Strawberry Ice Cream Soap

Yep, that is what it smells like. That strawberry Ice cream you used to get in those cups with the wooden spoons. This one is not a hemp oil. So it is good for all skin types. We will see if the FO holds.

So, what is the difference between and FO (fragrance oil) and an EO (essential oil)?

Well first there is the process by which they are made Essential oils are always extracted directly from the plant. So if you are using say a soap with Mint EO it was distilled from mint. This is important to know if you have allergies. Also be aware that many plants will irritate the skin in a concentrated form. That is what an EO is.

Next is an FO Or fragrance oil. There are a few ways to make these. but all of them involve a using a carrier oil. Most common is to mix EOs and synthetic fragrances. Some FO's are as much as 80% EO's most are not. The big difference is that an EO will remain the same over time. An FO's scent can go off. What smelled like chocolate might now smell like vanilla or worse rancid oil.

Also not all oils are created equally. There is what is called the flash point of an oil. In soap making it is the temperature at which a scent burns off. Orange is has a very low flash point. Most orange soaps as a result are hand milled.

I had a horrible time with almond scents until i found that almond oil is high in acid. Even in a scent it would halt or even reverse the saponification. It puzzled me because Almond oil is used in some soap bases. Many almond scented soaps as a result are also hand milled.

Usually I use essential oils in soap so we shall see how this scent holds. If it holds - good. If not, I can always hand mill it or sell it as pink lightly scented.