Karen Ov

Can you use any fo on unscented potpourri base or does it have to be made for potpourri ? Thanks

On 9/30/2022 at 11:10 AM, TallTayl said:

Great question. 😊

 

the short answer:

the usage rates for all essential oils and fragrance blends is based on the IFRA report for that particular item. Some fragrance molecules are more irritating than others in certain uses, and must be used at lower % in some products than others depending on the type of skin/membranes it is being applied to. 

 

Longer answer: 

understanding the IFRA reports clues us in to what might be the issue with some lower usage rate FO/EO and combos. notice how much each category is broken down (like shaved skin, eye membranes, feminine products…) each type of skin absorbs and responds differently to irritation. 
 

IFRA categories:

 

for example, here’s an IFRA for patchouli essential oil.  It is considered GRAS (generally regarded as safe).  You can bathe in it with no safety or health issues expected. It does not contain any of the highly sensitizing components such as coumarin, eugenol, etc).

 

on the other hand, here’s one for Clove Bud Essential Oil. The eugenol component in clove is highly sensitizing and must be measured with caution to prevent chemical burns to mucous membranes and sensitive tissues.

 

somewhere in between is this example of grapefruit essential oil.  Many Citrus oils are phototoxic. We can eat/drink the fruit all day long, but if applied to skin exposed to sunlight,  it can quickly cause sunburn.

 

 

 

 

when blending fragrances and/or essential oils, we need to be aware of the parts of the fragrance that are restricted, and calculate that into the blend.  

Thanks.💐..  I knew there had to be a logical reason. I thought the fo i noticed it on first was a mistake lol, but then i noticed it on a lot of fo's. That was a fun fact on the citrus, i never knew that. 😁

I have a question about % in bath and body products. Why can you sometimes add more fo in lotions than wash off products? If the lotion is staying on your skin shouldn't it be lower than something you will wash off?. Thanks 

I used stephenson clear melt and pour soap with green tea and lemongrass fo from new york scent. The fo doesn't contain vanillan so i was surprised when the soap changed drastically . It looks so nice and lemony in the first pic but not anymore.TY 

On 5/7/2022 at 11:19 PM, Lovejoy444 said:

My test candles KEEP cracking in a circle around the wicks. The very first batch of candles I ever made about 6 weeks ago were BEAUTIFUL. But EVERY candle I've made since then (for wick testing) gets that damned crack around the wick. I'm pulling my hair out. Everything I've found during research says air bubbles in the melted wax or cooling too fast or both.

If there are air bubbles in my melted wax, they're microscopic, cuz I see NOTHING. I stir gently. I tap the pitcher before pouring to release any invisible bubbles, then I tap the vessel after pouring for the same invisible bubbles. I pour slooooowly so as not to create bubbles.

 

I've tried heated containers, unheated containers, foil around the vessel, no foil. I've poured at 170 degrees (CandleScience recommendation), 165, 160, 155, 150. (Tomorrow I'm gonna try 145 and 140, a Flaming Candle recommendation.) I've cooled them on a wire rack (which CS recommended on their troubleshooting page). I've cooled them on a wooden cutting board. I've cooled them in my kitchen where there *might* be a draft or two just from people walking past, but I've also cooled them in the spare bedroom with the door closed and a Sterilite container inverted overtop of them. I've used a heat gun to melt the top 1/8" or so. The temperature in my house is a constant 73 degrees while I'm doing all this. And STILL cracks.

 

That first flawless batch was 100% GW 454 soy coconut wax. The second batch, when the crack started to appear, was also 454, and one of those candles cured with a fugly top. Since I also didn't like the fugly tops after soy candles burn, I decided to add a bit of parasoy. So now, my personal wax blend is 80% GW 454 and 20% parasoy (Blended Waxes brand BW 910). No more fugly tops now, just, ya know, that fucking crack. 🤬

So, if anyone has any advice at all, I'd welcome it. Cuz I'm fresh out of ideas beyond just continuing to try cooler and cooler pour temps--and eventually, I'm gonna reach a temp that's not pourable. LOL I can't be a chandler if I can't get decent candles. How can I be so deficient at this? I've made nearly a dozen candles (one at a time) over the last week, trying one thing and another, and they crack every single time. Thanks in advance for any help you guys can offer. ❤️

Try pouring the wax down the wick

On 6/20/2022 at 11:20 PM, TallTayl said:

Sounds like the paraffin v soy debate, doesn’t it? Is either one truly “better” than another?

Lol, Its true, i guess in the end it comes down to personal preference, both from maker to customer. 

On 6/19/2022 at 12:15 PM, TallTayl said:

Exactly! 
my well water is hard with excessive iron.  Without a softener not even SLS will lather even the tiniest bit. It smells like metal and nothing will wash off completely. Feels like a film on my skin and hair (and dishes, yuk.)
 

softened, many will lather, but some blends are much better than others. 

there are ways to formulate around that, such as with chelators, but if you’re not into formulating, it’s faster and cheaper to experiment with available bases. 
 

