heartsong Posted September 7, 2016 Share Posted September 7, 2016 If you are like me, then you must have a bazzilion 1 oz f/o's gathering dust on your shelves...I soap 10 scents with a few seasonal backups that I swap out as needed. I was trying to clean and organize my work shop, so I boxed up everything I don't use now, thinking I'll just store them in the garage for later. (yeah, right.) A little light bulb went on and I began sorting out the f/o's according to fruit, flower, spa, spice, etc. I mixed all the rain/laundry/baby/clean & fresh scents together into a 32 oz bottle and just soaped a 5 pound batch of the BEST!!! fabric softener scent I've ever smelled...even hubby commented favorably. (amazing!) Then I took all the cucumber melon/pearberry/fruit scents and all the gardenia, honeysuckle, magnolia & neroli and poured in another big bottle. I just soaped this blend (holding my breath) waiting for calamity to seize the batch...it actually reversed trace! And it smells sooooo good! I used yellow hi-ph mica and it turned it a very alarming shade of orange, but so far, so good! We'll see how things look in the morning... 7 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GoldieMN Posted September 7, 2016 Share Posted September 7, 2016 What a great idea! I should try that with soy. Goldie 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moonstar Posted September 7, 2016 Share Posted September 7, 2016 such a great idea ?? now if I had done that, well let's just say it probably wouldn't of been such a success that you had lol ! I wish I was good at blending . I never quite know about ratios let us know how it turned out ! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest OldGlory Posted September 7, 2016 Share Posted September 7, 2016 I hope someone invents scratch and sniff internet soon. Wish I could smell that best ever laundry scent you concocted!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
heartsong Posted September 7, 2016 Author Share Posted September 7, 2016 (edited) Just gathered up all my autumn samples, like spiced apple, eggnog, gingerbread,etc and mixed it 50/50 with TC's OM&H...smells sooo good! Lye is cooling right now. Looking at it this way, instead of oodles of little bottles of nothing, I have at least a years worth of fragrance oils. The floral honeysuckle blend seems to be blooming in the mold...next time I'll use less...just did a 15 bar sample tray. (Milky way molds) The melon f/o's really smoothed the rough edges off the intense scent of the gardenia and other florals. Edited September 7, 2016 by heartsong 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
heartsong Posted September 7, 2016 Author Share Posted September 7, 2016 32 minutes ago, OldGlory said: I hope someone invents scratch and sniff internet soon. Wish I could smell that best ever laundry scent you concocted!! Me, too! My absolute favorite of the laundry scents is Country Clothesline by www.soapsupplies.net but I think all the other stuff I threw into it made it even better. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
heartsong Posted September 7, 2016 Author Share Posted September 7, 2016 37 minutes ago, Moonstar said: such a great idea ?? now if I had done that, well let's just say it probably wouldn't of been such a success that you had lol ! I wish I was good at blending . I never quite know about ratios let us know how it turned out ! I'm not a good blender, either...this was a desperate move on my part and for some odd reason it worked...and I got to incorporate about $200 of samples into workable batch scents so that all that money doesn't just sit there and go to waste. I'm toying with the outdoor/pine/earthy/woodsy/spiced pomegranite stuff now...haven't got it quite worked out yet... and another assortment of men's scents I'm scratching my head over. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moonstar Posted September 7, 2016 Share Posted September 7, 2016 Brilliant idea ! Let me know how that one comes out. You got me thinking about all of these sample size bottles I have, many are ok but I wouldn't order them again. Im really going to try to focus on being more disciplined - or try anyhow lol ! When I look back Ive really wasted a whole lot of $$ Many of the scents are very similar + just seems redundant . I already have some for sure favorites that I'll buy over n over - I guess I like classic. The customer base around here is pretty traditional + classic as well . One FO that I absolutely love and so do customers and family/friends is Fillmores Iced Lemon Biscotti - something about that one that I just love ! Thanks for posting this topic - its just what I needed 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TallTayl Posted September 7, 2016 Share Posted September 7, 2016 I do that once in a while with collections. It can be fun! As long as all are skin safe at normal usage rates it's all good. every year I get a wild hair to find the "best of" something. This year it was honeysuckle. Last year it was strawberry and peach. 20 something little bottles mocking me every time I look. My luck I would find the absolute best smelling blend and never be able to recreate it 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
