The most common type of question I get is about what are the “best” essential oils for soapmaking, how can you anchor the fragrance of essential oils in handmade soap, where to buy essential oils, the usage rates of essential oils for soapmaking, some blends to get a soapmaker started, and how do you create your own essential oil blends. I’m going to start off this series of blog posts about essential oils by tipping my hat to my top ten essential oils for soapmaking and some beginner essential oil blends using my recommended essential oils for soapmaking.
Want to dive deep and learn everything about using essential oils in soap and cosmetics in one place? Well, I wrote the book on that! Snag your copy of Smellgoods: How to Use & Blend Essential Oils in Handmade Soap & Skincare
I chose my top ten essential oils for soapmaking based on their versatility, cost, and availability. These essential oils can be found in a whole ton of my blends (blended with all sorts of other essential oils!), so I think they are the most useful to add to your supply inventory, whether you want to use them straight or in blends.
The cost and availability ranges, but you can pick and choose which essential oils to add to your arsenal based on your budget and supplier availability. Also, remember that cost varies widely based on the season and crop yields of any given year – what is affordable right now may not stay affordable a year down the line!
My Top Ten Essential Oils for Soapmaking
1. Lavender Essential Oil
There are thousands of varieties of lavender out there, and narrowing down which lavender essential oil to add to your supply cabinet will be a challenge in itself. A good choice for soapmaking is Lavender 40/42 Essential Oil or a Lavandin, such as Lavandin Grosso or Lavandin Abrialis, rather than a true Lavender.
Lavender 40/42 is standardized, so that it always smells the same, which makes it a good candidate for manufacturing. It smells more like an English Lavender, an herbaceous floral with a balsamic undertone (it’s less floral than a Bulgarian Lavender.)
- Current Cost: Moderate; $40 to $100 per pound, depending on supplier and variety
- Availability: Can be found at most soapmaking suppliers as well as essential oil distillers & suppliers
- Blends well with: Just about anything! Lavender will pair well with any of the other top ten recommended essential oils for soapmaking.
2. Rosemary Essential Oil
As with any other variety of essential oil, there are a large number of varieties of rosemary. Each one has it’s own scent profile, ranging from more herbaceous and camphorous to more woody and resinous. I prefer Spanish Rosemary as it’s more camphorous, but Moroccan Rosemary is also a popular choice due to it’s more woody and herbal aroma.
- Current Cost: Low to Moderate; $35 to $60 per pound, depending on supplier and variety
- Availability: Can be found at most soapmaking suppliers as well as essential oil distillers & suppliers
- Blends well with: Many citruses, herbal scents, and woody varieties. Try blending it with bergamot, cedarwood, lavender, lemon, orange, patchouli, and peppermint.
3. Folded Lemon Essential Oil
Lemon essential oil smells just like the fruit itself, with a bright, cheery, and slightly tart aroma. Folded varieties (as indicated by the prefix 5 Fold, 10x, etc.) are better for soapmaking and have stronger sticking power in blends that are exposed to the saponification process. You will want to use steam distilled lemon essential oil for leave-on products, due to photosensitivity, but cold pressed smells much better.
- Current Cost: Low to Moderate; $25 to $100 per pound, depending on supplier and variety
- Availability: Can be found at most soapmaking suppliers as well as essential oil distillers & suppliers
- Blends well with: Other citrus essential oils, as well as most other essential oils to bring a sparkling top note.
4. Cedarwood Essential Oil
Cedarwood varieties range from woody and sweet to dry and smoky. My favorite varieties of cedarwood are Atlas, Himalayan, and Virginian. Not all cedarwood essential oils are actually cedar varieties, and some are from the juniper family, but all cedarwood varieties can add a wonderful dry and woodsy base note to blends.
- Current Cost: Low; $15 to $40 per pound, depending on supplier and variety
- Availability: Can be found at most soapmaking suppliers as well as essential oil distillers & suppliers
- Blends well with: Most herbal and citrus essential oils. Try it out with bergamot, clary sage, lavender, and rosemary.
5. Dark Patchouli Essential Oil
Patchouli usually evokes a love or hate feeling from soapmakers, but it can’t be denied that it’s fabulous blender whether you love it or hate it! Patchouli essential oil is a warm, earthy, musky, and somewhat sweet aroma. I personally prefer Dark Patchouli over Light Patchouli, as it’s more rich in scent. Unlike many other essential oils, patchouli gets better with age, and aged varieties tend to go for a premium.
- Current Cost: Moderate; $45 to $100 per pound, depending on supplier and variety
- Availability: Can be found at a few soapmaking suppliers as well as essential oil distillers & suppliers
- Blends well with: Some citrus essential oils, as well as many floral and herbal essential oils. Try it with orange, lavender, clary sage, rosemary, and spices, such as cinnamon or clove.
