๐ Why does soap darken or how to "defeat" the vanilla component in fragrances?
Vanilla is a frequent guest in fragrances. It is not only present in "delicious" scents but can also be found in fruity and perfume compositions.
๐ฟ Why do we care about the presence of the vanilla component in fragrances? Because vanilla darkens when exposed to light and oxygen. Along with such a fragrance, the finished product changes color: both soap and cosmetics.
๐ก How to determine the presence of a vanilla component in a fragrance? American fragrance manufacturers directly indicate the percentage of vanilla, which we always specify in the description.
๐ Other manufacturers may indicate the percentage of vanilla, but more often than not, they do not, citing it as a trade secret. What to do? If you do not want a change in color, use a vanilla stabilizer. It really works.
๐ฉโ๐ฌ How to use vanilla stabilizer?
Proportions:
- If the percentage of vanilla is less than 10%, mix 2 parts fragrance with 1 part stabilizer.
- If the percentage of vanilla is greater than 10%, mix in a 1:1 ratio.
Mix the fragrance and stabilizer in a separate container and wait 2-3 minutes before adding to the total mass. This mixture (fragrance-stabilizer) should be used within 15 minutes. Do not pre-mix!
๐งช It is necessary to work with vanilla stabilizer wearing protective mask!
๐ ๏ธ Some types of soap bases are already stabilized for vanilla. For example, English Forbury base withstands up to 3% vanilla in fragrance, Stephenson - slightly less, 2%. That is, if there is not much vanilla in the fragrance, you will not notice a change in color. But if the percentage of vanilla is high, darkening will occur.
๐ค If you do not want additional "chemistry" in products in the form of vanilla stabilizer but want to use vanilla fragrance, here are a few options! Just keep this feature in mind.
๐จ Who is forewarned is forearmed! Knowing the end result, you can leave your cosmetic product uncolored, and over time, it will acquire a color from creamy to dark brown. If you are making layered soap, simply do not add vanilla fragrance to the light layer or do not scent it at all.