When you take in the scents of handcrafted soaps (and other bath and body products), you can thank fragrance oils and essential oils for bringing green apple, lilacs in spring, and mango papaya to life. Many times, people mistaken the two kinds of oil as the same thing, but there are a few distinct differences that exist between fragrance oils and essential oils – all of which could affect the types of soaps you choose for your body.
What Are Fragrance Oils?
Fragrance oils (often referred to as perfume oils) are manmade reproductions of the scents they represent. A chemist analyzes plant components to create nearly any desired scent. The science involves careful formulations and blends to meet exact specifications. The synthetic nature of fragrance oils helps generate an unlimited number of scented soap selections – something an essential oil cannot. In addition to nearly any fruit, berry or flower fragrance, you can also enjoy the aroma of baked goods, baby powder, and even mountain rain. Since fragrance oils are not as volatile as essential oils – the scents last much longer.
What Are Essential Oils?
Essential oils are natural chemicals that come straight from a leaf, flower, berries, root, stem, or other parts of a plant. They’re not actually true oils, but instead – the liquid form of aromatic and volatile essences pertaining to the plant world. With these scents come potent chemicals that can produce psychological effects through our sense of smell called aromatherapy. For example, lavender is a scent used to calm the mind. Soaps made with essential oils are powerful and should be used with care, as some people with highly sensitive skin can suffer allergic reactions due to the natural chemicals found in the oils.
Magic Senses Soap
At Magic Senses, the majority of our soap is made with fragrance oils because we wish to protect any customers who are either pregnant or have very sensitive skin. When our fragrances are not brilliantly reproduced in a controlled and safe environment, we opt for essential oils in a few of our soaps, such as Peace of Patchouli, Lime Cooler, and Grapefruit. However, our glycerin soap descriptions clearly state whenever essential oils have been used.
We are also continuously testing different oils (essential and fragrance) to bring the best products to our customers. If we discover a more effective oil, we may replace our current selection and you’ll be the first to know.