heartsong Posted September 8, 2016 Author Share Posted September 8, 2016 19 minutes ago, TallTayl said: My luck I would find the absolute best smelling blend and never be able to recreate it My thoughts exactly! Well, we can just call those ones a "limited edition" scent and when its gone, it's gone...that may be enough incentive to the customer to boost sales! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GoldieMN Posted September 8, 2016 Share Posted September 8, 2016 23 minutes ago, Moonstar said: Brilliant idea ! Let me know how that one comes out. You got me thinking about all of these sample size bottles I have, many are ok but I wouldn't order them again. Im really going to try to focus on being more disciplined - or try anyhow lol ! When I look back Ive really wasted a whole lot of $$ Many of the scents are very similar + just seems redundant . I already have some for sure favorites that I'll buy over n over - I guess I like classic. The customer base around here is pretty traditional + classic as well . One FO that I absolutely love and so do customers and family/friends is Fillmores Iced Lemon Biscotti - something about that one that I just love ! Thanks for posting this topic - its just what I needed Iced Lemon Biscotti is a favorite of mine as well many customers. One person realized that she had no Asian ladybugs in her house this year due to having the lemon tarts melting in a warmer. For those living more in the country, they can get really bad around here as they had in the past for her. I won't even try another lemon; don't need to. Goldie 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GoldieMN Posted September 8, 2016 Share Posted September 8, 2016 4 minutes ago, heartsong said: My thoughts exactly! Well, we can just call those ones a "limited edition" scent and when its gone, it's gone...that may be enough incentive to the customer to boost sales! Funny you should say that. I was thinking of having a holiday "limited edition" each year, not to be repeated next holiday. May have to do that with what I have left from Tennessee. Goldie 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moonstar Posted September 8, 2016 Share Posted September 8, 2016 8 minutes ago, GoldieMN said: Funny you should say that. I was thinking of having a holiday "limited edition" each year, not to be repeated next holiday. May have to do that with what I have left from Tennessee. Goldie Me + you had the same idea Im doing that with Tennessee's Pumpkin Pecan Waffle, I think I can replace the VBN - Ive heard rave reviews about WSP . SO even though its more pricey Im gonna give it a go + see what I think of it. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GoldieMN Posted September 8, 2016 Share Posted September 8, 2016 1 hour ago, Moonstar said: Me + you had the same idea Im doing that with Tennessee's Pumpkin Pecan Waffle, I think I can replace the VBN - Ive heard rave reviews about WSP . SO even though its more pricey Im gonna give it a go + see what I think of it. VBN? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moonshine Posted September 8, 2016 Share Posted September 8, 2016 What a wonderful idea!! i have hundreds of samples sitting here I won't incorporate in my line.....I just may have to try this and make candles in my colored Mason's I still have sitting around 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
heartsong Posted September 8, 2016 Author Share Posted September 8, 2016 Well I just cut my southern floral sample batch...it popped right out of the mold...the yellow mica came back about 80% with a pretty mauve/pink around the edges. I think I'll go with pink mica next time...scent has calmed down and a very pleasant non-perfumey floral, which I will name "Sweet Home Alabama." My guardian Angel was working overtime, for sure! Still tinkering with the woodsy/outdoors one, a masculine one and then this morning I discovered another stash of musk/nag champ/dragon's blood, etc and then a whole box full of vanillas. I think I have turned into a secret hoarder. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
heartsong Posted September 9, 2016 Author Share Posted September 9, 2016 On 9/7/2016 at 8:51 PM, GoldieMN said: VBN? I believe that would be Vanilla Bean Noel. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