6. Clary Sage Essential Oil
Clary sage is a robust and unique scent, which is why it makes my top ten list of essential oils for soapmaking. It can be described as mostly herbal and floral, with slight earthy, fruity, and sweet notes. I personally prefer the Bulgarian variety, but I haven’t met a clary sage I didn’t like!
- Current Cost: High; $100 to $200 per pound, depending on supplier and variety
- Availability: Can be found at very few soapmaking suppliers as well as essential oil distillers & suppliers
- Blends well with: Most citrus and herbal essential oils, as well as many woodsy varieties. Try it with bergamot, cedarwood, lavender, lemon, orange, patchouli, and ylang-ylang.
7. Folded Sweet Orange Essential Oil
Like lemon essential oil, sweet orange essential oil smells just like the fruit itself, with a juicy and sweet aroma. Folded varieties (as indicated by the prefix 5 Fold, 10x, etc.) are better for soapmaking and have stronger sticking power in blends that are exposed to the saponification process. You will want to use sweet orange essential oil, rather than bitter orange essential oil, due to photosensitivity.
- Current Cost: Low; $10 to $25 per pound, depending on supplier and variety
- Availability: Can be found at most soapmaking suppliers as well as essential oil distillers & suppliers
- Blends well with: Other citrus essential oils, as well as most other essential oils to bring a juicy and sweet note. Try it with any other recommended essential oils for soapmaking!
8. Peppermint Essential Oil
Different varieties of peppermint range in sweetness and sharpness that you know and expect from a peppermint. While the minty sweetness usually stumps soapmakers new to blending, it can often add an unexpected twist to blends.
- Current Cost: Moderate; $35 to $60 per pound, depending on supplier and variety
- Availability: Can be found at most soapmaking suppliers as well as essential oil distillers & suppliers
- Blends well with: Citrus and minty/camphorous essential oils, as well as herbal and some woodsy essential oils. Try it with bergamot, cedarwood, lemon, lavender, rosemary, tea tree, and evergreen/woodsy essential oils like pine or fir.
9. Bergamot Essential Oil
Bergamot is unique in its citrus and slightly spicy floral scent profile, and works beautifully in blends. I prefer to use bergaptene-free bergamot essential oil, due to photosensitivity issues with bergaptene and its aroma.
- Current Cost: Moderate to High; $70 to $120 per pound, depending on supplier and variety
- Availability: Can be found at very few soapmaking suppliers as well as essential oil distillers & suppliers
- Blends well with: Most essential oils blend well with bergamot, where it can bring a warm spicy floral note to the table. Try it with any of the recommended essential oils for soapmaking!
10. Tea Tree Essential Oil
Tea tree is definitely not for everyone, due to its medicinal, sharp, and camphorous aroma, but many soapmakers swear by it in facial products. When you think of tea tree, you likely think of the Australian variety. However, lemon tea tree is also popular (and more expensive), bringing a more citrus and woodsy complexity to the classic scent.
- Current Cost: Moderate; $30 to $50 per pound, depending on supplier and variety
- Availability: Can be found at most soapmaking suppliers as well as essential oil distillers & suppliers
- Blends well with: Herbal, minty, and some citrus or spicy essential oils. Try it with bergamot, clary sage, lavender, lemon, orange, and rosemary.
Bonus: Litsea Cubeba Essential Oil
I just couldn’t finish this list without litsea cubeba, also known as may chang essential oil. Litsea cubeba essential oil has a beautiful citrus aroma with a more complex crisp grassy undertone and slight spice compared to other classic citruses. It’s quite similar to lemongrass without the heaviness. It works beautifully in blends with other citruses to give them more robust staying power in soapmaking.
- Current Cost: Low; $20 to $40 per pound, depending on supplier and variety
- Availability: Can be found at most soapmaking suppliers as well as essential oil distillers & suppliers
- Blends well with: Other citrus essential oils, as well as most other essential oils for soapmaking to bring a rounded citrus note.
Ready to blend up the top ten recommended essential oils for soapmaking?
As you probably noticed, most of theses essential oils work well together. With just ten or eleven essential oils, you have hundreds of possible blends at your fingertips.
Even if you start with blending the recommended essential oils for soapmaking with two essential oils evenly in a blend (1:1 ratio), you have fifty-five possible combinations!
Not feeling very inspired to start blending your own essential oil blends?
