Teach Soap

Has any one had issues with their aloe spritzer having an odor? I have been experimenting with fragrence oils in spritzers and can't seem to get passed the overall odor of the product to get my scents to transfer. I started with 1-2% in a 2oz aloe, 2oz witch hazel and 3 oz water, but as the mixture sits the overall aloe smell comes out way too strong. What is good in the bottle as far as when i make it is quickly disappearing as time moves by. It may be my overall recipe. ultimately I need to throw in some preservative as well, as I am afraid the water might be introducing bateria over time.... Any thoughts?

Aloe shouldn't smell. I use 10x concentrate (known as C6090) and that has hardly any odour at all.

The aloe & water are a breeding ground for bacteria, so that spray could definitely benefit from a preservative. It doesn't take as long as you might think for the bacteria to start growing in there.

In the bottle is your fo & the rest of the mixture separating? If so, that's probably why you're not smelling much of the fo. Waters & oil don't mix, so using something like polysorbate 20 would help the fo mix in your formula.

I'm allergic to aloe & haven't been around it in over a dozen years or so, but I don't remember aloe having much of a smell. So if your spray has a smell that isn't the fo, it could be that your spray has gone bad.

_________________
Genny

Aloe has a very very light botanical aroma. I suspect what you are smelling is bacteria or mold.

_________________
~~Heather~~
Mad [soaping] Scientist

The weird thing is I made 1 batch...6 bottles for different fo's. In some the odor is different... There is definely a reaction occuring. With a preservative, I've seen Germaben II used, but I've read this isn't a good option... ideas?

I'm not sure why Germaben II wouldn't be a good idea in this case, unless you decide to add polysorbate. Polysorbate 20 & 80 can deactivate Germaben II.
Optiphen ND or Optiphen Plus would work in a water based spritzer.

_________________
Genny

I'd probably go with optiphen.

The differences between the scents could be as easy as different components in the fragrances effecting which bacteria/mold will grow and at which rate.

_________________
~~Heather~~
Mad [soaping] Scientist