She Shoots--She Scores!!!!!!!!
I accidentally 'got it' totally out of my stubborn frustration of having to deal with it!
CHOCOLATE, my babies, CHOCOLATE!! Real, rich dark chocolate from Cocoa Absolute!
When Barbara from Eden Botanicals assured me that all I had to do was heat the carrier oil and Cocoa Abs. and then swirl it around...it didn't work. A further phone call asking if she was SURE that was all I had to do, she said: "Well, you can filter it and get out those few little suspensions left behind."
I had a TON of 'suspensions' in thick brown absolute sitting at the bottom of the vial, with slightly yellowed Fractionated Coconut Oil / Jojoba Oil / Grapeseed Oil (three separate tests). I filtered the first vial and had a full teaspoon of cocoa solids that I threw into a melted wax tart. Made the house smell like chocolate for three days WITHOUT burning. Then I got frustrated and left the test vials in a box.
No one seemed to know what to do, however the Natural Perfumery Yahoo Group brought up the subject and I confessed my consternation and disgust with my various tests and that I needed help. The vials have been reheated at least once and have sat for what, two months?
Turns out...Barbara should have said "Well, you siphon off the carrier oil..."
It also turns out the longer you leave it sitting, the more chocolate scent the carrier oil picks up.
Sooooo...I am about to buy a big batch of Cocoa Abs. that a wholesaler has offered to let some of us have for a great price and I'm going to instill a bunch of carrier oil with this stuff.
Those of you who wanted to test the chocolate will get samples of the first tests while the new batch matures.
Special Tips: (because I pass on what I learn to you)
1) If you have a perfume blended of natural oils, you can halt a lot of oxidation and deterioration by squeezing some Vitamin E oil into it as a preservative and shaking it up. One full Vitamin E 'gel' pill of 200 i.u. in 1 ounce of oil...which is 6 times a 5 ml bottle, or 30 mls. You can put a single drop in a 5 ml bottle. While it's not necessary to go nuts and treat ALL your perfumes (if you have a large collection), you might consider which ones you want to keep over the long haul...like those rares. And the Vitamin E will be good for your skin.
2) If you buy essential oils, as you empty the bottles they can go bad from oxidation. Your best bet is when you have over 1/4 'airspace' in a bottle of essential oil, transfer the essential oils to smaller bottles. Keep the essential oils in the refrigerator EXCEPT if they're in a jojoba oil base [the jojoba will 'freeze'].
3) Essential oils deteriorate quickly in warmth and in air. They're best stored in cool, dark places. However, you significantly increase an essential oil's life when you blend it into a carrier oil. At the point where essential oils hit the carrier oil, they take on the lifespan of the carrier oil. Be aware most carrier oils WILL eventually go rancid, although fractionated coconut oil has the longest shelflife of any and essentially does not go rancid. [BPAL is in a fractionated coconut oil base, but if you buy oil perfumes from other companies, pay attention to their carrier oils. Ask questions.]
You know, I didn't think I'd WANT to smell like chocolate...but having tested this on my own skin, I like it.
Grey :)
CHOCOLATE, my babies, CHOCOLATE!! Real, rich dark chocolate from Cocoa Absolute!
When Barbara from Eden Botanicals assured me that all I had to do was heat the carrier oil and Cocoa Abs. and then swirl it around...it didn't work. A further phone call asking if she was SURE that was all I had to do, she said: "Well, you can filter it and get out those few little suspensions left behind."
I had a TON of 'suspensions' in thick brown absolute sitting at the bottom of the vial, with slightly yellowed Fractionated Coconut Oil / Jojoba Oil / Grapeseed Oil (three separate tests). I filtered the first vial and had a full teaspoon of cocoa solids that I threw into a melted wax tart. Made the house smell like chocolate for three days WITHOUT burning. Then I got frustrated and left the test vials in a box.
No one seemed to know what to do, however the Natural Perfumery Yahoo Group brought up the subject and I confessed my consternation and disgust with my various tests and that I needed help. The vials have been reheated at least once and have sat for what, two months?
Turns out...Barbara should have said "Well, you siphon off the carrier oil..."
It also turns out the longer you leave it sitting, the more chocolate scent the carrier oil picks up.
Sooooo...I am about to buy a big batch of Cocoa Abs. that a wholesaler has offered to let some of us have for a great price and I'm going to instill a bunch of carrier oil with this stuff.
Those of you who wanted to test the chocolate will get samples of the first tests while the new batch matures.
Special Tips: (because I pass on what I learn to you)
1) If you have a perfume blended of natural oils, you can halt a lot of oxidation and deterioration by squeezing some Vitamin E oil into it as a preservative and shaking it up. One full Vitamin E 'gel' pill of 200 i.u. in 1 ounce of oil...which is 6 times a 5 ml bottle, or 30 mls. You can put a single drop in a 5 ml bottle. While it's not necessary to go nuts and treat ALL your perfumes (if you have a large collection), you might consider which ones you want to keep over the long haul...like those rares. And the Vitamin E will be good for your skin.
2) If you buy essential oils, as you empty the bottles they can go bad from oxidation. Your best bet is when you have over 1/4 'airspace' in a bottle of essential oil, transfer the essential oils to smaller bottles. Keep the essential oils in the refrigerator EXCEPT if they're in a jojoba oil base [the jojoba will 'freeze'].
3) Essential oils deteriorate quickly in warmth and in air. They're best stored in cool, dark places. However, you significantly increase an essential oil's life when you blend it into a carrier oil. At the point where essential oils hit the carrier oil, they take on the lifespan of the carrier oil. Be aware most carrier oils WILL eventually go rancid, although fractionated coconut oil has the longest shelflife of any and essentially does not go rancid. [BPAL is in a fractionated coconut oil base, but if you buy oil perfumes from other companies, pay attention to their carrier oils. Ask questions.]
You know, I didn't think I'd WANT to smell like chocolate...but having tested this on my own skin, I like it.
Grey :)