Differences between Essential Oils & Absolultes, Natural Fragrance Oils and Fragrance Oils made from Chemicals.

Over the years, customers ask if this fragrance or that fragrance is an essential oil. One that struck me funny was a fellow soap maker in California had told me of a competitive soap maker at their market selling strawberry scented soap and claiming it very verbally to contain strawberry essential oil. My fellow soap maker called me up and told me how that bugged him and I totally understood why. I did say ,"Perhaps, it's a Natural Fragrance oil, made from essential oils, like some of my fragrances are." He said, "This may be true, but do you tell people it's a strawberry essential oil, or that it's a natural fragrance oil you've blended from essential oils?"

I personally would not have said that it was a strawberry essential oil because  there is no such thing as  a strawberry essential oil, but a fragrance oil made from essential oils to mimic the scent of strawberry. In the aroma chemistry world, it takes 17 chemical compounds to create a synthetic fragrance oil that smells like strawberry. I am unsure on how many essential oils and ratios of such it would take to create a natural strawberry scent because I haven't  yet accomplished that one. I have one fragrance sitting at my shop that I've been whiffing and letting customers sniff for about two years that smells wonderful, made of  17 - 21 ( must look my notes to be sure) various essential oils and absolutes. Some say it smells like candy, others say mulberry and I just do not know, but it never ceases to amaze me how taking natural essential oils and absolutes can create fragrances that mimic the scent of another. This is what makes working with fragrances so fun and challenging. :)

So what is the difference between Essential Oils and Absolutes, Natural Fragrance Oils and Fragrance Oils made from Chemicals. I know so many are interested , because of the amounts of questions I get about various fragrances, especially ones I carry in my own product line. Before I begin , if you ever have any question on whether or not any of our products have a fragrance oil or an essential oil, our website www.pioneersoapwork.com discusses the difference between our natural soaps ( unscented or scented with essential oils) and our natural boutique soap collection ( natural soap scented with fragrance oil). Simply look at our labels and it will clearly state if our product contains essential oil or fragrance. Even if it's a natural fragrance created from essential oils, it will still say fragrance in the list of the ingredients, if you want to know if it's a natural or certified natural fragrance   just ask.

We have very limited space on our labels, other wise I'd fit all of this information on there. lolMany people use fragrance for aroma therapy purposes whether it be from essential oils or fragrance oils. Fragrance is one of the most amazing things in the world in the sence that scent of one thing can trigger memories, make you feel happy, relaxed, uplifted , even aroused.

It works on both physical and nonphysical levels, holistically, addressing the physical body, mind and soul by linking physical, mental, and emotional levels of concern. It actually works best when it is used by the mind and body simultaneously. Aromatherapy works subtly, through the senses as you absorb impressions. It targets different neuro-chemicals in the brain, to lift up, stimulate, sedate or create euphoria.
However the most well known way aromatherapy works is through smell, because of the influence of aroma on the brain, especially the limbic system, the part of the brain that controls our moods, emotions, memory and learning, through the olfactory system.

Something that you may not know is that aromatherapy isn’t always all about using your sense of smell as a means of improving your body, mind or your soul.
When you practice the art of aromatherapy, one thing to keep in mind is the importance of smell when it comes to essential oils.

Nowadays beside essential oils, absolutes are becoming a part of aromatherapy cause its scent can awaken our feeling and emotion just like essential oils, and this is where natural perfumery and aroma chemistry come into play in our bath and body products as well as our home franchising. Now, as I have mentioned before, we have some wonderful natural scented derived from essential oils and absolutes and some fabulous synthetic fragrance oils that are Phthalate free, much safer than your common fragrances that cause irritation to your allergies, migraines etc. but are still synthetic and not made by us. They are well loved by most  of our customers, but others perfer the straight essential oils we use in our herbal soap line ( Lavender, frankincense & Myrrh, Lemongrass, Peppermint,  etc.)

All of this talk about absolutes, what exactly is an absolute?
Absolute is a concentrated semi-solid material obtained by solvent extraction.
Absolutes are actually quite similar to essential oils in the fact that they are extracted from plants. There is a difference between absolutes and essential oils in terms of the method that is commonly implement during the extraction process.

Essential oil is an aromatic liquid compound which extracted from parts of the plants - leaves, wood, barks, seed, flower and even peel. And mostly they are extracted using steam distillation process.
But not all oils are using steam distillation process. Some of the low concentrate oils like Jasmine, Neroli, Oak moss, Tuberose and Rose are extracted by solvent.

