murphycat

I always stock: High Notes: Grapefruit, Lime Middle Notes: Spike lavender, Rosemary, Geramiun, palmarosa, Spruce, marjoram, Litsea, Lemongrass, Juniper, bergamot, Lavandin, Clove leaf and Cinnamon Leaf, Rosewood Low Notes: Basil Cananga, Atlas Cedarwood, Bay, Spearmint, Peppermin, Tea Tree and Anise Since I use 2 to 2.5 ounces total for an 8lbs batch of soap, the combinations are 'infinite' which makes it all the more affordable. I think that most places recommend different usage rates for citrus eo's and so forth instead of concentrating on the usage rate of a blend which is the better way to do it. if the blend is balanced, the notes would be ratios of 3 parts high, 2 parts middle and one part low. I can tell you that citrus as a high note isn't going to stay for the long term regardless of how concentrated it is, but the if they are used to balance a blend, they do make an impression. I use Litsea and Lemongrass as the citrus notes that stick. That's how I learned through trial and error and it works very well.

DOS is an elusive thing to pin down as far as time and conditions are concerend. It's a matter of the stability of the free oil in the bar and some oils are more prone to DOS than others. CAnola, SunFlower, and SOY (Liquid) oil have a higher rate of DOS than oils like Sesame, Castor, Coconut, Sweet Almond and so forth. The lye discount of the formula makes a difference as well. Discounts of 5-7 percent are more stable than those in the 10-12 percent range simply because higher discounts result in more free oil. Weather and storing conditions play a part. Soap that is constantly exposed to extreme change in humid/dry/humid weather is more likely to go bad as is soap stored in containers that don't breath. I've seen DOS occur in less than 3 months when a friend used some coconut oil she bought from a food supplier. SHe thought it was such a deal but and guy was up front about the fact that he had it buried in the back room for 2 years. the container was fine, and the coconut seemed fine but every batch she made was bad in 3 months. New coconut, same recipe and no problem. So the best rule is a year if all things are equal. HTH

MP is fully saponified so there is nothing that will DOS. I would have to say that your spots have to do with color.

A couple of things they list there are not quite right...comfrey root actually produces a burgandy red if allowed to go through gel. I use 1 gently rounded teaspoon to 5 lbs of oil in the soap batch and it works every time. No gel stage..then you'll get beige. Nettle will mellow to a lovely sage green from a more grass green at start. Henna makes a dark brown for me every time. Gel stage makes a huge difference in the final color.

I doubt you'll find Arnica produced as a fragrance oil, the smell is nothing horrible but doesn't have any kind of scent that would translate into an attractive odor for personal care products. As far as the use of the herb itself in soap, the fine hairs in arnica are irritating and would be problematic in soap. Since Arnica is never recommended for use on abrased skin which would be skin that is raw (because arnica burns like fire) I can't imagine using it in a salt bar. Salt is a drying abrasive and I can envision a truly uncomfortable reaction. Even the hairs of the herb on mucus membranes and other sensitive areas would be a disaster. Herbs will rarely contain enough eo to scent soap indepent of adding eo, but I can tell you from long experience that the finer the herb powder, the more pleasing the results. Color is what I shoot for, especially since it's not likely that any other properties are going to survive the soapmaking process. As a side note: If you are going to make soap for customers you know have medical conditions it's really best to remember the first rule of soap...it just cleans well. Unscented, plain soap is the only safe soap to offer those with medical conditions.

They don't use any known allergen herbs like oakmoss or anything from the chyrsanthimum family. Most all of the herbs can be used in tea. I know that's no guarantee, but there isn't with fo's either.

There are some great natural color combinations there.