How to Use Essential Oils for Soap Making + Usage Rates Chart
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Detailed information on using essential oils for soap making. Includes information on what essential oils are, the allergens they may contain, maximum usage rates, and how much essential oil to add to soap recipes.
If you want to scent handmade soap naturally, you will likely use essential oils. These highly scented flower and plant essences come in a range of scents. Lavender, peppermint, rose geranium, and black pepper, to name a few. Although they are both natural and plant-based, using essential oils for soap making is a topic that requires both care and precision. That’s because they are highly concentrated plant chemicals that may cause skin irritation if you use too much. If you use too little, the scent may not come through, and you’ll have wasted time and money. How much essential oil to use in soap is a balancing act and art that I hope to clarify for you in this piece.
I’ve listed some of the more common essential oils below and how much can be used in a small batch of soap. Feel free to scale the amounts up for larger batches but note that I don’t recommend that the essential oil that you use is more than 3% of your entire soap recipe (excluding the water amount). The information includes the maximum percentage in a recipe, the maximum amount in ounces and grams, and how many teaspoons can be used in a one-pound batch of soap.
What are Essential Oils
When you think of essential oils, what do you imagine? Completely natural plant-based essences or concentrated and volatile organic chemicals? They’re both, so it’s important to understand what essential oils are before experimenting with them in soap recipes.
Some, but not all, plants have volatile oils that we can extract as essential oils. Depending on the plant, the process of extraction can happen in a number of ways, including steam distillation, mechanical pressing, or solvent extraction. The liquid that results is the highly concentrated extract of that plant’s volatile oils, which does include scent. To make essential oil, you need a lot of plant material, and even one of the least expensive types, lavender (Lavandula angustifolia) essential oil, requires three pounds of lavender flowers to make a small 0.5 fl oz (15 ml) bottle.
How does it work? Everything that we can smell is created by an aroma compound, and they can be naturally occurring or synthetic. Naturally occurring aromas are extracted into essential oil. Many synthetic fragrances are created by isolating the exact compound(s) that create a scent, such as roses, and then copying the combination with synthetically-created compounds. That’s why rose fragrance oil is cheaper than rose absolute, a rose-scented essential oil. To make just 0.5 fl oz (15 ml) of rose absolute, you’ll need 24,000 roses.
Natural Soap Making for Beginners Series
If you’re new to making your own soap, read this free four-part series. It includes all the basic information for natural soap making and even a few easy essential oil soap recipes.
- Natural Soap Ingredients
- Soapmaking Equipment & Safety
- Easy Soap Recipes
- How to Make Cold Process Soap
Essential Oils Add Scent to Natural Soap
The main reason we use essential oil in soap is its beautiful fragrance. It’s plant-based and vegan-friendly, and we can even choose essential oils created from organically-grown herbs and flowers. My favorite essential oil is rose geranium, which has a rosy scent but isn’t as expensive as a true rose essential oil. I don’t grow enough of each type of plant to create my own essential oils. Still, I grow rose geranium, lavender, peppermint, rosemary, and more as botanical soap decorations.
Though we use essential oil to scent and add therapeutic properties to skin care, they can range in type and safety. Although they are natural, using too much essential oil in soap and skincare causes harm. That’s why we practice care by using essential oils in soap recipes and do not exceed their recommended usage rates. Some essential oils are dangerous to use in soap and should not make their way into your recipes.
Essential Oil Contains Allergens
What many people don’t realize is that fragrances, including essential oils, contain allergens that many people can have adverse reactions to. Reactions vary and can be mild or extremely severe. They include sneezing, hives, rashes, blistering, and swelling of the eyes and face. The allergens that essential oils contain are listed on each essential oil’s MSDS sheet and include coumarin, geraniol, and linalool (see full list). There used to be just 26 allergens to be aware of, but there are now 82, including individual chemicals and pure plant extracts. Please note that the individual chemicals are naturally present in essential oil — they aren’t added ingredients.
Safe Essential Oil Usage Rates in Soap
For the home crafter and soapmaker, it’s a little complicated to answer the question of how much essential oil to add to soap recipes. The average person may find it difficult to work through all of the documents and calculations involved, and that’s why I’ve given usage rates a little further below. It’s a simpler answer if you make essential oil soap commercially, though.
To make soap commercially, you must adhere to the usage rates for fragrances and essential oils set by either your region’s governmental bodies and/or IFRA usage rates. IFRA stands for International Fragrance Association, and they are a global regulatory body that works to ensure that the amount of fragrance used in products is safe.
Each type of essential oil may have a different rate (based on its allergen content), which may even change between brands. For example, the brand of lavender essential oil that I use in soap has a 4% usage rate in soap. Other brands have slightly higher or lower percentages. For commercial soap recipes, you must not exceed the usage rate of the exact brand and type of essential oil you’re using.
Generalized Usage Rates for Essential Oils
The chart I’ve shared below includes the most common essential oils we use in soapmaking and their usage rate in weight. If you have essential oil that doesn’t appear on the list, it may be because it’s one that we don’t use in soap. Probably because the safe usage rate is so low that it doesn’t make sense to use it. Other essential oils, such as pennyroyal, aren’t used because they’re unsafe for people, and in the case of pennyroyal, it’s especially unsafe for pregnant women. Most essential oils are toxic if ingested, so please ignore any advice for adding them to food! There’s a lot of unsafe advice out there shared by well-meaning people.
The usage rates I share below are safe amounts to use, no matter the brand. There may be cases where you look into the brand you’re using and find out that it’s possible to use more than I recommend. That’s great news if you’d like to have a stronger scent! However, you won’t find that you will need to use less than these amounts. These are safe general usage rates that I’ve based on my own cosmetic safety assessment for commercial soapmaking in the UK and EU. I’ve added a few others manually, but the vast majority are considered safe based on the recommendation of an EU-certified chemist.
How Much Essential Oil To Add to Soap
For large batches of soap, it’s better to weigh essential oil down to the gram/ounce. However, this can be difficult for small batches since most kitchen scales aren’t accurate for very small amounts and probably won’t give you decimal amounts. That’s why it’s more common to use volume measurements, namely teaspoons, for measuring essential oil in small-size soap recipes.
Because of this, I spent quite a lot of time calculating teaspoon amounts for the essential oils in the chart for your convenience. They are based on first calculating the maximum weight of a type of essential oil that can be added to one-pound soap batches. Then using the specific gravity (density) of essential oil, I’ve calculated how much you can use in US teaspoons. Most people like to use teaspoons to measure essential oils, but I’ve also listed weight.
Calculating Essential Oil for Soap Recipes
Here’s how to calculate essential oils’ volume measurement from their weight. For example, in a 1lb (454g) batch of soap, you can use a maximum of 3% lavender essential oil (Lavandula angustifolia flower oil). The specific gravity of this oil is 0.905g/ml.
