Using the Fragrance Calculator

Have you ever started to make a batch of soap and realized you didn’t know how much fragrance oil or essential oil to use? Figuring that out used to be an experimental process, and it didn’t always turn out so well. It’s frustrating to add too much of an expensive essential oil or not enough fragrance oil and end up with a beautiful but unscented bar of soap. Knowing how much to add can save you both time and money.

One of the best features on the Bramble Berry site is the Fragrance Calculator. It’s a handy tool that takes the guesswork out of soaping and gives you complete control over your recipes. Read on to learn how to make the Fragrance Calculator work for you.

ONE: Open the Bramble Berry Fragrance Calculator. It's on the homepage, as well as the calculator icon in the top right-hand corner. The calculator has options for lotion, liquid soap, cold process soap, melt and pour soap, salts and scrubs, rebatch soap, candles, and shampoo and conditioner.

TWO: Start by typing in the fragrance you’re using and then click “Next.” In this example we’re using Moonstone Fragrance Oil.

THREE: Select what you’re making, the weight, and the unit of measurement. When making cold process, enter the total weight of your soap, including oils, liquid, and lye. Our example is 16 ounces of cold process soap. Click “Next.”

FOUR: The results section gives you the recommendations for a light, medium, or strong scent in ounces and grams. You can change the scent, project, or weight by clicking the “Edit” buttons in sections 1 and 2. At the bottom there are options to buy the oil, print the recipe, or start over. There's also an exciting new feature - you can add your recipe to your favorites and refer back to it whenever you like. Just click the heart icon in the top right-hand corner.

Finding out how much fragrance or essential oil you need is really that simple. You can also use the calculator to create custom blends. Find the general recommended amounts for various products below - they are medium strength.

Essential Oils:
Cold Process Soap: 0.7 ounces per pound
Melt and Pour Soap: 0.3 ounces per pound
Rebatch Soap: 0.4 ounces per pound
Lotion: 0.2 ounces per pound
Liquid Soap: 0.2 ounces per pound
Salts and Scrubs: 0.3 ounces per pound
Candles: 0.8 ounces per pound
Shampoo and Conditioner: 0.2 ounces per pound

Fragrance Oils:
Cold Process Soap: 0.7 ounces per pound
Melt and Pour Soap: 0.3 ounces per pound
Rebatch Soap: 0.4 ounces per pound
Lotion: 0.2 ounces per pound
Liquid Soap: 0.2 ounces per pound
Salts and Scrubs: 0.3 ounces per pound
Candles: 0.8 ounces per pound
Shampoo and Conditioner: 0.2 ounces per pound

Some fragrance and essential oils are light or exceedingly strong in soap, so you can always use a little more or a little less to your preference. For instance, English Rose Fragrance Oil is very strong, so you don’t need to use a full 0.7 ounces per pound of soap to get a strong scent. Always adjust to your personal preference.