Stephanie Posted November 30, 2005 Share Posted November 30, 2005 I apologize if this has been asked a thousand times. I'm totally new to the B&B world and I've been reading and searching and I haven't come across it yet - is it better to use EO rather than FO in your bath products (linen sprays, foot scrubs, bath melts, etc.)? EOs just seem so expensive so I'm a bit intimidated to start testing with them. And, if EOs are the way to go, how long does 1 oz last? Thanks for any advice! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carrie Posted December 1, 2005 Share Posted December 1, 2005 Stephanie, You have a ton of research ahead of you before you start to use eo's. They are all great and natural, but the other side of that natural part is they can be quite dangerous. Every EO that you use must be researched for it's benefits and it's dangers.Some eo's can be used by pregnant women, others cannot. Some on children other not. I personally can't use star anise eo because it is bad for women with certain medical conditions. Please, please do your research before you begin to use eo's. You won't be sorry. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sarah Posted December 1, 2005 Share Posted December 1, 2005 you should be able to find a list of eo's that are safe to use in bath products pretty easily.as far as which is better? it's completely a matter of opinion and what sells in your area. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RobinInOR Posted December 1, 2005 Share Posted December 1, 2005 They are right, there is no easy answer. Our answers might not be right for you. It's like asking a large group of chandlers "whats better paraffin or soy" EOs can have dramatic skin benefits, and they can harm you. Do you want to use them just for smell, like an FO? People new to EOs tend to use them at the same concentration as an FO, and that can be dangerous in a B&B product. For example - wintergreen EO is a wonderful smell. Why wouldn't you want to use it in a product?What % of peppermint EO will start to give you tingly feelings, or start to feel burning? Would you use it on a face product?There's lots of good info out there, and a *lot* of bad. Many times you'll see negative effects for an EO that are really meant for the ingestion of the EO straight or even the herb itself - it's hard to sort out.B&B is like candles although more so - there *should* be a lot of testing involved to make sure there aren't any skin reactions to product. Then again, B&B is like candles - lots of people just make up recipes and give/sell the product w/o testing.FOs are designed to be safe for skin - they follow all the IFRA percent and safety guidelines. FOs can include EOs in their makeup, and frequently do, but they are at such a small % usually that the skin benefits just aren't there. You still get lots of people that are sensitive to fragrances, but they have a bit of safety built in to them if you use them at the proper %.I use both. In soap it's a bit easier since it's a washoff product. Anything that stays on the skin I usually use an EO if I'm going for benefit. When I used to do lotion bases though I used FOs cuz customers were mainly going for the smell. And my shea butter uses FO. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stephanie Posted December 1, 2005 Author Share Posted December 1, 2005 Thank you all for your responses. I was feeling overwhelmed with the choices - and rightly so. Fortunately, I love to do research, so it looks like I'll be busy for a while. Can you point me to any informative websites to get started? I have a few bookmarked, but would love any recommendations. Thanks again! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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