- 3% of 454 g is 13.62 g — this is the total amount of lavender essential oil by weight that you can use in the recipe
- 0.905g/ml describes how much lavender oil weighs by volume. Dividing the weight of an essential oil by its specific gravity will give you the amount the essential oil is in milliliters. In this case, we divide 13.62 by 0.905 to work out how many ml of lavender oil you can use in the recipe. In this case, 15.05 ml.
- One US teaspoon is equal to 4.93 ml. That makes our 15.05 ml about 3 US tsp (3.05 tsp, to be exact). UK teaspoons are slightly different in volume. One UK teaspoon is equal to 5.92 ml. That makes our 15.05 ml 2.5 teaspoons in the United Kingdom (2.54 tsp, to be exact).
Essential Oils for Soap Making
The EU considers an essential oil usage rate of 3% or less safe in wash-off products like soap. For clarification, that’s 3% of the total amount of soaping oils in a soap recipe by weight. 3% of a one-pound batch of soap is a total of 0.48 ounces or 13.6g.
This chart includes many of the most commonly used essential oils for soap making, but there are others too. Before using any essential oil, please research how much can be safely used in soap. Please also ensure that the fragrance that you’re using is indeed essential oil. Unscrupulous sellers often package synthetic fragrance oil (sometimes not even skin-safe) in the same types of bottles as essential oils. Always look for the Latin name of the plant or flower on the bottle and also see if there’s information on if it’s been diluted in a carrier oil.
Essential Oils for Soap Making
You’ll find a few pieces of information in this chart of essential oils for soap making. The essential oil is listed by its Latin/botanical name, its maximum usage rate, information on the scent, and other types of essential oil that it blends well with.
The amounts are in US teaspoons and rounded to the nearest 1/4 teaspoon. You’ll also notice that the teaspoon amounts will differ between essential oils even if the oz/grams are the same. That’s because some of the oils weigh more than others. Visualization: a cup of feathers weighs less than a cup of lead. Some essential oils are heavier and thicker than others that are thin and light. The chart below includes amounts listed in percentage, weight, and maximum teaspoons per pound of oil.
- Percentage Amount is the total percentage that this essential oil can be added to any soap recipe by weight.
- Weight Amount is the total amount that essential oil can be added to a 1-lb (454 g) soap recipe in grams or ounces.
- Max tsp PPO* is the maximum amount in US teaspoons that this essential oil can be added to a 1-lb (454 g) recipe.
Essential Oil Usage Rates for Soap Recipes
| Essential oil | Max usage rate in %, weight, and tsp PPO* | Information | Blends with |
| Amyris Amyris balsamifera | 3% 0.48oz / 13.6g / 2.75 tsp | West Indian Rosewood has a soft resinous aroma similar to Benzoin. It’s used as an alternative to Sandalwood and is useful in helping to ‘fix’ soap scents. Base note. | Cedarwood, Geranium, Lavender, Rose, Sandalwood |
| Bergamot Citrus bergamia | 3% 0.48oz / 13.6g / 3 tsp | A clean and refreshing citrus scent that’s used not only in soap making but also in Earl Grey Tea. One of the few top-note essential oils that can be used on its own in soap making. Top note. | Citronella, Eucalyptus, Geranium, Neroli, Palmarosa, Ylang Ylang |
| Black Pepper Piper nigrum | 3% 0.48oz / 13.6g / 3 tsp | A warm and peppery scent that should be used sparingly. Permitted usage rates are higher than most people will enjoy as a soap scent. Start with just a few drops and blend with another essential oil(s). Middle to top note. | Basil, Bergamot, Cedarwood, Clary Sage, Lavender, Peppermint |
| Cardamom Elettaria cardamomum | 3% 0.48oz / 13.6g / 3 tsp | A sweet and spicy essential oil that works best as a blend. Works well with most other oils but especially citrus, spice, and woodsy scents. Middle note. | Bergamot, Cedarwood, Cinnamon, Orange, Ylang Ylang |
| Cedarwood Cedrus atlantica | 3% 0.48oz / 13.6g / 3 tsp | A warm and woodsy aroma that blends well with floral, spice, and wood oils. Base note. | Bergamot, Frankincense, Juniper, Lavender, Rose, Rosemary |
| Chamomile (Roman) Anthemis nobilis and Chamomile (German/Blue) Matricaria Recutita | 3% 0.48oz / 13.6g / 3 tsp | Roman chamomile is sweet and floral and blends well with other floral and citrus oils. You might come across German Chamomile oil, too — it’s more expensive and used mainly in leave-on skincare products. Middle note. | |
| Clary Sage Salvia sclarea | 3% 0.48oz / 13.6g / 3 tsp | A deeply earthy and slightly floral scent that does better in blends than on its own. Middle to top note. | Cedarwood, Geranium, Lavender, Lime, Sandalwood, Vetiver |
| Eucalyptus Eucalyptus globulus | 3% 0.48oz / 13.6g / 3 tsp | Sharp and powerful resinous scent associated with medicinal products. Does well in blends, especially with citrusy oil. Top note. | Citronella, Juniper, Lavender, Lemongrass, May Chang, Pine |
| Geranium Pelargonium graveolens | 3% 0.48oz / 13.6g / 3 tsp | Floral, earthy, and deep, Rose Geranium is one of the most beloved essential oils. It’s often used to replace Rose Absolute as it’s less expensive. Use on its own or blended. Middle note. | Bergamot, Clary Sage, Grapefruit, Lavender, Sandalwood |
| Ginger Zingiber officinalis | 3% 0.48oz / 13.6g / 3 tsp | Spicy and warming but may smell completely different from fresh ginger. Use in blends with other deep-scented oils. Top note. | Eucalyptus, Frankincense, Geranium, Rosemary, Vetiver |
| Grapefruit Citrus grandis | 3% 0.48oz / 13.6g / 3 tsp | A fresh and sweet citrus aroma that blends well with floral and citrus essential oils. Top note. | Bergamot, Chamomile, Geranium, Lavender, May Chang, Rose |
| Juniper Juniperus communis | 3% 0.48oz / 13.6g / 3 tsp | A crisp, sweet, and woodsy aroma that blends well with citrus oils. Middle note. | Bergamot, Geranium, Lemongrass, Orange, Sandalwood |
