into my butters and oils for my big pours. It's one thing to ruin 7 pounds of raw products, it's a whole nother thing to ruin 25 pounds of raw products. 

Think about having to duplicate, pretty much exactly my OMH with the texture on top, if it overheats the top can lava out and you are left with flat ugly tops, I then can't sell them, they are then destined to the $1 each basket  So although I love getting to try new things and flying by the seat of my pants.....when I am soaping I am soaping my brochure, which means soaping with scent I know works and additives that doesn't overheat my scent. 

Overheat your scent over the flash point and you ruin the best qualites of your scent. So adding honey is label appeal, there is some in there, but I am not going to put so much in it reacts with the lye.

It's the same with the whole 100% milk thing, it's slow which costs me labor, and it makes part of your soaping unpredictable as far as duplicating color on your soap each time...can't do that either. Vicki


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## Trysta (Apr 5, 2011)

Honey sounds a bit scary! But what about the oatmeal question? Someone asked me if I could make a bar with oatmeal and of course I said I could, but....how? What kind of oatmeal do I use (rolled, ground, quick oats), what quantities and when do I add it to my batch?

I just made a 'Eucalyptus 'n Herb' soap that looks kind of pretty, it has some savory in it so it's spotted. Made some little heart shaped soaps, too and my husband (NOT used to my soap endeavors yet) almost ate one! 

Marion


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## 2Sticks (Dec 13, 2007)

Shouldn't make them look THAT good! :rofl


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## NubianSoaps.com (Oct 26, 2007)

When making a 7 pound batch of soap I put 3 big handfuls of oats into the bottom of my bucket with the oils and butters and let the stick blender do my grinding for me. Vicki


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## Anita Martin (Dec 26, 2007)

Grinding oatmeal in a coffee grinder works great too, (grind very fine) and is what I do. Takes only a second. I use about a 1/2 cup (I don't measure) of oatmeal per 7 pound batch. For the tops I use just a couple tablespoons and grind it course. Once the batch is poured and starts to set up lightly I sprinkle the tops with the course-ground oatmeal. I don't use very much, just a little. Too much and it will be falling off in your package and making a mess in the shower. 

For the honey, I usually add a little less than a quarter cup, again, I don't measure. I like using a darker honey which will make a darker soap, but lately have only had the lighter kind....makes the soap look kind of puney, not rich....

Don't let your soap heat up and you'll be fine. It will turn orange in the pot, but don't worry, take it to trace and pour and it should be okay. I've never had the honey soap overheat and add honey to several of the soaps....I've had black sandalwood fragrance that was soaped too hot one time make the biggest mess in my kitchen I've ever seen! Learning? Soap cool. Always soap cool.


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## MF-Alpines (Mar 29, 2010)

To the OP: Is your Rose Geranium EO or FO? Not sure about how an FO will react, but with the EO you will get soap on a stick might quickly! If you're going to add color, add it first at thin trace and don't even try to do a swirl. It's ugly. And I HATE the scent, but I do have customers that love it!

Marion: Honey is not scary at all. I used 1 tbsp/lb, I think - I can't really remember, but whatever I did, I measured it by weight and it came out to 6 oz for an ALMOST 7 lbs batch. The oatmeal, measured by weight, was 2.5 oz. I think that, too, was 1 tblsp/lb, but I really don't remember. I use steel cut oats that I grind in a coffee grinder. It's a very rough, course soap, but I like it. Rolled oats are similar, once ground. They have hardened bits after they're ground. Try some and see what YOU like.


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## LynninTX (Oct 25, 2007)

1T ppo of honey
1T ppo of oats

I usually use rolled oats and just hit them briefly with the stick blender and that works great. 

I don't use an FO in mine... but add a touch of vanilla extract, ground nutmeg, and a bit of cinn cassia eo and call it oatmeal cookie milk & honey


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## Trysta (Apr 5, 2011)

Okay, thanks, this is all great info, and I will start experimenting with this. Question though: I see you guys mention 'ppo' (per pound of oils, right?) and '7 lbs batch', so is the batch oil weight only, or everything, so total weight?


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## LynninTX (Oct 25, 2007)

oil weight only usually when calculating batch size...


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## Failte Gate Farm (Sep 20, 2011)

This weekend I made my batch of soap using the wal-mart recipe and Aroma Haven's Rose Geranium fragrance oil. I like the aroma of this fragrance, but this is certainly a "don't dilly-dally around" fragrance oil. As soon as I mix it into the bucket everything began turning to pudding. I barely got it dumped in the molds. Unfortunately it was too thick to try to put some texture on the top of the soap and my attempts made for several "family bars."

I'll be interested to see what final color turns out. Immediately upon adding oils the color turned peachy orange, but overnight the color faded considerably. We'll see what I end up with. This is great fun! :biggrin


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## DostThouHaveMilk (Oct 25, 2007)

The Rose Geranium from them I used is a light beige after curing. Mine is swirled with pink.

Little Black Dress simply did not sell for me at all. I only got a sample though and only made 7 bars...over a year ago.... I still have a couple floating around.


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## LynninTX (Oct 25, 2007)

I think every floral I've soaped so far moves fast... so I expect that now.


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