Now for those of you who read the previous post about aromatherapy in the workplace and said "I don't want my office smelling like fennel oil," or were reminded of the nice, but clueless coworker who comes to the office bathed in perfume, here's the other side of the debate. This article, Fragrance debate: A matter of scents and sensibility?, actually addresses the issue from the side of those who are sensitive or allergic to scents. And this blog post, Nice Perfume, must you bathe in it? talks more about the appropriateness of scents in the workplace.
What are we to take from this (the moral of the story):

• Fragrances and essential oils are powerful components that have real effects on our minds, moods and bodies...indeed, many of you were probably drawn to candle and soap making largely due to the array of wonderful scents.
• You can use fragrance and essential oils in soaps, candles, and even just a dab on a cotton ball easily and effectively.
• Some people do not share our enthusiasm for wild and wonderful scents, and may actually have physical sensitivities to them.

So, unless you have a really big office where no scents can waft from...or a lot of really like-minded co-workers...it's probably best that we keep our wild and wonderful fragrance and essential oils at home...in our soaps and candles...and only share them with our co-workers in gift baskets.

Aromatherapy is not a new science or a new fad. Humans have been using the essences of plant (and even a few animal) oils for thousands of years. But over the past few decades, there has been an increased interest in the use of aromatic herbs and oils - to improve your mood, to treat common ailments, and make your life better. And it's not just happening in the United States. Aromatherapy is gaining popularity all over the world - as is evidenced by the article "Combat Office Stress with Aromatherapy" from the Times of India. It talks about a "convenient and faster way of combating stress at the work place" - aromatherapy, and gives several really good suggestions of how to use essential oils at the office. The same basic suggestions can be used in your soap making or candles, or in other bath and body products, too. If you want more information about essential oils, check out Best Essential Oil Books for Soap and Candle Making, and also remember, that just because it's natural, doesn't mean it's safe. Be sure you understand the Basics of Essential Oil Safety.

Often times, soap makers (and candle makers for that matter) are trying to color their soaps (or candles) a color other than white. Whether it's adding a purple swirl, or a bright yellow tint, or green speckles, or layers of orange and red...we're starting with white and making it something different. But don't forget that white can be a really nice component to a soap design. Some people prefer good old fashioned plain white soap. But if you want to jazz it up a bit, this project uses white as a "color" in a two color swirl. (And the same technique applies for any two color swirl.)

Like choosing the ingredients in any recipe, choosing the oils in your soap recipes is a very important step in your soap making. Each oil imparts different qualities to the final soap - creating a soap recipe is the art of balancing them to create the perfect bar of soap. From apricot to wheat germ oil...with coconut, hemp and olive oil in between...there are dozens of oils you can use in your soap. Each one contributes its own unique fatty acid makeup, and hence, its own unique qualities to your soap. Here is a list of the most popular soap making oils and what they'll impart to your soap.
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