This chart reflects how essential oils behave in soap, especially cold process, after saponification and cure. Top Notes (Fade Fast in Soap) Light molecules. Smell bright at pour, often faint after cure unless anchored. Sweet Orange Lemon (steam distilled) Lime (steam distilled) Bergamot FCF Grapefruit (FCF) Eucalyptus (globulus, radiata) Peppermint Spearmint Soap reality: These usually fade the most. Best used with a middle or base note to help them last. Middle Notes (Soap Workhorses) Moderate volatility. These form the core scent of most soaps. Lavender Rosemary Geranium Clary Sage Cypress Tea Tree Juniper Berry Cardamom Soap reality: Middle notes survive cure better and give structure to a blend. Many “single EO” soaps rely on these. Base Notes (Anchors in Soap) Heavy molecules. Evaporate slowly and help hold other scents. Patchouli Vetiver Cedarwood (Atlas, Virginian) Sandalwood (true or sustainable alternatives) Benzoin (resinoid) Amyris Frankincense (resin-rich types hold better) Soap reality: Even a small amount can dramatically improve scent longevity in CP soap. Important Soapmaking Clarifications Note category does NOT change with percentage Using more lavender doesn’t make it a base note — it stays a middle note. Ratios affect dominance, not chemistry A 60/40 blend only changes what your nose notices first. Soap is harsh on scent Heat, alkalinity, and long cure times mean some oils behave very differently than in candles or perfumes. Balanced blends last longer Top + middle + base usually outlast single-note or top-heavy blends. Example (Soap Context) Lavender + Rosemary Lavender = middle note Rosemary = middle note No matter the ratio, this is a middle–middle blend. It will smell lovely but may benefit from a small base note if longevity is important. Safety reminder (non-negotiable): Always calculate usage rates for soap and IFRA categories. Understanding scent structure helps blending — it never replaces EO safety calculations.

This comes up a lot in soapmaking groups, and it’s often misunderstood. Top, middle, and base notes are properties of the essential oil itself — not the percentage you use in a recipe. Each essential oil has a natural evaporation rate based on its chemistry: Top notes Light, fast-evaporating oils. They smell bright at first but fade fastest in soap. (e.g. citrus, eucalyptus) Middle notes Moderate evaporation. These usually form the main body of a soap scent and hold reasonably well. (e.g. lavender, rosemary, geranium) Base notes Heavy, slow-evaporating oils. These help anchor blends and improve scent longevity in soap. (e.g. patchouli, vetiver, benzoin) Common misconception Changing the ratio does not change the note category. Example: Lavender = middle note Rosemary = middle note A 60/40 or 50/50 blend doesn’t turn one into a top or base note — they are still both middle notes. The ratio only affects which scent is more noticeable, not how the oil behaves chemically. What actually matters in soap Top notes fade the fastest during cure Middle notes usually survive cure better Base notes help anchor the blend and extend scent life Balanced blends are more stable than single-note formulas Understanding this makes scent blending in soap simpler, more predictable, and less frustrating. Safety note (because it matters): Always calculate usage rates for soap and IFRA categories before formulating — understanding scent structure never replaces safety checks.

This course exists because most candle makers are taught what to do, but not why it works. Recipes, charts, and temperatures can get you started, but they don’t teach you how to think like a candle maker. When something goes wrong, people are left guessing — changing wax, changing wicks, changing everything at once. In this course, we slow things down and focus on the three variables that control every container candle: - Container size - Wax behaviour - Wick strength If you understand how these three work together, you can make informed decisions with any wax, any jar, and any wick series. This is not a decorating course and not a scent course. It's a foundations course. Start here and then add the scent, essentilal oils and more candle courses in order.

If you’re new to balm making or want to understand waxes, oils, and ratios properly, start with our Lip Balm Foundations Course. This post is for quick questions, tips, and deeper dives once you’ve got the basics down. 👉 Start here: Lip Balm Foundations Course

Loving that you’ve moved over here. 🤗🤗❤️❤️