Re:misconception

[Guest guest]

Gretchen wrote: " Don't have to worry about losing the EO properties to the

heat of saponification "

Gretchen it is my understanding that EO properties are not much affected by

heat because as you know EO are extracted using high heat and most suppliers

I know state that heat does not affect the EO properties when used in soap

making.

Gererally the EO are added at trace, so there is not much heat to affect the

EO in this manner. Heat does affect goats milk as well as other additives

but not EO.

hth

Sherry

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[Guest guest]

Hi Sherry, it is not the heat that can destroy the effectiveness of

an essential oil it is the sodium hydroxide. While some properties

of an eo may survive the lye bath, as can be seen by the " burn " you

get from peppermint or cinnamon, others will not. One of the reasons

that aromatherapists use essential oils is that they contain

the " essence " of the plant. They would never dream of using the

chemical equivalent of the effective constituents because they

believe that the whole essential oil is important. If some of the

elements of the essential oil are destroyed or changed by the

chemical reaction to the lye, it would not be effective for the

intended purpose. I am in no way an aromatherapist, but if I were, I

would hesitate making any " healing " claims for a product that the

essential oil has to be subjected to this kind of harsh environment.

Let's not even talk about using essential oils in a wash off product.

Pat Prenty

******************************

www.essencesupply.com

> Gretchen it is my understanding that EO properties are not much

affected by

> heat because as you know EO are extracted using high heat and most

suppliers

> I know state that heat does not affect the EO properties when used

in soap

> making.

> Gererally the EO are added at trace, so there is not much heat to

affect the

> EO in this manner. Heat does affect goats milk as well as other

additives

> but not EO.

> hth

> Sherry

[Guest guest]

> I don't know about the properties being affected by heat or

not...but do keep in mind that gel usually raised the temp of soap to

around 200F and holds it there for some time. Sherry<

At sea level, water boils at 212 degrees F. I sincerely doubt ANY

soap will generate enough heat to almost come to a boil.

Essential oils are distilled, which means the water has to come to a

boil or close to it in order to generate steam. So the heat of

distillation is hotter than the temperature of saponification.

I don't know of any soap maker who uses essential oils to produce a

soap with " aromatherapy " benefits who does not believe that they

survive the soap making process to result in beneficial effects in

the finished soap.

[Guest guest]

> I am in no way an aromatherapist, but if I were, I would hesitate

making any " healing " claims for a product that the essential oil has

to be subjected to this kind of harsh environment. Let's not even

talk about using essential oils in a wash off product. <

As you said, you are not an aromatherapist. All of the

aromatherapists I know disagree with you...and I know a lot of them.

There are two organizations that certify aromatherapy products,

including candles [candles burn hotter than soap heats] and body

care, including soap.

Aromatherapy product certifications include TAP (True Aromatherapy

Product) from the National Association of Holistic Aromatherapy

(NAHA) and the CAP (Certified Aromatherapy Product) from ACA.

I do agree that manufacturers shouldn't make " claims " unless they

actually have studied aromatherapy and know that what they " claim " is

true.

Apito

Botanical Elements Trade Association

www.botanicalelements.com

[Guest guest]

> Here's an alternative view from a aromatherapist ( 10 years

standing so very experienced aromatherapist and soapmaker) friend of

mine.<

I was confused by the email.

This person is an aromatherapist and a soapmaker but DOESN'T think

there is any value in including essential oils in soap?

As there are many schools of aromatherapy there are many schools of

thought. So if this person says there is no value in using essential

oils in soap...do they use synthetic fragrance oils instead?

[Guest guest]

> Did this in depth when I studied aromatherapy for a year !!

> Essential oils are extracted by distillation, expression,

enfleurage, volatile solvent extraction, liquid carbon dioxide

extraction, percolation - not all use heat. Mostly essential oils are

distilled. To make it short, plants and flowers are subjected to heat

which releases the aromatic material from the plant cells.<

Plant components extracted with the use of solvents or enfleurage are

are concretes and absolutes and are not considered " essential oils "

by much of the aromatherapy community in the USA. Whomever wrote

this has a position that is not the same as many aromatherapists in

practice in this country.

From the NAHA web site, for example:

>>The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) in their

Vocabulary of Natural Materials (ISO/D1S9235.2) defines an essential

oil as follows: " An essential oil is a product made by distillation

with either water or steam or by mechanical processing of citrus

rinds or by dry distillation of natural materials. Following the

distillation, the essential oil is physically separated from the

water phase. "

Dr. Lawrence states " For an essential oil to be a true

essential oil, it must be isolated by physical means only. The

physical methods used are distillation (steam, steam/water and water)

or expression (also known as cold pressing, a unique feature for

citrus peel oils). There is one other method of oil isolation

specific to a very limited number of essential oil plants. This is a

maceration/distillation. In the process, the plant material is

macerated in warm water to release the enzyme-bound essential oil.

Examples of oils produced by maceration are onion, garlic,

wintergreen, bitter almond, etc. What is NOT an Essential oil is a

CO2 extract, a halohydrocarbon extract or an empyreumatic

distillate. " <<

[Guest guest]

> Well I do and she avoids Gelling of her soap entirely.<

The gel phase is where the saponification takes place. If soap

doesn't pass through a gel phase...how do the raw materials saponify?

[Guest guest]

>

> What benefits would those be?