| Lavender Lavandula augustifolia | 3% 0.48oz / 13.6g / 3 tsp | Long used in the perfume industry, lavender oil is sweet and floral and blends well with many other essential oils. Middle note. | Basil, Clary Sage, Geranium, Lemon, Patchouli, Rosemary |
| Lemongrass Cymbopogon schoenanthus | 3% 0.48oz / 13.6g / 3 tsp | A lush and green citrus scent that does well on its own in soap and when blended. Can cause soap to trace quickly. Top note. | Basil, Black Pepper, Clary Sage, Lavender, Patchouli, Thyme |
| Lemon Citrus limonum | 3% 0.48oz / 13.6g / 3.25 tsp | The scent of ordinary lemon essential oil does not last well in soap. Try looking for 10x (10-fold) lemon essential oil for a long-lasting scent. Top note. | Chamomile, Orange, Eucalyptus, Ginger, Lavender, May Chang |
| Lime Citrus aurantifolia (distilled only) | 3% 0.48oz / 13.6g / 3.25 tsp | Lime essential oil can be irritating so only use distilled oil when making soap. Like other citrus oils, the scent may not be strong after the first couple of weeks. Top note. | Basil, Geranium, May Chang, Palmarosa, Ylang Ylang |
| May Chang Litsea cubeba | 3% 0.48oz / 13.6g / 3 tsp | A sweetly citrusy essential oil that smells like lemon sherbert candy. Middle to top note. | Cedarwood, Eucalyptus, Ginger, Grapefruit, Palmarosa |
| Neroli Citrus aurantium | 3% 0.48oz / 13.6g / 3 tsp | Neroli is the floral honey scent produced by the bitter orange tree. Depending on what it’s blended with, it can make up any of the notes in a fragrance. Top, middle, and base notes. | Geranium, Lavender, Lime, Palmarosa, Rose, Ylang Ylang |
| Orange Citrus aurantium dulcis | 3% 0.48oz / 13.6g / 3.25 tsp | Sweet orange essential oil does not leave a lasting fragrance in soap. Instead, use 5x (5-fold) or 10x (10-fold) orange essential oil. Top note. | Bergamot, Grapefruit, Lemon, May Chang, Peppermint, Rosemary |
| Palmarosa Cymbopogon martini | 3% 0.48oz / 13.6g / 3 tsp | Palmarosa is also called Gingergrass, and its scent is like a musky grassy rose. Top note. | Bergamot, Geranium, Lavender, May Chang, Rose, Sandalwood |
| Patchouli Pogostemon cablin | 3% 0.48oz / 13.6g / 2.75 tsp | Though it can be used on its own, Patchouli has a broader appeal when it’s blended with other oils. It’s earthy and dark and very powerful. Base note. | Clary Sage, Geranium, Lavender, Lemongrass, Neroli |
| Peppermint Mentha piperita | 2% 0.32 oz / 9g / 2 tsp | Sharp and filled with herbal menthol, Peppermint can be used on its own or blended with other herbal essential oils. Middle to top note. | |
| Petitgrain Citrus aurantium | 3% 0.48oz / 13.6g / 3 tsp | Like Neroli and Bergamot, Petitgrain comes from the Bitter Orange tree. It’s extracted from the bark and has a woodsy, floral, and slightly bitter scent. Best expressed in a blend. Middle to top note. | Cedarwood, Geranium, Lavender, Orange, Palmarosa, Ylang Ylang |
| Rose Absolute Rosa damascena | 0.1% 0.016 oz / 0.45g / 1/8 tsp | Rose Absolute is overwhelmingly scented of roses. Mainly sold in dilutions (with a carrier oil), its usage in soaps is restricted due to its Methyl eugenol content. Middle to base note. | Clary Sage, Geranium, Lavender, Neroli, Patchouli, Sandalwood |
| Rosemary Rosmarinus officinalis | 3% 0.48oz / 13.6g / 3 tsp | Sharp and herbal rosemary blends well with other herbal scents as well as citrus. | Citronella, Geranium, Ginger, Grapefruit, Lime, Tea Tree |
| Rosewood Aniba rosaeodora | 3% 0.48oz / 13.6g / 3 tsp | Spicy, woodsy, and floral, Rosewood is used in blends with other wood and floral scents. Middle to top note. | Cedarwood, Frankincense, Geranium, Rose, Rosemary, Sandalwood |
| Sandalwood Santalum album | 3% 0.48 oz / 13.6g / 2.75 tsp | Soft, warm, and woodsy, Sandalwood is a gorgeous base for many citrus and floral oils. Base note. | Frankincense, Geranium, Lavender, Lemon, Palmarosa, Rose, Ylang Ylang |
| Scots Pine Pinus sylvestris | 3% 0.48oz / 13.6g / 3 tsp | Sharp and herbal, pine blends with other herbal, woodsy, and citrus oils. Middle to top note. Scent can be short-lasting in soap recipes. | Cedarwood, Eucalyptus, Lemongrass, Rosemary, Tea Tree |
| Spearmint Mentha viridis | 0.25% 0.04oz / 1g / 1/4 tsp | Sweet and fresh mint scent without as much natural menthol as Peppermint. Use in blends with other herbal oils. Top note. Low usage rate due to carvone content. | Basil, Rosemary, Peppermint, Tea Tree, Vetiver |
| Sweet Marjoram Origanum marjorana | 3% 0.48oz / 13.6g / 3 tsp | Scent similar to basil and oregano and can be blended with other herbal, citrus, and floral oils. Middle note. | Bergamot, Chamomile, Rosemary, Vetiver, Ylang Ylang |
| Tea Tree Melaleuca alternifolia | 1% 0.16 oz / 4.5g / 1 tsp | Sweet, sharp, camphorous, and medicinal scent. A little goes a long way. Top note. | Citronella, Lavender, Lemon, May Chang, Rosemary |
| Vetiver Vetiveria zizanoides | 3% 0.48 oz / 13.6g / 2.75 tsp | Green and earthy and related to lemongrass. Blend with floral oils and other deep scents. Base note. | Clary Sage, Ginger, Lavender, Patchouli, Ylang Ylang |
| Ylang Ylang (Extra I, II, and III) Cananga odorata | 3% 0.48 oz / 13.6g / 3 tsp | Called the ‘Flower of Flowers’, this oil is sweet and tropically floral. Use in blends with citrus, floral, and woodsy oils. Base note. | Grapefruit, Lavender, Rose, Patchouli, Sandalwood |
Creating an Essential Oil Blend
The last column of the chart above gives essential oil blend recommendations. Creating blends can be a complex (yet fun!) business, but the main idea is:
- 30% of a blend should be Top Notes
- 60% of a blend should be Middle Notes
- 10% of a blend should be Base Notes
Please also remember that the total amount of essential oils in ounces or grams should not exceed 3% of the soap recipe. Some essential oils should not exceed 1% or 2% of the recipe, so please be careful.
