Fresholi | Melting Pot Café

I've not long started making bath bombs, lip balms, truffles... a bit scared of soap but I'm sure I'll have a bash sometime  8)
I really do need some help with eo though. I have read lots about how careful you have to be, ensuring % and making sure you don't kill anyone with lavender. Seriously I've let all the warnings get on top of me because I don't know how to make things safe. What, for example is a safe limit for a batch of bath bombs (500 bicarb, 250g citric acid) Is it a max 2.5%? And how do you work out 2% of dry ingredients as a liquid, especially when the amounts are so small?!!!!!!

Sigh. It is so stressful I have been avoiding using them as much as poss, and that is just bland  ::)

Oh, and I'm happy to join you all, hope you don't mind me jumping in with this question!

Hello there.

2.5% for bathbombs is fine (some Assessors say 2% some say 3% max) - except for a few:

Benzoin - some Assessors limit this to 0.5%
Bergamot - limit by some 0.5%
Cinnamon leaf - 0.5%
Ho leaf - 0.5%
Citrus oils - limit to 2%
but Lime - 0.5%

Some will insist on basil being "methyl eugenol almost entirely removed"

Rose is debatable (except for Aromatherapists)

There are are some banned EOs - but you probably won't have any of those.

If you don't have jewellwers' scales which measure in 0.1 or 0.01 gram then reckon on 20 - 25 drops of EO per gram.

You'll find info on EOs on the main Fresholi site here (http://www.fresholi.co.uk/index.php?option=com_content&task=category&sectionid=6&id=49&Itemid=76)

It doesn't matter is the ingredients are liquid or dry as you are working with weight. So 2% of 100g is always 2g, regardless of whether you are working out how much dry ingredient or liquid ingredient.
As EJ has said, to weigh a small amount of an eo you need scales that work in small increments. I use a syringe to extract the eo from the bottle so I can control the amount easily (as opposed to pouring straight from a bottle!)

You will find loads of information about essential oils here and if there is anything you are unsure of, don't be afraid to ask.

You won't kill anyone using lavender eo in a bath bomb ;)

But you do need to know about skin irritants, sensitivity and photo toxicity :)

Following on from ShaSha, read up on precautions on eo's. Check the contra-indications, especially for leave-on products. Start with the most commonly used ones and keep it to simple blends. There is great info here, there is some great info on the net too, but some of it (actually alot) will be contradictory, so anything you're not sure about, just ask.

Eire

I'd echo what the others have said. I'm relatively new to eos too, just make sure you do your research and start simple. I'm using mostly single oils in my products for launch. Easier for labelling if your planning to sell too  ;)

A very warm welcome to the forum  :buttrf:

I can only reflect what others have said (and said so well).  Respect for EO's is healthy and wise but don't be afraid of them.  Honestly, you can't read enough about them (very often you will get conflicting information so lots of reading will help you to draw your own conclusions).  The main thing is, enjoy them  ;)

Wow you guys are fast!  :o And with exactly what I need, especially elainej ...
I think my problem is that I've read a lot of this conflicting views and its left me very confused and a bit scared  :-\ I reckoned that if I knew the actual % and understand the whole dry/liquid doodaa I could work it out = confidence!
Shasha, does that mean that 1ml= 1g? That sounds logical, but surely some liquid are heavier than others?
What's the problem with Rose eo? I've seen it in a lot of blends, must admit I'm a surprised convert!
Thanks for responding everyone, you sure do make a gal feel welcome!  :buttrf:

Ditto all the above.  Bergamot for example can cause photosensitivity. 

It does make me wonder how anyone could make a suntan oil with Bergamot.  (I don't suppose any of you are old enough to remember).  Can't remember what it was called, but Mum took it to Spain with us one year, and it is only time I came anywhere near burning!  Actually, it is the only time I have ever used sun "protection."

Suzanne, bergamot FCF is not phototoxic.  It is also worth noting that distilled lime isn't either (but the expressed lime oil is)  ;)

WG, it is wise to always weigh your EO's.  It is more precise  :)

Hi walnutgrove, nice to see you here. I only really started using eo's about 6 months ago, there's a lot to learn, and one day I will blend them with confidence. Lots of reading & lots of trials are key.
Hope you enjoy it here  ;D

No, not necessarily.

All my recipes are in %. I work out how much I want to make altogether, then work out and write down how much of everything I need eg if a recipe calls for 2% eo and I'm making 2kg, I need 40g of eo. Even though eos may come in bottles measured in mls or L I always weigh them. So even if I was just making 200grams, and only needed 4g of eo, I would weigh it.

It doesn't matter that you are mixing liquids and dry ingredients. If you bake a lot you might be used to weighing some things and measuring others, which is where the confusion might lie, but you need to put all that aside and see everything as WEIGHT.  :)

Biz Puin, I used to tan beautifully (but in the UK).

That's the one!

Helen, glad to be put right, especially as I like Bergamot.  Thank you.