Teach Soap

Hi there..
I make CP soap with essential oils scents at .7 ppo. They smell great even after 5-6 weeks of curing, the scent is pretty strong, but after I shower I don't smell like anything. Is like, the scent completely washes off. I used to add .5 ppo of scent, but then they suggested going .7, but I doesn't make any difference at all. It's hard to believe that the scent of the soap which is very strong does not stay on my skin at all.. not even a little bit.

I remember when I used to buy store soaps, even the cheap ones, my skin would smell like whatever scent that store-bought was. Is there something I am missing?

I've tried several different essential oils from different brands... Lavender, Lemongrass which is pretty strong..you name it, it doesnt matter. The only one that has been able to stay on a little bit on my skin has been Patchouli...out of all the ones I have used, this is the ONLY scent that I can smell on my skin, even an hour or more after taking a shower.

my recipe is pretty basic..

45% olive oil
25% coconut oil
30% Palm oil
at 5% superfat ( I have also tried 6% & 7%)

Any suggestions would be appreciated. - thanks.

Commercial soap are usually milled. That means that the fragrance is added after the soap has been made with no heat involved.
Both cold process and hot process involves heat, which can make the scent fade.
Commercial soaps also have specially manufactured fragrances, which are not available to home crafters.
I prefer not to gel my soaps. I find that the scent tends to stick better.

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

So what do I need to do to not make them gel?
Also... but why do the soaps smell so strong?..it's not that the scent disappears...they do smell very strong, it just that the scent does not stay on my skin.

I soap with beeswax so both the temps of my oils and lye are just warmer then the temp of my hands. I would say it's right around 110 degrees.
After I pour, my soaps go in the fridge or the freezer; up to overnight.
Handmade soaps are not meant to leave a scent behind on your skin. They are a wash off product. They don't stay on the skin long enough.
Some do leave a light scent behind, some don't. It just really depends on the fragrance.

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

I've found that fragrances with a strong base note like patchouli or cedarwood tend to have more staying power on my skin.

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Linda
I know the voices in my head aren't real, but they sure have some great ideas!