How to Add Essential Oils to Soap Recipes
Adding essential oil to soap usually happens after the soap emulsifies and/or thickens to a light to medium ‘trace.’ This happens after you add the lye solution to your soaping oils and you begin mixing. Despite what you have heard from other sources, you can also add essential oil before adding the lye solution. It’s helpful for single-color soap recipes with essential oils that accelerate trace, such as lemongrass or rose geranium essential oil. It helps to control how quickly the soap batter thickens up.
If you’re interested in making essential oil soap, I have many recipes that you can use. Browse through all soap recipes or these that I recommend:
- Simple Lavender Soap Recipe
- Pumpkin Spice Soap Recipe (with pumpkin puree)
- Cinnamon Soap Recipe (with cinnamon essential oil)
- Herbal Eucalyptus Soap Recipe
Dear Tanya, please let me know where tu buy essential oils, Im buying the Gya labs but they are too small bottles and another brand I found says it has vitamin E added, so I dont know what to do thanks
Hi Mariela, what country/region do you live?
I DOnt KNow THe AMount To Use For Mould. If I’m Using 3%/1Lb, How Much Oil Would I Use For 42Oz Mould Please?
i have enjoyed your information on goats milk in soap making and also the use of essential oils. i will definately try goats milk and will read again about essential oils and probably try them too. thank you
You’re most welcome, Veronica :)
I love vanilla scents. What can I use to scent my soaps vanilla?
Some people use Benzoin essential oil to get a vanilla-like scent.
hello it is really exciting reading through your article and chart of varieties of soap making oil ingredient. I am a beginning of homemade soap and i will be happy if you assist me with some of the oil varieties for my soap making.
i may have missed it but do you have a list of your favorite brands for essential oils? after reading thru this information, Im a little nervous about using the wrong kind. Thnx
Hi Carol, and you’re wise to be cautious. There are tons of essential oils out there that are low quality or fake. Some synthetic fragrances are also duplicitously packaged to look like essential oils! Here in Britain, I use Naissance and FreshSkin essential oils for soapmaking. They’re both very good quality and at a good price. The essential oils from the Soap Kitchen are decent too. As far as the USA and other places, I have another piece with recommendations for soap making supplies.
Hi Tanya,
I made a double batch of soap today and divided it in two and then used 3 percent essential oils in each of the batches. I weighed out the batter to 454g, however I think that one batch may have ended up being a bit smaller. I didn’t put all of the essential oil into the batters just in case but I am worried that one batch might have more than the 3% essential oils in it. Will the soap be still ok to use? It was lavender essential oil that I used in the recipe. Thank you in advance. Catherine :)
Hi Catherine, your soap will be fine to use — don’t worry :) The percentages here are general and, in many cases, conservative. Depending on the brand of essential oil and its allergen components, you can sometimes include a bit more essential oil than is given here. For example, some lavender essential oil products can have a usage rate in soap recipes of up to five percent. Lavender is one of the most gentle essential oils, anyway, and it’s the only one that you can use neat on the skin. Your soap will be great!
Thank you so much for your reply and your reassurance that the soap will be fine to use:) It is the first time I have divided a batch of soap, so will know to do this differently next time. I look forward to making another one of my favourite soap batches using the recipe from your website. :)
This was an amazing and very helpful article! Thank you!
Hi, I’ve not got past the 24,000 roses needing to be used for 15ml bottle of Rose Absolute. That’s a colossal amount and has me sat here thinking, ‘we want our products to be natural, kinder on our skin and better for our planet’ but how is destroying such a vast number of plants saving our planet? I swear this is a genuine query as I’m in the process of putting a business together. I still have a whole lot left to learn but this doesn’t sit well with me. Could anyone educate me on this matter and help put my concerns to bed. Thank you in advance.
Jax
Hi Jacqui, picking roses and most of the herbs needed to make essential oils do not kill the plant. There are essential oils that are less eco-friendly though such as those extracted with a solvent or those taken from threatened wild species, such as sandalwood.
I have made 2 batches of goat’s milk soap. The 1st one i did ot use any wtger and just followed the recipe without checking it on soapcalc.net (I was too new to know better). On my 2nd batch of goat’s milk soap I used a different recipe and checked it on soapcalc.net and noticed they only dealt with water to add the lye to (NOT FROZEN GOAT’S MILK) so I figured I would just substitute the goat’s milk for the water in the recipe. Then I noticed my recipe used quite a bit more goat’s milk than the calculation the website specified for water. Unsure what to do I followed my recipe’s amount rather than the grams of water it said to use. Well, I’ll never do that again – the soap never did trace (wouldn’t thicken that much), so I poured it into the molds anyway and they seem to be coming out OK. (I’m 2 days into curing). I know there are a lot of questions in my retelling my confused exeriences… I guess my first is can you just substitute goat’s milk for the amount of water the lye calulator sites specify?
Hi Jill, you can partially or fully replace the water called for in a soap recipe with goat’s milk. Milks should be frozen though to avoid the sugars in the milk scorching when the lye is added (here are my tips on making goat milk soap). As for water/milk amount in a soap recipe — this is variable based on the preferences of the soapmaker. For my recipes, I recommend 2x the lye amount by weight as the water amount because it’s simple, works well, and helps avoid common soapmaking issues such as soda ash. I’d advise you to stick with water/milk amounts in a recipe rather than what the SoapCalc tells you. The default setting for water amount in the SoapCalc is WAY too much for cold process recipes. Full water amount is meant for hot process soapmaking, not cold process. That’s because, in hot process, some of the water evaporates off during the cook. I suspect that you used the full water amount for your recipe and you’re experiencing what happens when a bit too much water is used in cp. It can take a long time to trace and to harden up. CP sap made with full water is also prone to developing a powdery residue on the surface called soda ash. Harmless but unattractive. Lastly, as your bars cure you will notice bar shrinkage (and sometimes warping) a lot more than if using less water.
Thank you for this chart :). Has your recommendation changed at all for Spearmint EO? In the US we are down to around 0.25% with the new IFRA. I was also wondering if you had a safe usage rate for Allspice Essential Oil in CP soap. Thank you again for all you share with the soaping community!
Hi Laura, and yes, that’s right — spearmint has recently been restricted due to high levels of carvone, a potential skin irritant. I’ll update the chart, and thank you for pointing this out :) Allspice is not an essential oil that’s used in soapmaking due to its high risk to causing skin allergy.
Thank you, Tanya! :)
I’m sorry if you already answered and I did not see this but in soap making is it best to use food grade essential oils for safety on skin???
Hi Amy, the idea of ‘food grade’ essential oil is a marketing term. Essential oils are not monitored by the FDA and the terms ‘therapeutic grade’ and ‘food grade’ essential oil are unregulated inventions of MLM companies such as Young Living. Ignore any reference to these terms and avoid ingesting essential oil too. Again, it’s unregulated territory and despite the claims by profit-making companies, no essential oil is safe to eat. To answer your question, you can use any pure essential oil to make soap :)
Hi,
May I ask if we can use essential oils for Liquid hand soap and Fabric Conditioner? How can we make a water base fragrance oil out of the essential oils?… Thank you so much.
