Choosing The Right Essential Oils For Soapmaking (O&3 Guide With Recipes) – O&3 (2024)

FAQs

What are good essential oil combinations for soap? ›

I do not recommend using benzoin or orris root as both are skin sensitizers and have potential to induce allergic reactions. If you choose to use either, please label your soap accordingly. (Want to dive deep and learn everything about using essential oils in soap and cosmetics in one place?

Essential oils should be added to a soap recipe at a rate of 5-10 drops per pound of base oil. Because the oils are so concentrated, you don't need as much essential oil when you pour soaps. -Measure essential oils and mix them together to create the desired scent.

Mid notes can work well alone on the whole, and even better when blended with a base note. Base notes last the longest, some, not all, can overpower other scents. Ylang Ylang is a good example of this. Lavender - herbaceous/floral - goes with pretty much everything !!

Lemongrass, geranium, lavender, rosemary are all examples of mid notes. Base notes are much heavier, tend to be woody or spicy but can include floral such as Ylang Ylang. These tend to be the longest lasting and can work very well in soap making especially when combined with some of the lighter notes.

Therefore, we'll need 1.1ml of our blend per bar of soap. Based on our guide above, that means we need roughly 22 drops of essential oil (1.1ml x 20 drops per ml) for each bar of soap.

Some fragrance oils can accelerate the saponification process, causing your soap to thicken more quickly. Some fragrance oils can discolor your soap. Some can even cause your soap to become grainy, or to separate.

As a general rule, you should aim for your essential oil (be it a single or a blend) to be around 3% of a bar of soap.

For example, cinnamon leaf essential oil should only be used at a maximum level of 0.5% of your soap and ylang ylang essential oil at 1.4%. Just because essential oils are natural it doesn't mean they are always safe - adding too much can irritate your skin.

Another standard recipe is the 30/30/30/10. That's 30% olive oil, 30% coconut oil, 30% palm oil, and 10% of something special – rice bran oil, sweet almond oil, shea butter, or mango butter are all good options. The additional oils and butters each add a unique feeling to the recipe.

Can I add essential oils to melt and pour soap? ›

Our Conversion Chart illustrates additive percentages/volume based on soap base volume. Most melt and pour soap recipes use ~3% fragrance or essential oil, leaving room for 1-3% additional ingredients.

It also helps to eliminate the bacteria that cause potential infection. Lemon essential oil is wonderful to use in blends for greasy and spotty skin, and together with the Tea Tree oil, Pumpkin and Jojoba, you will have an effective combination.

Recommended oils: For an uplifting body wash, try Citrus Bliss^®, Peppermint, Grapefruit, Lime, or Eucalyptus. For a relaxing body wash, try Lavender, doTERRA Serenity^®, Bergamot, Geranium, or Roman Chamomile. Note: Vegetable glycerin will help the body wash to be thicker, creamier, and lather better.

Coconut oil, olive oil, and palm oil are all great choices for making bar soap. Castor oil is a great choice for liquid soap and is also great for people with dry or sensitive skin. Almond oil and jojoba oil are also great choices for making liquid soap.