heartsong Posted September 9, 2016 Author Share Posted September 9, 2016 My last day to soap before going back on the road...(*sigh!*) My 5 lb batches and 15-bar samples of "Laundry, " "Southern Blossoms," and "Sweet Apple Orchard" are cut, trimmed and drying. I blended 50/50 of WSP's Apples and Cinnamon with TC's OM&H and oh my, I love this scent!!!! The apples scent is right out in front, with a bit of sweet cream and just a small dab of cinnamon...Hubby likes it too. He says it smells like apple pie. I think I'll do a men's scent now...more bottles to sort through! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sponiebr Posted September 9, 2016 Share Posted September 9, 2016 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
heartsong Posted September 10, 2016 Author Share Posted September 10, 2016 (edited) 5 hours ago, Sponiebr said: Reverse trace is when your soap batter is beginning to thicken and you pour your fragrance oils in and the batter thins out and you have to stick blend to get it to thicken again...just the opposite of "soap on a stick" when adding the f/o and the batch immediately turns to concrete....been there, done that, too! Edited September 10, 2016 by heartsong 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sponiebr Posted September 10, 2016 Share Posted September 10, 2016 1 minute ago, heartsong said: Reverse trace is when your soap batter is beginning to thicken and you pour your fragrance oils in and the batter thins out and you have to stick blend to get it to thicken again...just the opposite of "soap on a stick" when adding the f/o and the batch immediately turns to concrete....ask me how I know! You don't happen to know of a reverse trace for pine tar soap do you? This is interesting. I hadn't heard of adding FO's or EO's after trace before, I just dump it all in at the same time, but I only make a couple of types of soap and only one with peppermint EO. The pine tar soap is the one I make with the peppermint, so I'm not worried that it will seize on me, I KNOW it is about 20 seconds away from seizing on me the instant the lye is in the fat. CP Pine tar soap is so stressful to make... I may be physically prepared, but I'm never truly mentally prepared for the 5 second dash for life that always happens... "What's that?? I can either make up some pine tar soap or go pick blackberrys naked? So... How many pounds of blackberries should I pick?" Adding the EO and FO after trace makes sense (scents?), becuase if anything went south with the batch (discoloration, ricing, breaking, reverse trace...) you could point it directly to the FO or EO. It would also allow you to play with different formulations and note which fragrances don't behave well... Well, thank you! I've learned 2 new things today! Slainte, Sponie 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TallTayl Posted September 10, 2016 Share Posted September 10, 2016 Sponie, give fir needle and/or folded orange and/or grapefruit eo a try. Long leaf pine eo also really draws out the trace process for me. I bet fir needle and orange would pair well with your pine tar, 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jcandleattic Posted September 10, 2016 Share Posted September 10, 2016 I LOVE blending - and this was the next blending adventure I was going to take. I'd love to smell yours, heartsong. I bet they smell divine! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sponiebr Posted September 10, 2016 Share Posted September 10, 2016 1 minute ago, TallTayl said: Sponie, give fir needle and/or folded orange and/or grapefruit eo a try. Long leaf pine eo also really draws out the trace process for me. I bet fir needle and orange would pair well with your pine tar, Awesome! I have MANY pine, fir, and spruce FO's on the way. It''s so weird that turpene would draw out the trace but the pryrolized source of the turpene causes it to seize... As I understand it lavendar can cause trace accelleration too? If that's the case, I can't seem to get my head around how one turpene does something, but another in the same class doesn't. I'll definately give it a go, thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TallTayl Posted September 10, 2016 Share Posted September 10, 2016 Not sure how the FO will work as compared to the EO, but worth a shot. The longest tracing EO I use is fir needle, followed by orange. one way I slow fast moving FO, like spices and florals, is lecithin. Not sure if it would help with pine tar. I have pine tar and one day should try these tricks out. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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