For the first question, yes, you could. Your second question is not clear to me. Fragrance oils are synthetic perfumes and very different to essential oils.
Maybe he is meaning a hydrosol?
Lovely post – thank you for sharing. When you say 3% of the total weight, is that the oils and butters? Or do you include the water and lye in this total weight?
You’re welcome :) It’s just of the oils/fats and lye. You can leave out the weight of the water in your calculations.
Please, I have to ask. You are using PPO (per pound of oil) and EO Calc uses per ounce of oil, which calculates much differently and the final outcome is different. I am confused.
They’re just different units of measurement, Ennyl, and you’d have to work out the math if you wanted to switch between the two (there are 16oz in a pound). You only need to use one source to calculate your essential oil amount though :)
Hey im really confused and bad at calculations lol but if I have 128.20 ounces of soap how much essential oil is safe to use? Thanks so much
It depends on the essential oil(s) so it’s best you learn how to calculate :)
Thank you so much for this awesome blog post, such a help! I make soap a lot and am wondering if you have any information about Copaiba Balsam Essential oil? It seems to be one of the more affordable ones and sounds like it would smell nice. Would I simply follow the 3% rule and calculate 3% of my total batch weight?
Thank you!
Corie :)
Hi Corie and copaiba balsam essential oil is one that I’ve not used before. It seems to be a base-note essential oil when it comes to use in fragrance and is used as a fixative in perfumery. I’d recommend that you get in touch with the manufacturer you have in mind and as them for the IFRA usage rate for that particular type of copaiba balsam essential oil for category 9. Category 9 includes handmade soap.
Hello
I have never made soap before and so I an=m very excited to try it out however I am going to start with the Stephensons melt and pour soap and I would like to try the Rose Absolute drops but Im so confused about the amount to add. Could you please tell me how many drops would work for 1 KG of soap.
Thank you.
JJ
The recommended amount for 100% pure rose absolute is 1g PPO (per pound oil) when it comes to cold process soap. Most rose absolutes are not pure though and usually diluted in a carrier oil. Check the IFRA documentation for the specific essential oil you’re using to understand how much you can use in soap. The percentage will be a percentage by weight, not volume though. You never calculate how much essential oil to use in soap by drops.
I am also going to try stephenson melt and pour and wanted to combine either patchuli neroli and argan oil. Or sandalwood neroli and argan. With max usage rates i think three essential oils is about as many as you can use without the scent becoming too indistinguishable. If using these oils how many tsps per 450g would you use of each to get balance right so all scents come through?
The essential oils I bought recently, says to dilute in carrier.
Please explain what this means when making CP soap.
Thanks!
When you use essential oil in soap recipes, it becomes diluted in the soap. The important thing with essential oils is to not use them neat (direct) on the skin. Diluting in a carrier oil is what you’d do if you wanted to use essential oils in aromatherapy massage.
Hi Lovely Greens,
Newbie here, as I’m a little confused. Just wondering if I can away with a synergy blend of Black Pepper, Cedarwood, Orange, Sandalwood and Ylang ylang already bottled? Is this a no-no?
Would you suggest it be measured and done individually? I plan on doing a tallow, olive oil and coconut oil recipe?
Hi Katie, pre-mixed essential oil blends are tricky because the bottle often does not tell you the exact ratio of each. Therefore, you don’t know the quantities in each and you can’t safely work out their usage rate in soap.
I entered information into the EO Calc and for example peppermint was safe up to 5% … I never use 5% but the 3% calculation is higher than what you have mentioned above. For example if I have 5 lbs of oils is it 9g per pound equalling 45g peppermint correct? but if I enter into EO Calc its different. Is this not a trusted resource (EO Calc)
Thanks
Hi Michelle, I am conservative when it comes to essential oil rates and the amount reflected in the peppermint essential oil recommendation on this page is 2%. I’ve been making peppermint soap for a long time for retail and this is plenty! As for other guides, such as the EO Calc, they’re a good place to start but ALWAYS check the IFRA document for the exact essential oil that you’re using. Depending on the manufacturer and the process, the allergen levels may be higher than others. Some IFRA docs for some peppermint EOs say up to 5%, some say up to 3.6%, and others have differing usage rates. That’s why I’m conservative in the recommendations in this guide.
Hello, thank you for creating this resource, I have been feverishly reading and plan to make some of your beginner soaps soon. Where do you recommend purchasing the clays for coloring? I live in the US and would love a good source
Rachel
Hi Rachel, I have a list of natural soap colorants on my Amazon Storefront if that helps?
Any thoughts on Basil essential oil? I was hoping it was in this chart as I have used this for other scents. I have the NOW Foods Basil Essential Oil and would love to try it if it is not an irratant.
Hi Brandi, it can be a skin irritant at high usage rates, but you can use it at up to 1.88% by weight in soap recipes.
Hi, Can I please confirm if the Max figures provided are in relation to the totals of all essential oils or is it per essential oil? For example if I’m blending 3 different essential oils does this mean I can add 3% of each of them (making the total 9% of the oils’ weight)? Thanks,Mary
Hi Mary, you do not add the percentages together. The maximum total amount of essential oil I recommend using in soap is 3% of the total recipe.
Thank you very much! Amazing blog by the way!
Hi Tanya,
I’m Gabi, and I’m about to make a lavender soap. I got a lavender fragrance, but I’m not sure if there’s any alcohol in it, or it’s made with distilled water only. How much should I give to a batch of soap? I have a mould that makes about 900-1000 g of soap. Do I have to adjust the amount of lye and oils, when adding the fragrance? I also want to add essential lavender oil to it. I know it has to be added at the trace, but what about the fragrance? Thank you, Gabi
Hi Gabi, if you don’t know what’s in the fragrance, I’d advise not using it in soapmaking. There are fragrance oils that are meant for diffusers only and that can cause skin irritation and rashes. I’d advise using a pure lavender essential oil instead, and the usage rates for soap are listed in this piece.
Hi do you have a uk company that does pure essential oils for your soaps,? as im progressing in creating my hemp soaps and getting the safety certs, but unsure the brand ive used for yrs,for aromatherapy are the best , so was thinking of finding vegan/cruelty free, as it will go with my ethics ..and also getting thru legal stuff too.
any recomondations greatly welcomed, so i can research further…thanks for your work :) love your site, has helped me so much x
Due to sensitivities, I can’t use essential oils. When I leave them out of a formula, do I need to increase one of the other oils to keep the formula balanced? Thanks!
