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homemade melt and pour mixing question

So I've mixed two melt and pour soaps before and had good results and was wondering, can you add AS to it for scent? I swear I remember someone saying that but can't find the thread. Any help here would be much appreciated.
Thanks!!
 
I have read that others have used aftershave in thier melt and pours. You could always pour a little test batch before you commit to it.
 
If you add too much AS, and excessive amount of alcohol could make the soap more drying to the skin, but small amounts of alcohol are often used in working with melt and pour soap - give it a try!
 
I haven't tried adding aftershave, but have tried several essential oils. Cedar, Lavender, and Juniper Berry are my personal favorites. I got the idea of Juniper Berry from one of those Outlander books where the main character scented some shaving soap with Juniper Berries. It's suprisingly good. Brambleberry markets a scent called "Shave and a Haircut" which is pretty good, too.
 
So how much AS to one deluxe pick? Or the larger luxury puck?
It's cheap but I'd rather not waste it...
 
I would second the idea of just using essential oil rather than aftershave. You would be talking a few drops of EO versus teaspoon or two of aftershave, and that much AS can hamper the emollients in the soap. experiment and report back!
 
I would second the idea of just using essential oil rather than aftershave. You would be talking a few drops of EO versus teaspoon or two of aftershave, and that much AS can hamper the emollients in the soap. experiment and report back!

I don't have any EOs.
 
i would second the idea of just using essential oil rather than aftershave. You would be talking a few drops of eo versus teaspoon or two of aftershave, and that much as can hamper the emollients in the soap. Experiment and report back!
this^ Go down to CVS or any drug or health store, they have all kinds of it in little bottles. Only need a few drops
 
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this^ Go down to CVS or any drug or health store, they have all kinds of it in little bottles. Only need a few drops

Wow I never knew. What aisle would find it? Like what would it be shelved with?
any ideas what oils to try? Some have more and different benefits other than scent?
also you said a few drops? I have ink sample vials that measure in ML. I use a calculator once on a site and it said approximately 2 ml for a vdh puck weight.
 
I was reading on mystic water's site that not all EO is equal. Meaning you have to get a certain kind that is "skin safe". He called it cosmetic grade.
how can you tell if it's safe or not?
 
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It's "she" not "he", actually. :wink2: Every essential oils is different, some are skin safe and some aren't, some are safe at low percentages, others should be avoided by women in pregnancy - it has nothing to do with a brand or type. There are cosmetic grade fragrance oils, which are artificial scents that have been tested for use in skin care products, as opposed to ones that are only for candles. But even those have to be used at safe levels, in accordance with the manufacturer's guidelines.

Before using essential oils, do some reading so you don't end up ruining your soap and worse, getting a skin irritation. There's some good information on the web: http://www.aromaweb.com/articles/safety.asp
Bear in mind that there's a lot of bad advice on the internet as well, so I recommend looking up safety data on individual oils.
 
I was reading on mystic water's site that not all EO is equal. Meaning you have to get a certain kind that is "skin safe". He called it cosmetic grade.
how can you tell if it's safe or not?
Bought mine in the cosmetic area of the store right next to bar soap with EO in them. Even have list of different oils you can add together for that certain smell or wake up call your after.. Try CVS and if you can't find the boxed little bottles of different EO's I'm sure the person in cosmetics could take you right to them! Like I said they have many soaps the have the same EO brand that they sell by itself so no problems and I've used them in glycerin & unscented witch hazel with great results...
 
Yes, I've done this with 3 of my VDH soaps. You can use aftershave, essential oils, or cologne/perfume.
So far, I've made:

VDH + YSL - L'Homme
VDH + Thierry Mugler - Angel Men
CDH + Old Spice
 
Yes, I've done this with 3 of my VDH soaps. You can use aftershave, essential oils, or cologne/perfume.
So far, I've made:

VDH + YSL - L'Homme
VDH + Thierry Mugler - Angel Men
CDH + Old Spice

How much AS to which vdh?
What I mean is that deluxe is smaller weight.
 
How much AS to which vdh?
What I mean is that deluxe is smaller weight.

I used the Deluxe for all of those. You'll want to add a generous amount. VDH has a relatively mellow fragrance, so no need to go crazy with the AS.
With the fragrances, I used about 2-4ml's. That made a strong smelling soap. YMMV.
 
I used the Deluxe for all of those. You'll want to add a generous amount. VDH has a relatively mellow fragrance, so no need to go crazy with the AS.
With the fragrances, I used about 2-4ml's. That made a strong smelling soap. YMMV.

K. That's a wide window lol. I assume that the variation was for the different strengths of the different ***?
 
K. That's a wide window lol. I assume that the variation was for the different strengths of the different ***?

You are correct my good sir. Unfortunately, it is hard to tell how much you will need. Some fragrances are more potent (i.e. Angel Man is far more potent than L'homme, so I had to use less).
Your best bet would be to have a vial of the fragrance, melt your soap, drop about .5ml's into the melted soap, stir and smell. If it seems too mellow for your liking, keep adding until you get it where you want it.

2 things to note:
1) The scent of hot, melted soap, mixed with the fragrance differs from the sent of a cooled down soap, mixed with a fragrance. I've noticed that the hotter it is, the stronger the scent. Once it cools down, the scent should smell "weaker."
2) The more AS/cologne/perfume you add, the more alcohol you introduce to the mix. This also means the more "alcohol-y" your soap will smell, so be careful when adding a fragrance.
 
You are correct my good sir. Unfortunately, it is hard to tell how much you will need. Some fragrances are more potent (i.e. Angel Man is far more potent than L'homme, so I had to use less).
Your best bet would be to have a vial of the fragrance, melt your soap, drop about .5ml's into the melted soap, stir and smell. If it seems too mellow for your liking, keep adding until you get it where you want it.

2 things to note:
1) The scent of hot, melted soap, mixed with the fragrance differs from the sent of a cooled down soap, mixed with a fragrance. I've noticed that the hotter it is, the stronger the scent. Once it cools down, the scent should smell "weaker."
2) The more AS/cologne/perfume you add, the more alcohol you introduce to the mix. This also means the more "alcohol-y" your soap will smell, so be careful when adding a fragrance.

Awesome. Thanks.
 
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