Here’s some starter essential oil blends using my recommended essential oils for soapmaking to get your creative juices flowing:
Smoothly Lemon Essential Oil Blend
- 50% Lemon Essential Oil
- 30% Rosemary Essential Oil
- 15% Cedarwood Essential Oil
- 5% Litsea Cubeba Essential Oil
Lavish Spa Essential Oil Blend
- 35% Peppermint Essential Oil
- 35% Lavender Essential Oil
- 20% Patchouli Essential Oil
- 10% Tea Tree Essential Oil
Citrus Breeze Essential Oil Blend
- 35% Tea Tree Essential Oil
- 35% Bergamot Essential Oil
- 25% Orange Essential Oil
- 5% Litsea Cubeba Essential Oil
Herbal Citrus Essential Oil Blend
- 35% Orange Essential Oil
- 25% Rosemary Essential
- 20% Lavender Essential Oil
- 15% Peppermint Essential Oil
- 5% Litsea Cubeba Essential Oil
Supernatural Essential Oil Blend
- 34% Clary Sage Essential Oil
- 32% Lemon Essential Oil
- 25% Lavender Essential Oil
- 5% Orange Essential Oil
- 4% Litsea Cubeba Essential Oil
Roots Essential Oil Blend
- 40% Lemon Essential Oil
- 21% Litsea Cubeba Essential Oil
- 20% Bergamot Essential Oil
- 19% Peppermint Essential Oil
Gentleman’s Lavender Essential Oil Blend
- 50% Lavender Essential Oil
- 20% Clary Sage Essential Oil
- 10% Orange Essential Oil
- 10% Patchouli Essential Oil
- 5% Cedarwood Essential Oil
- 5% Litsea Cubeba Essential Oil
Looking for more essential oil blends? Every tutorial and recipe that uses an essential oil blend is tagged, so you can find it easily! Or you can visit the EOCalc for essential blends from my personal formulary and submitted by the Modern Soapmaking community!
What are your favorite and most recommended essential oils? Leave a comment below and let me know!
Thanks for the good info. We are natural perfumers and new to the world of soapmaking and are finding ourselves limited in the EOs we can use because of their lower flashpoints (citrus in particular, also rosemary). For example, lavender EO contains both linalyl acetate that volatizes/disappears around 157.3 °F and linalool with a flashpoint of 131°F. Meaning, we lose all the linalool notes in lavender when we use it in our HP soap, because we can’t pour any colder 135°F. (We have given up on CP soap because it is too hard to navigate how a particular scent compound will react with the lye, and our tests were getting too pricey with the EOs we were using 🙂 Also, do you have experience with absolutes causing soap seize more than EO — is this because some of the solvent is still remaining?
Do you have any advice for us? Thanks for your time. – CC
Flashpoint is not the boiling or volatilizing point of oils. It’s the point at which the vapor can ignite and used for safety reasons. Your soap probably isn’t getting the scent because it is just being diluted or covered up. Sometimes other oils are needed to bring out all the scent, and overall this is what makes soap making complex in my opinion.
Hi Kenna!!
Great list!!! Question for you. I use all of these extensively in my soap except for the Clary Sage. I’ve seen soapers concerned about essential oils and pregnancy and this is one of the essential oils listed as not good for pregnant women to use. Do you have any information on that? Do you put a warning on your soap for pregnant women when you use it? Thanks!!!
Clary sage can cause contractions that’s why pregnant women should not use it. If they are full term go for it, it can make contractions stronger. It worked for me.
Thank you Kenna for sharing all your tricks and tips. As a new soap maker, the information you share is invaluable. My favorite Essential Oils to use is dragon’s blood, sage, jasmine dreams (E.O Blend), patchouli, sweet orange, and tranquil oasis (E.O. Blend. I am still learning, but eager to try new things.
i live io nigeria, pls how can i get my essensial oil made one
Hi Kenna, I was wondering, when you list Orange if you mean orange 5x or just regular orange?
Many thanks for giving us such a wonderful list of essential oil blends to try.
Oooh thankyou thankyou! I was having blenders block!! I have made soap for about three years then finally summoned the courage to open a wee tiny shop… being in France I found myself mixing lavander with everyhing!! Then day one…. 3 customrrs asked for lemony summery scents. Arrgh. I am now inspired and away to plan my weekend of soap making. Thanks again for your tireless efforts in giving back. ☺
HI! These combinations sound divine! I am so excited to try several of these. I am newer to soap making and I have a hard time judging how much total essential oil I should be putting into my batter. Your percentages are very helpful, but what is a good way to decide how much total oil I should have for a pretty standard size batch of soap?