Not at all, Laurie. Simply leave them out :)
Hi. Thanks for all the great info. I tried essential oils in my cold process soap and it seized like a brick. Which oils tend to accelerate trace in soap recipes?
Hello,
Where can the mold that says soap be purchased.
You can get the molds here.
Hey Tanya,
Thanks for the great information. Where did you find all these maximum percentages set by the EU?
I tried looking it up online myself, but I can’t find anything. I found the ‘cosing’ database where you can look up essential oils. This will give you the CAS number and some other limited information, but when it comes to the cosmetic regulation, it just says to look it up in cosmetic regulation 1223/2009. I can’t find any essential oils in that regulation, however. Could you help me out please?
Hi Filip, the information on cosmetic production for the EU, including these figures, can be found here. However, exact essential oils are not listed, only their allergens. The figures in this piece have maximum percentages worked out based on the particular allergens in each (such as geraniol, eugenol, coumarin, etc.) that must be controlled in both leave-on and wash-off cosmetic products.
This is by far the most comprehensive site I have found for using essential oils. Thank you very much for compiling all this info in one place. I am a new fan!
Hello, I’m wondering if you knew about using calendula essential oil for soap making.
Thanks for the info :)
Hi Rachelle. There isn’t such a thing as calendula essential oil, but you can use calendula-infused carrier oils in soap making. If the variety of calendula is orange, you can harness this color to tint your bars light to bright orange. More on using plants and natural ingredients to color handmade soap is over here.
Hi Tanya,
Thanks for a really useful & informative site. I recently made some gorgeous smelling soaps, but now they have cured, the fragrances have already faded, so I am concerned that the EOs I bought weren’t as good quality as I had hoped.
Do you have any recommendations on suppliers? Like you, I am based in the UK.
Many thanks,
Carole
Hi Carole, some essential oils last longer than others. Many citrus types don’t last very long, and others will naturally fade over time. Still, many of them smell great for months or longer! Which ones did you use and which brand?
Wow, thank you for your speedy reply! I made Verbena & Sandalwood using Verbena from Mystic Moments & Sandalwood from Aura. I also made a batch with just Sandalwood, and also a Eucalyptus & Peppermint batch, using oils from Anjou. I can’t smell any of those now – I was going to give them as Christmas gifts but because of lockdown I still have them.
I made a Grapefruit & Bergamot a couple of days ago using Anjou oils, hoping they won’t fade as quickly.
I love that table you provide – amazed I didn’t find it sooner TBH!
Hi. Thank you for very detailed blog about the essential oils. I’m a beginner so this is important for me to learn and not ruin my skin of my loved ones once i handed them my soap.
My question is, where do you buy your oils? Can you maybe post a link where I can get them and i hope you get some percent off from my purchase! I am not sure if the ones on google are good for the skin.
have a good day and be safe.
Hi Luna, I live in Britain and use a lot of Naissance essential oils. Suppliers will be different based on your region though :)
Hi Tanya
Thank you for your information and passion for product making. Can I please ask this, I want to make a Rose & Geranium salve but I am very confused about the amounts of Rose that I can use. I want to make 50ml pots. Can you please help?
Kind regards
Sandie
Hi Sandie, salves are a leave-on product so you cannot use as much essential oil in them as you can in wash-off products, such as soap. I recommend no more than 2% essential oil (by weight) in any leave-on skincare product recipe. That 2% can be completely geranium essential oil, or up to 0.05% rose absolute essential oil.
Hi, I have a question, hope that you can help me.
Does the 3% essential oil (to put in my cold process soap ) includes carrier oil or should I just use pure essential oil that I bought from the store?
Many thanks.
It’s just the essential oil when referenced in soap recipes.
Thank you for this post, very very useful! I just wanted to ask a question on the ‘fixing’ of citrus scents for CP soaps. I’m new to soap making, I’ve just made a sweet orange and patchouli soap. It smelt great when I made it and for several days after but is now starting to wear off. It says about using may chang to fix the scent in. Could you explain for me, how does this work and would it change the overall scent I was going for by using this extra EO? Thank you :)
Hi George, I personally don’t use orange, lemon, or tangerine essential oils in soap for that very reason — they fade quickly. It’s the nature of the essential oil, unfortunately, and even with fixers the scent will never be as great as when you first made it. May chang is a gorgeous citrus essential oil that lasts though, as is bergamot.
Using Litsea (a Japanese citrus) will hold other citrus scents very nice. I use it all the time with grapefruit, orange, etc. Give it a try.
RC
Hello. Thank you for this site. It is very informative! Question…. If I do a soap, say spearmint eucalyptus, and both are 3 t for a pound of soap…..if I do 2 pound soap recipes, can I just use 3 t of one and 3t of the other oil and call it a day??
Yes, that’s perfect :)
Hi! I haven’t been able to find anything online that can answer this question and your blog is the closest I’ve gotten. If I add essential oils or colorants to a soap recipe do I need to adjust the oils and the lye to account for it or can I just add them in?
Essential oils and colorants are not considered in the formulation of base soap recipes — they’re just extras. So no, the oils and lye amount don’t need adjusting. The amount of essential oil you use is based on how much is safe for your skin and that can vary based on the essential oil.
Hell,
I’ve just discovered your website and it is super helpful! thank you soo much for all those info!
I have been looking for few days now but can’t find anything: is there a calculator, or a website that indicates the quantity of each EO that is advised to use together?
for example, if I want to make a cold process soap with lemongrass and rosemary EO, is there any tool to tell/advice me what is the best combination in %?
I found calculator that give me the total amount of EO to use according to the amount of oil, but can’t find anything regarding how each EO is to be calculated separately..
or maybe there is a website/list with the most known combinations of EO and their %?
Also, can you please explain step by step how to use the toothpick test? I’m not sure to understand properly if I should dip one end in all EO I want to use or each end in separate EO then place all toothpicks in the sealed bag, even though the last option makes more sense..
As far as I’m aware, there’s no essential oil calculator like that. It would be handy though! You have to work it out manually until that time.
Toothpick test: use a separate toothpick for each ‘part’ of essential oil. For example, if your blend would be two parts lavender and one part rosemary, you’d have two toothpicks of lavender and one of rosemary.
Do the amount of percentage change if you are using more than one Essential Oil?
Stick to the guide of 3% total essential oil in soap recipes. That includes blends too. Keep in mind that some essential oils have lower usage rates.
Thanks for this really helpful article – my brain was fried before reading it!
I have settled on a blend of 3 Eos for a cp soap batch of the following:
Rose Maroc absolute
Neroli
Patchouli
Using your suggestion of 30, 60, 10% it brings the Rose to 0.09% which is too high. How could I rectify this? By lowering the percentage of the top note and adding to middle/base notes? Diluting the top note between rose and AN Other EO?
