Please HELP!! OT Flavor Oils Not Mixing

[TheWickedWick]

Somebody please help me before I scream!!! I'm trying to make lip balms. My recipe is 30% beeswax and 70% Jojoba Oil. I'm using Oregon Trails flavor oils (no sweetner) and they are just not mixing in. I've tried Pink Lemonade and Voodoo Berry. They are just floating around in my mixture and when I pour the leftovers into a little cup the oil is sinking to the bottom. I'm heating my balm mixture to around 135-140* and stirring and stirring and not matter how much I stir the flavor oils are just not incorporating.

What am I doing wrong? Please...this just shouldn't be this hard!!

Karen

Edited April 24, 2010 by TheWickedWick
forgot something..It's a 2 oz. batch and I'm adding 3 ml of flavor oil

[CareBear]

I'm sorry I can be no help except to say that it seems the flavors aren't oil soluble which would be just WRONG IMO.

I've run into that when I tried using alcohol or glycerin based candy flavors, but when I got lip balm flavors from good suppliers they were ALWAYS oil soluble.

[TheWickedWick]

Thanks CareBear...you're right...it's not right...these oils are formulated for lip balms and they should mix in without doing something special. I emailed Oregon Trails but they are closed on the weekend so I won't know anything until Monday or so.

If anyone has had this problem or knows some special something I should do, please let me know. They smell amazing and they have had good reviews on the scent review board. The only one I saw that had this type of problem was the Chai Tea flavor oil which I did not order because of this.

I only did two 2 oz batches so it's not a big loss but losing any amount of stock when you're on a tight budget is heartbreaking IMO.

[CareBear]

About a year ago we found that the flavor oils sold at New Directions were the same way. We brought it to their attention on their forum and now they have oil soluble ones.

Let me know what OT says.

Edited April 24, 2010 by CareBear

[Scented]

Wow, I use their pink lemonade and I don't have that problem, BUT ... I did have it with their vanilla cream or buttercream or whatever it was. No one else had the problem so I don't imagine it was rectified.

[TheWickedWick]

Okay..first of all I give high props to Oregon Trails and a lady there named Suz. She emailed me back last night and suggested that my using all Jojoba Oil in my recipe was the problem since Jojoba Oil is technically a wax. So I was using a wax and a wax (beeswax) in my formula therefore not allowing the oil soluable flavor oil to mix . She suggested I switch out the Jojoba with Sweet Almond or something of that nature and see how it did then.

Well, I made a small (2 oz. batch) again with the Pink Lemonade and wouldn't you know it.......IT WORKED!!. No oil pooling, everything was great.

Isn't that great????? And, what terrific customer service..even when they were closed someone was monitering emails and took the time to email me twice. Gotta love that type of thing since we seem to be in a generation of "customer NO service".

Just thought I would give a happy update

(:whistle:Betcha can't guess were I'll be ordering my flavor oils from)

Karen

[CareBear]

fantastic CS. I'd never have thought that would matter.

[Scented]

Suz is pretty good at responding. I do like most of their flavor oils too. Just wish the vanilla buttercream one would work for me, but it won't and I'm not willing to keep trying.

[TheWickedWick]

Scented...at least I know that's two scents not to try. I understand from the SRB people have had that problem with the Chai Tea. It's a shame..I would love a good Vanilla and Chai. Do you happen to know of any?

[Kitn]

that is good to know, I am glad you go it figured out.

[CareBear]

I've used the chai tea without difficulty. Not particularly fond of it, but it mixed in just fine. I don't juse jojoba tho.

[Scented]

Scented...at least I know that's two scents not to try. I understand from the SRB people have had that problem with the Chai Tea. It's a shame..I would love a good Vanilla and Chai. Do you happen to know of any?

Well going to tell you to take a look at Moonworks and WSP to see if they carry a chai. I have OTs, my formula includes jojo, but not a large % and if everything else mixes in with it, then I still say the buttercream or whatever it was ... is the problem.

As for vanilla ... well I'm going to try some I got from Camden Gray. Sorry, I've been so busy at my regular job that I just haven't had time to see how other things do. That should change here later in the week I hope. So I'll work on the Moonwork's flavors and the Camden Gray one too ... you can trust Abbie's reviews though too.