Fragrance Solubilization and Longevity in Liquid Soap/Shampoo

It sounds like you're experiencing common challenges when incorporating fragrance into surfactant-based systems like liquid soap or shampoo, specifically related to maintaining clarity and viscosity, and ensuring the scent lasts. The fixatives you tried previously might not have been fully compatible with your base, leading to the issues you observed.

To address these points, you can consider using a dedicated fragrance solubilizer and specific ingredients or services designed for fragrance longevity in wash-off products.

Fragrance Solubilizer

To properly incorporate the fragrance into your formula and prevent cloudiness or separation, a good fragrance solubilizer is essential.

• Flora Solve™ Clear is a suitable option for solubilizing fragrance oils and essential oils in water-based systems without needing alcohol. It helps create clear, stable micro-emulsions.
  • How to use: First, mix the fragrance oil with Flora Solve™ Clear at a ratio of 1 part fragrance to 2-5 parts Flora Solve™ Clear (start with 2-3 parts and increase if needed for clarity, as some fragrances require more). Stir or blend this mixture well until clear. Then, slowly add this pre-mixed blend to your main soap/shampoo base while stirring. This method helps ensure the fragrance is properly dispersed and solubilized before interacting with the full formula.

Fragrance Longevity (Fixatives)

To help the fragrance scent last longer in a wash-off product like soap or shampoo, you can use a fragrance fixative or consider encapsulation technology.

• Encap Shampoo (Note: The name is misleading; it is a fragrance fixative, not an encapsulation product) is an ingredient (chemically known as 2-tert-butylcyclohexyl acetate) that can help prolong the life of other fragrances.
  • How to use: You can add this fixative to your fragrance oil blend before mixing it with the solubilizer. A typical usage rate is around 0.1% in the final formula.
• AromaLock™ is a fragrance encapsulation service. This process turns your fragrance into a water-soluble powder where the scent is released over time or upon friction.
  • Benefit: Encapsulated fragrances are particularly effective in wash-off products like shampoos and body washes because the encapsulation helps the scent adhere better to the skin or hair and protects it from being washed away immediately.
  • How to use: You would need to use this service to encapsulate your chosen fragrance. The resulting powder can then be added to your formula. Encapsulated fragrances can often be used at slightly higher percentages (e.g., up to 3% in a shampoo base like SweetWash™ Hair mentioned in our product range) compared to regular fragrance oils to achieve a stronger, longer-lasting scent.

By using a dedicated solubilizer like Flora Solve™ Clear and incorporating a fixative like Encap Shampoo or utilizing the AromaLock™ encapsulation service, you should be able to improve both the clarity/stability and the longevity of the fragrance in your liquid soap/shampoo formula. Remember to always pre-mix the fragrance with the solubilizer before adding to the main base.