I love the blend I’ve put together so I’d rather not add another EO to the mix!
Thank you so much for your help; it’s very much appreciated.
The percentages are just a guideline rather than law — if you like your blend, run with it :)
Good morning….. I was thinking about using a ‘fixer’ like arrowroot to help keep the smell of the essential oils from fading I haven’t found where in the process in soap making to add the fixer? Thanks so much and I’ve read your articles for soap making for beginners and they’re great
Mix it with a little water and add at trace.
How much arrowroot should you use per pound or %?
Hi Dolores and I’d recommend about 1/4 tsp PPO (per pound oils)
Hi! First of all, thank you very much for all the instructions – fantastic job!
And before I will make my first soap I have a question. You commented the lemongrass oil as follow: Lush and green citrus scent that does well on its own in soap and when blended. Also, the lemongrass is recommended as the top oil, not the middle. But on your video on the Youtube about lemongrass soap (great!) you listed lemongrass oil as the basic one. Is it correct?
Citrus essential oils are generally top notes — these are scents that you smell right away in a blend. Lemongrass can be used on its own in a soap recipe or blended with other essential oils though.
So you dont have to dilute essential oils when making cold press or melt and pour soaps? Im new to soap making and trying to do my research before trying my first batch.
Just adding them to the soap mix is diluting them. The point about dilution is that you should (almost) never use essential oils directly on the skin.
Can you explain about top notes, middle notes and base notes.
I am a beginner and have no idea.
Hi, is there a reason you don’t list thyme essential oil? I just used it today and it caused almost immediate ricing! Is this why it’s not on your list? Are there any others to avoid from your experience?
Many Thanks
Thyme is an essential oil that you need to be very cautious with. At the maximum usage rate of 0.5-1% in soap it can still cause skin irritation and the scent might not even come through. It naturally contains high levels of Thymol, and some types also contain Geraniol, both of which are known skin allergens.
This is actually good. But I want to get more information.
Hi, thank you for the information about using essential oils in cold press soap.
My question is are all essential oils made equal? If not do the quantities change with quality of essential oil? Thank you
Not all essential oils are equal but the amount specified in this piece are standard for the type. Better quality essential oils are made from higher quality plant material and better processing methods.
Thank you for sharing this chart and explaining the process. I am a candle maker by trade and now dipping my toes into cold process soap. I have looked at fragrance calculators online (US ones) and from my experience of candle making I know not to necessarily follow what makers do in other countries. The calculators I have come across seem to base the amount of essential oil (or fragrance oil) on the weight of the oils in the soap and not the total weight for the soap batter. My question is, do I calculate the 3% from the weight of the oils, or the total batter weight (including the lye/water weight.) Many thanks!
It should be calculated as the percentage of all the ingredients in the recipe except the water. Most of the water evaporates out of your soap after you make it but before you use it.
Many thanks! That makes perfect sense.
hi – i am hoping you can help me – i am starting to make some blends for my cp soaps – i have a mix that has nutmeg essential oil in it but i cannot for the life of me find the safe % of nutmeg to use – is there somewhere you can advise me to look
thanks
liz
In the EU you may use Nutmeg essential oil in up to 0.12% by weight in handmade soap made for retail. Providing you have the proper cosmetic assessments, cosmetic insurance, and have submitted the product to the EU cosmetic database. I generally use the EU guidelines for all my handmade soap, regardless of whether they are destined to be sold or not.
This was very helpful. Thanks for it!
Thank you for this very useful and informative article.
Question, if you use photosensitive oils (i.e. bergamot, lemon, citrus oils) as ingredients in soap or facial wash, etc… does the rule on non-exposure to direct sunlight after use apply? Or does this only apply to roller blends?
It’s not the same as in leave-on products. Unless you have VERY sensitive skin, ou’re perfectly fine to go out in the sun after using a soap made with citrus oils. Most of it washes off in the bath or shower.
I’m interested in making Soap. I read everything in this article but for some reason I can’t see the chart. Can you email a copy of it to me?
What about prcentage of essential oils dor children 7 and up and 4 years to 7 years? All base on soap weight?
I’d say the standard amounts are fine for kids but choose essential oils that are more sensitive. Lavender for one. It might actually be better to make unscented soap for kids though anyway.
Many thanks for the info! Very helpful.
Thanks for sharing such a important information. This is really useful and helps a lot. I want to say Thank You again.
Thank you for this informative article.
In my experience, some essential oil scents are difficult to maintain in soap especially citrus oils. Do you prefer to CP or HP your soaps and do you add clays to help fix them?
Thanks
There are a few things that can help fix the scent of essential oils — clays, orris root powder, and even oatmeal pieces in my experience. Some essential oils are more tricky though — lemon, orange, and tangerine can fade quickly. I don’t tend to use them in cold-process soap unless they’re fixed with another essential oil like Litsea cubeba. Even then, they do fade a bit.
Hi,
I have never made soap before and am wondering how do you go about getting your soaps seen by a chemist and what sort of charges would they be .
Many thanks and a wonderfull website on the many different things you do.
Ralph
The way it works in the UK is that you send your recipes to a chemist who offers the service. They look over them and certify that they’re safe and within regulations. After that, you’re able to get insurance and to legally sell your handmade soap (and other bath/cosmetic products) to the public. Legally you cannot sell soap or personal care products to anyone in the UK and European Union without a Cosmetic Safety Assessment by a EU certified chemist.
Hi Sarah ,
I am having little confusion in soap making if I want to try some essential oil blends in soap making ,for example lye,water, coconut and olive oil all together if I trace and weight for small batch 100 gm to test the essential blends how much I should measure it , in drops or tsp or in gram ,plz guide me and also natural clay how much I should add for 100 gram I can multiply for big batches. Past 1 year l am learning and reading kindle books and watching YouTube still little clarification needed.
Sorry for to big text
Thanks
Jaya
Hi Jaya — Tanya here (no Sarah :). When calculating a recipe technically, you should always measure by weight, not volume. However, it’s easier to measure out essential oils in teaspoons and Tablespoons while making soap. If you want to make a perfect 3% essential oil recipe, pre-measure the oils on a micro-scale and then afterwards measure the volume amount. Different essential oils will have a different volume measurement for the same weight.
Would the amounts be the same when using a melt and pour soap base?
Good question! Yes is the answer
Hi Helen. Thank you for the info. But which EU law are you applying? (‘The EU considers an essential oil usage rate of 3% or less to be safe in wash-off products like soap’). I am looking at the EU regulation at the moment and couldn’t find it. Would you mind share the link with us? I used more than 3% EO on my soap.