I wrote about calculating essential oil usage rates over here: http://www.modernsoapmaking.com/essential-oil-usage-rates-ifra-guidelines/
Thanks fir your recipes – However for 1 lb of soap as an example – Houw much in ounces or drops do we add ?
this as example ::::
50% Lemon Essential Oil
30% Rosemary Essential Oil
15% Cedarwood Essential Oil
5% Litsea Cubeba Essential Oil
thanks !!
jules
Since these %s are divisible by 5, you can convert this recipe to “parts”. Then use your measure of choice (teaspoons, fl oz, oz wt., grams, mls.) to create the blend.
10 parts Lemon
6 parts Rosemary
3 parts Cedarwood
1 part Litsea Cubeba
There’s no “one size fits all” amount to add to the soap batch, but generally you can start with 1/2 oz PPO (per pound oils) and adjust from there.
Jules,
You can visit our EOCalc (eocalc.com) to determine safe usage rates for this blend.
Cee, while you are right there is no “one size fits all” amount, there is a safe maximum set IFRA that should be adhered to.
Hi Kenna,
Do you know of a good essential oil brand/wholesale company to buy from? I would like to make cold processed soap and want to make sure I’m using the right ingredients.
Thank you!
Priscilla
Camdengrey.com
Hi Kenna,
I am wanting to make an orange patchouli soap with 5 fold orange and dark patchouli. I have litsea I could anchor with, too, but I’m at a loss for how much of each to use. Any advice?
Katie, you can head over to the EOCalc for more info on safe usage rates and blend inspiration.
Hello Kenna ~ you have provided us with some great information. My question is how to calculate your percentages into number of drops for those of us who are simple melt and pour soap makers. I make soaps for holiday gifts.
Hey, Debra,
Regarding converting percentages into drops…we don’t. Drops are a very imprecise and inconsistent method for measuring essential oils. No matter what your are creating using essential oils, safety is a must. We always suggest adding your essential oils by weight. Check out our EOCalc to help you find the perfect usage rate for your projects and get even more blend inspiration!
VOLUME CONVERSION TABLE
20 drops = 1 ml
40 drops = 2 ml
60 drops = 3 ml
80 drops = 4 ml
100 drops = 5 ml = 1 teaspoon
300 drops = 15 ml = 1 tablespoon
600 drops = 30 ml = 1 fluid ounce
1 fluid ounce = 2 Tablespoons (liquid)
2 fluid ounces = 6 teaspoons (liquid)
3 teaspoons = 1 Tablespoon
3 teaspoons 1 = Tablespoon
Cee, we always recommend using weight measurements for essential oils. IFRA recommendations are given as a percentage of the total formula by weight.
Some oils are heavier than others, which is why measuring by drops don’t work.
The 1 oz -2 Tbsp doesn’t match in comparison to the
2 oz – 6 tsp( as 3 tsp is 1 Tbsp)
Hello, thank you for share with us!! I am new at soapmaking, and you know EO are expensive, I want to try some EO in my soaps, at the begining I was thinking not use them, but I notice that people love aroma in the soaps… so I want to ask for your recomendations of a range of EO not too expensive and easy to find on amazon, I am from Mexico and here I don´t know why but not like too much the kind of aroma on EO, so I found on amazon brands like Now Foods or Sun essential oils, do you recommend one in particular? Thank you for your help. Regards From Mexico.
Hey there, Aide,
Our guide on where to (and where not to) buy essential oils might be helpful to you. It looks like we don’t have any specifically in Mexico, but several of these suppliers should offer better value for you than the brands you mention on Amazon. Even if you don’t go with one of the suppliers mentioned, we will tell you how to evaluate other options!
Hope that helps!
I would like to know how much evening primrose essential oil fr 16onz of Shea mp soap base, what would blend nicely with it..
I’m new to soap making,these are for family.. I get totally confused with the amounts 5% .. shows I’m just learning.. thanks in advance
Hey, Geraldine,
Check in with your essential oil supplier to see what percentage of they recommend for wash off products when using the essential oil you’ve chosen. Also, check with your melt and pour supplier to see the total amount of additives the base can accept.
You are working with two different limits here: (1) the amount of essential oil that is safe to use in your product and (2) the amount that you can add to your base without causing issues with its integrity or effectiveness. Whichever percentage is lowest will be the maximum amount you can use. However, you may find the scent to be strong enough at a lower percentage.
You can also visit our EOcalc.com for blend inspiration.
Is the orange used in the above recipes 10x or 5x or sweet orange?
Carla, either is fine. However, as noted in the article, you do want to use a folded oil.
no geranium??!! geranium is a must..it blends well with just about everything on the list..and is indispensable for any soap maker. citrus oils are tough…dont hold their scents in cold process and problematic with seizing