Teach Soap

I'm looking for a reliable resource (preferably a manufacturer) that provides the safe max usage rate for essential oils, primarily when used in lip products. Emphasis on safe, since BB's fragrance calculator can help when you're figuring out how much to use for scent strength, but not for safety.

To clarify a little: last month, I spoke to BB asking how to find the safe usage rate for EOs in lip balm. I was told to use the fragrance calculator, look up lotion and use the low recommendation. This made sense, but when I made test batches with about 10 different oils, most of them had no detectable fragrance. I called back and Tina re-advised me that I could use up to 2.5 ml per 4 oz on most oils---almost 5x what the fragrance calculator recommended. So, while I LOVE BB customer service, I just wanted to point out that they don't have a consistent, reliable source for lip safe EO usage rates. Liability and my customer's experience are both very important to me, so I don't want to take any chances.

I've been looking at WSP, my back-up vendor for EOs, and they do have the usage rates. But plenty of them don't make sense. Like the recommended rate of 17% for grapefruit EO in lip products.

http://www.wholesalesuppliesplus.com/Pr ... 5+Pure+706

As you probably all know, grapefruit is a photosynthesizing oil and not safe for lips... so now I can't really trust WSP either.

I'm hoping that the soapers here might have another reliable resource that I can look to for this? I just want to find the lip-safe usage rates, maybe even information like acidity or pH so I can get a feel for the chemical properties of various oils and what makes them safe/not safe. Not looking for the answer for a specific batch right now, I'm just forming a database for my own reference.

Thank you all! And sorry for the ramble... this is how my posts usually go

You may want to get a book or two about essential oils, maybe check your local library, they may have some. Or see if there are any classes in your area. With all the misinformation about essential oils on the internet, it would be very hard to find out what's real or not.

I'm surprised that there are any suppliers that give info about essential oils in lip balms. I've heard most will not because of the posibility of ingestion.

As for the grapefruit safety thing, I've found some suppliers that say it's not safe & some that say it's safe at .3-1.5% I also saw a couple different places that stated that with essential oils, the photosensitivity depends on how the oil was extracted.

Good luck in your search.

_________________
Genny

I tend to follow IFRA guidelines, then do research on individual oils. I don't know of any reliable database that would give you an exact % for lip balms. The thing with essential oils is they tend to vary in constituents according to the country and soil the plant material was grown in, the climate, the altitude, how they were harvested and then extracted or stored. There are far too many variables to be able to create a database. Think of essential oils like fine wine; there are good years and not so good years.

_________________
Irena
Closed minds are like faulty parachutes; they refuse to open.

Thank you both, that's good information. I think I've pretty much exhausted all of the research that can be done online and will move on to literature. Going to check out BB for some recommended books.

I'll be sure to keep noting which manufacturer, lot number, etc. for each of my oils. Interesting that you compared it to wine, Irena! I hadn't thought of it that way, but it does make good sense.

If you want a good, professional read I would recommend Essential Oil Monographs Professional version by Martin Watt http://www.aromamedical.com/cdpage.html

_________________
Irena
Closed minds are like faulty parachutes; they refuse to open.

While I can't speak for WSP and their site or intentions for their information, they are a reputable vendor. I believe, looking their site, that they are going with IFRA safety usage levels which sometimes contradict the experienced-based aromatherapy recommendations. When it doubt, go with the lower amount. =)

_________________
Happy Soaping!

Anne-Marie
blog: www.soap-queen.blogspot.com
supplies: www.brambleberry.com