Who’s Helen? As for the 3% rule that’s regulated by the chemists who create safety assessments. You cannot legally sell handmade soap to customers in the EU without having your recipes certified by a chemist. This 3% rule comes from my own chemist.
Hi Tanya. Sorry about that I got your name wrong. I need more help here. Where can I find the regulation saying that ”we are not allowed to sell soaps without having a chemist certification” under EU laws? So are you saying that all the handmade soaps in the market without chemist certification is illegal?
Yes and if anything happens, your insurance would not cover you. All the legal jargon is in EU Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009 on cosmetic products
It is really shocking that so many people are unaware of the law. As well as having to get each and every recipe safety assessed, you also have to use “stamped for trade” scales to check the weight of your end product. Kitchen scales, however accurate, just won’t do. It’s an expensive business getting started, that’s for sure, even more so if you want a variety of different products in your range, as each must be separately assessed. There are also strict laws about labelling and declaring ingredients. Try the Guild of Craft Soap and Toiletry Makers for more advice.
So if you only use two essential oils like cedarwood and vanilla what would the percent be ? I’ve been told vanilla is a very strong scent is that true. should I use less vanilla. Any thoughts. I like the tooth pick idea. Thanks Cheri
Vanilla is a fragrance oil rather than an essential oil. As for mixing, the top, middle, and base ratios are a guide but not a rule. Use the toothpick method to create a blend that you and others like and then go for it :)
Hello.
I love your site. It is wonderful. I am trying to mix my own essential oils. Can I mix just two flavours? Or must it be top, middle and base?
When it comes to mixing your own oils, it’s completely up to you! The top, middle, and base recommendations are purely a guide. There are many middle-top and middle-base blends that work well.
Hi, first of all let me just say thanks! I love your website and all the info you provide.?. I have been following recipes at the moment to make soap, but I’m finding that the sent from the essential oils I am adding don’t seem to last through the curing process. You mentioned adding clays and/or orris root powder. Any more info on this, e.g.. when to add and what quantities?
Thanks
Hi Tanya,
Can rosewood be used in CP soap making?
If so what can it be mixed with and what % can be used please?
Many thanks
Wendy
I just came across your website and new to soap making, this list has really helped me out with my blends but I wanted to make a soap with Pink Grapefruit, Lavander, Rosemary and sweet orange. 2 of theses EO are top notes and 2 of these EO are middle notes. How would I work out the 100% total? Would i devide the 2 top notes and devide the 2 middle notes
15% Grapefruit 0.24 =0.8
15% Sweet Orange 0.24 =0.8
30% Rosemary 0.24 = 0.24.5
30% Lavender 0.24= 0.24.5
I have probably done this all wrong. Please could you give me some advice. Also are these percentages based on grams? Example 30% lavander is 0.24= 0.24.5 grams or Oz. Sorry confused maybe a soap recipe of yours would be ideal as an example .
Hi Becky! Have you ever tried the toothpick test before? It’s a way of testing an essential oil blend before making an entire batch of soap. In your case, get five toothpicks. Each toothpick has two ends which you’ll dip into essential oil and then place in a sealed bag. Seal it up and then in a minute or so, have a smell to see if you like the blend. If you don’t like it, try again.
As for making up the last 10% of your recipe, it’s completely up to you. You can choose a base note like cedar or ginger, or bulk up your middle note essential oils to cover the difference.
Thank you for posting this information! I’ve been trying to find something like this forever and i’m glad I stumbled across it over on Pinterest! I’m going to tuck this info away for the next soap making day!!
You’re welcome Leen and happy soap making :)
‘m a little confused. If I used three different essential oils in one pound of soap, the combined EO should not exceed 3% of 16oz or each EO should not exceed 3%?
Also, the note chart doesn’t equal 100%, so that’s confusing to me too?
30% of a blend should be Top Notes
80% of a blend should be Middle Notes
10% of a blend should be Base Note
Thanks
Hope this helps: 3% of 16oz is 0.48oz — that’s the total amount in weight of essential oils you’d use in this particular recipe.
30% of 0.48oz = 0.14
60% of 0.48oz = 0.29
10% of 0.48oz = 0.05
I refer to this page allot. Thank you so much for writing this article.
This is just what I was looking for thanks for the breakdown x
Further to this, I would like to clarify. My mold makes 3 lbs of soap. Hence the total amount of melt and pour soap base would be 48oz . 3% of 48 oz is 1.44
Using the example above
30% of 1.44 oz= 0.43oz
60% of 1.44oz= 0.86Oz
10% of 1.44oz = 0.14oz
Would I convert ounces to teaspoons or drops for measuring the essential oils ?
Do I need to dilute the essential oil blend in a carrier oil like sweet almond oil before adding to the melt and pour base?
Also would I add this blend evenly to each layer of soap or it doesn’t matter?
I’d stick with the weights at first. If you want to use teaspoons for subsequent batches, work out how many teaspoons equate to those particular weights when you make the first batch.
No need to dilute essential oils in carrier oils before adding to soap. Carrier oils are meant to dilute essential oils before you put them directly on your skin (think massage oils).
The essential oil should ideally be consistent right through your soap.
Hello! I just discovered your site and love it!!! I am brand new at this soap making craft and am very excited! The Essential Oil for Soap Making Chart is great, is there a way to print this chart? I tried to simply copy and paste, but it did not work.
I appreciate your information and time that you have put in for this site. I look forward to hearing from you.
Hi Angel and happy to welcome a beginner soap maker :) I don’t yet have a printable version of this chart but I’ll look into creating one. Stay tuned!
Hi Tanya/ I am Lyuda/ I would like ask about essential oils for soap. I saw in your video a big bottle of them/ What is the oils and where i can buy them/ . I have read a lot about them and i saw a very expensive and less what you advice about them/ Thank you
You are an angel! Thank you so much for the specificity of your directions as well as sharing helpful hints. As someone who has scoured the internet and books for clear direction, it has to be said, you are the Harvard of teachers in soaping. Bless you!
You’re so welcome Arian — happy soaping!
Hi Tanya, thank you for this valuable lesson on essential oil percentages. I’m new to soap making and I always wonder should I let me soap gel or not!!!! which method is better??? please help :)
To Gel just means to intensify the color and make the soap a shinier, less opaque tone. If you don’t gel it will be opaque and much more toned down in shade. Both can be beautiful!
Thanks for your extensive post today. I have to admire your beautiful soap colours. I am a soapmaker, and have tried several methods to get those bright clear colours. Including infusions, adding color straight to lye water and using the whitest oils possible. Any suggestions?
Hi Helen! The method for using each natural colour is different and variations will occur based on how much you use, temperature, introduction method, introduction sequence, whether the soap gels or not, colour of oils, colour of essential oils or fragrance oils, and quality of the substance used. It’s all about trial and error to get the right shade.