>

> CS<

What are the benefits of using an aromatherapy soap?

Mental, emotional and to a limited degree, topical benefits.

[Guest guest]

Here is an example to support my position that there is an

aromatherapy benefit to the use of essential oils in soap.

Dr. S. Pappas is an essential oil chemist. He runs the

Essential Oil University; http://www.essentialoils.org/.

I doubt there is anyone who is " anyone " in the field of aromatherapy

in this country who doesn't know of or heard of Dr. Pappas.

Dr. Pappas is the lead instructor for " Introduction to Aromatherapy " ,

one of the first courses on Essential Oils and Aromatherapy for

college credit, taught at Indiana University at South Bend.

On his website, Essential Oil University, he sells and lists

" Soaper's TOP 60 Essential Oils " [based on sales].

If the essential oils had no purpose or benefit when used in soap, I

doubt one of the leading chemists and experts in the field of

aromatherapy and essential oil research would sell these EOs

specifically targeted at soapmakers.

Having met Dr. Pappas, and participated on discussion lists with him

years ago, I do believe he takes his reputation in the chemistry

field as well as in the aromatherapy community VERY seriously and

would never do anything to jeopardize it.

If someone of his national reputation and stature believes essential

oils have a benefit when in soap, that is enough to convince

me...even if I didn't already know this to be true.

Apito

Botanical Elements Trade Association

www.botanicalelements.com

groups.yahoo.com/botanicalelements

[Guest guest]

> I love the smells of essential oils. Is that a benefit

aromathereputically speaking?<

Sure...that's how aromatherapy works...you inhale them and they go to

the brain. You've got it. That is aromatherapy.

Synthetics can also have an effect - that is called aromachology.

Those effects though are thought to be limited to mood and emotion.

[Guest guest]

>>That view doesn't seem to be shared by everyone.<<

Same as I said:

>Synthetics can also have an effect - that is called aromachology.

>Those effects though are thought to be limited to mood and emotion.<

Synthetic fragrance = aromachology; mood and emotion [i.e.psychology]

" Aroma-Chology is a concept based on systematic, scientific data

collected under controlled conditions. It was developed in 1989 under

the leadership of the Sense of Smell Institute (formerly known as the

Olfactory Research Fund). Aroma-Chology is dedicated to the study of

the inter-relationship of psychology and the latest in fragrance

technology to transmit through odor a variety of specific feelings

(such as relaxation, exhilaration, sensuality, happiness and

achievement) directly to the brain. "

They defined the term, that's where it came from. They research

synthetic fragrances. They are the ones who said pumkin pie and

licorace smell makes men feel " romantic " . This term has been around

since, as they say, 1989.

+++

This " definition " for aromatherapy is their definition of

aromatherapy and not that of the industry itself. I have noticed

that they haven't changed it for the past 8 years in spite of

continued scientific research into the effects of essential oils.

Rene-Maurice Gattefosse invented the term " aromatherapy " and it has

been in use since early 1900's.

>Aromatherapy is a concept based largely on anecdotal individual case

studies and folklore.<

Largely - but not entirely. So that is correct. I'm sure the value

of the double-blind, scientific method testing of pumpkin pie spice

on triggering men's erections really has helped mankind!! Go

Science!! :^}

> It prescribes the use of natural essential oils and herbs for the

treatment of various mental and physical disorders.<

Incorrect that the practice of aromatherapy includes herbs...it

doesn't. Just essential oils. Medical aromatherapy when practiced as

a medical practice indeed does use EOs for mental and physical

disorders.

The practice of using aromatherapy does extend to the " emotional and

mood " just like the effects of synthetics are given credit for.

>It is generally used in combination with body massage, the result of

which is described by advocates to heal, beautify and soothe the body

and mind.<

Incorrect. This " generality " is very general!! While aromatherapy is

certainly used in bodywork, the practice of aromatherapy is via

inhalation as well.

You can also see aromatherapy " debunked " on those " quackbuster " web

sites where they claim basically nothing but allopathic medicine

works and aromatherapy, homeopathy, herbal medicine, etc are all

nonsense. Luckily the National Center for Complementary and

Alternative Medicine (NCCAM), the federal government's leading agency

for scientific research on alternative medicine, isn't so quick to

disbelieve everything that is still unproven by " current " scientific

method.

Apito

Botanical Elements Trade Association www.botanicalelements.com

groups.yahoo.com/botanicalelements

[Guest guest]

>

> >Luckily the National Center for Complementary and

> >Alternative Medicine (NCCAM), the federal government's leading

agency

> >for scientific research on alternative medicine, isn't so quick to

> >disbelieve everything that is still unproven by " current "

scientific

> >method.

>

> NCCAM says that " [a]romatherapy involves the use of essential oils

(extracts or essences) from flowers, herbs, and trees to promote

health and well-being " .

> http://nccam.nih.gov/health/whatiscam/

>

> There is no suggestion that aromatherapy can be used " in the

diagnosis, cure, mitigation, treatment, or prevention of disease in

man or animal " nor does it say that aromatherapy can be used " to

affect the structure or any function of the body of man or other

animals " , which of course are two definitions of a drug.<

And drugs are generally used to suppress symptoms which is also not

the goal of holistic medicine.

Aromatherapy does exactly what you quoted; " promote health and well-

being " .