SFIC is a market leader in melt and pour type soap bases. Stephenson is another. I tend to gravitate toward SFIC - but get what you can from your normal suppliers to keep purchasing costs in check. 

I'm going to order some sfic, they seem to have some good reviews . TY

Thanks..i guess soap is just like wax..lol.  Test to see what works best.

18 hours ago, TallTayl said:

Everything depends on the exact ingredients.  Some oils have fatty acid profiles that are just as grease stripping as detergents.  Some detergents are far more mild than soap oils. 
 

 

So detergent free doesn't always mean its better?. Im just starting to dabble in m&p, and want to avoid any kind of soap  that leaves a film on your skin. Is there a certain kind i should avoid? 

Hi..Does anyone have an opinion on detergent free. Is it better? And does it lather well?. TY

4 hours ago, TallTayl said:

When testing I generally just do 100 grams. Send a math is super easy. 2 1/2% of 100 g is 2 g. I do this for candles, melts, soap, cosmetics, lotion, you name it. The math is so easy this way.

That does seem really easy, nice and simple, just what I'm looking for.😄 

2 hours ago, NightLight said:

Karen, 

There are percentage calculators online that will do ounces and grams. Also use the calculators on wholesale supplies plus, others sites have them as well. Very helpful for everything. I use them all the time but haha also ask Alexa

Thank You..grams gets me frazzled.lol.

Never had to use them before.

8 hours ago, TallTayl said:

I use Google to convert oz to grams and got the same 226.8 (rounded up to 227 g

227 x 2.5% = 5.675 (rounded to 5.7 g) of fragrance. 
 

you got this!

Thank you so much ❤, going to make first bar of melt and pour soap this week..

7 hours ago, TallTayl said:

That is the maximum amount of that particular fragrance, yes.  Total of soap x that %. 
for small amounts like this I would use grams, personally.  The margin of error on that 2.5% is pretty small 😊

I have never used grams before. Is this correct. 8 ounce would be 226.80, so i would take that number X the 2.5 % or do i convert the 2.5% also..TY 

Hi..Im going to make a simple  melt and pour soap bar for the first time  using 8 ounces of soap.  So is this correct? The fo i want to use is olde towne bake shop and on their page it says - Soap 2.5 %. So does this mean i take 8 for the ounces of soap and  times it by 2.5 % and get .20 ounces of fo. And that formulation is the same fir any fo.  TY

13 hours ago, TallTayl said:

The terms seem to be interchangeable, though I am so far out of the loop in those groups I could be very wrong.  
 

The market for that type of bath product ebbs and flows on a  pretty reliable cyclical timeline. Facebook groups sprouted up overnight for fizzing and bubbling bath goodies with a whole new set of indie expectations. Then, like sharks in chummed water, commercially available mass produced versions at cheap prices flooded the market. Then that market bottomed out, and hand made was popular again.  

The whole market can be intimidating in a way. One day I'm like ya I'm going to start making this, then I'm like everyone is selling these and no one will buy from me.🥴  

TY..After reading recipes and watching videos, I didn't think there is much difference either, but I'm not familiar with soaps and bath products. 

Hi..So I was wondering what is the difference between bath bomb and bath fizzy? I think the fizzy has more bubbles or something. Ty 

2 hours ago, TallTayl said:

The braid looks like cd.

could be cd8

Thanks..thats what i will go with..💐

I dont think so, i never ordered from that company. And i remember why i ordered those wicks because when i ordered the soy coconut wax it said those wicks work with that wax. Here are some pics.  

Hi. About a year and a half ago I got some soy/ coconut wax and wicks from California candle supply. On the bag of wicks all it says is  ultra wicks. So i emailed them to see what kind they are and they saud they dont have those kind. So does anyone know what they might be, I know i got them from there. I only used like 10 out of 200, so not looking to get anymore just curious.Thanks

On 5/26/2022 at 4:49 PM, MelissaG said:

I've been looking too. It wouldn't be so bad if so many of the companies didn't say sold out.

Maybe that means its a good printer. When i get new one, it will be a eco tank. The ones i have seen lately have gone up in price like 50.00 . But still think it might be worth it. 

Try wrapping them with something, i have used felt but seen it done with tinfoil. I also used to put a box over them while cooling. It helped a lot 

I was reading an article about oils for anti aging 😒...it said pomegranate oil is great for essential oils, but then I read about frankincense essential oil. What makes frankincense an essential oil..  So I just dont get it, maybe I having one of those days..lol   

Hi..I'm just wondering is there a difference between carrier oils and essential oils? Or are they the same? Ty