Solvent extraction is very gentle. It is a procedure by which aromatic compounds are drawn out of the plant material using volatile solvents such as petroleum, ether, benzene, resulting in a concentrate called “essence concrete”. The solvents are separated from the concrete and the remaining solvent mixed with alcohol and heated to undergo a filtering process in which the waxes and alcohol are removed. But some of waxes cannot be removed. This final end product is called absolute.

Another difference between absolutes and essential oils is: Absolutes sometimes tend to carry a more true to nature fragrance than Essential Oils. This is because they contain many of the non-volatile constituents of the plant such as tannins and pigments that are not made available by distillation means. Rose Absolute is a great example of this, displaying its vivid colour and exquisite fragrance.

This is one major reason why absolutes have been used mostly in fragrance and perfume industries. They can be and have been used successfully in the area of aromatherapy, but you need to be extremely careful when using these absolutes for that purpose. It’s important to keep in mind that any of these absolutes can trigger an allergic reaction for some people who come into contact with it. While essential oils are pure oils, when in steam distillation process, there is no contact with any contaminants, so essential oils can be used for therapeutic purposes.

When creating fragrances from Absolutes and Essential Oils ( and even aroma chemicals), many fragrance manufacturers dilute the pure fragrance down with a solvent ( which often times contain phthalates). Fragrances I create are not diluted and takes very little and if  dilution is needed it is diluted with a light natural carrier oil such as sweet almond oil , jojoba oil or coconut oil because most of our fragrances are ment to be used on the skin. If  I do not blend it from essential oils and absolutes then it is certified natural fragrance oil that is phthalate free and the same method of diluting pure fragrance is used with a carrier oil, according to the fragrance manufacturers  I have chosen to use for this method.

So what is a Certified Natural Fragrance Oil and A fragrance oil made from aroma chemicals?Many of the fragrance oils I buy I purchase because they smell wonderful, they are phthalate free and are Certified Natural.  A Certified Natural Fragrance Oil  is a blend that contain only Pure Essential Oils and Pure Resins ( absolutes), and the companies I have chosen to work with offer a Certificate of Compliance to prove the fragrance is natural from essential oils etc. As an example, one of my favorite natural fragrance oils called Iced Oatmeal Cookies ( to be launched this spring ) is made from Cardamom Seed Oil, Cinnamon Leaf Extract,  Nutmeg Kernel Oil,  and Soybean Oil. The natural Almond and Honey Fragrance We all love so much is as follows Lemon Essential Oil, Lavender Essential Oil, Ginger Essential Oil, Cinnamomum cassia leaf oil and sweet almond oil. Whiffed separately one could not imagine the combined blend ever smelling like Almond and a twist of sweet honey, but combined together in the correct ratio of each oil and what once was single note accords combine to create an amazing new fragrance all natural. :)

Aroma Chemicals are a whole different world. They are just as they are called Aroma Chemicals. Skin safe , yet they are synthetic chemicals used to make scents. One in particular fragrance  Sandalwood, is composed of over 100 different aroma chemicals AND absolutes to give an interpretation of sandalwood, common in many perfumes. Sandalwood Essential Oil can be used in perfume, but with an average cost of 75.00 per half ounce depending on the origin it is more cost efficient to the consumer who enjoys the scent of sandal wood to have a synthetic fragrance than the essential oil. Where as most essential oils are safe for the skin, they can cause irritation and rash if one is allergic to the particular oil or if they are used  incorrectly, the same holds true for fragrance oils.

Where as one customer was allergic to lavender essential oil and it gave her a horrible rash, she was content to use a skin safe phthalate free lavender fragrance.Many times fragrance oils get a "bum" wrap because they are all assumed to be made from chemicals when many are actually natural fragrance oils created from natural essentials, absolutes, resins etc. If one is completely against chemicals, I'd stear clear of fragrance oils  or consult your perfumer to find out which ones are created naturally. If one is allergic to various plants and essential oils react to your skin, I always suggest going completely fragrance free to be safe or try a skin safe fragrance, doing a patch test first before placing the product all over your body.

 I hope this clarifies any questions there have been about the differences between natural fragrances and essential oils and aroma chemistry. Don't be fooled into thinking if it smells like cotton candy that it's not a natural blend, there isn't a cotton candy essential oil, but you can certainly blend various essential oils, resins and absolutes to create almost any fragrance you desire.I hope you will experience the fun of blending fragrances in our bath bar. We will have a complete list of pure essential oils and a separate list of natural fragrance oils as well as another separate list of fragrance oils so you may choose what is best for you and your lifestyle. We're happy to answer any question you have to the best of our knowledge.

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Salt Glo Therapy - The concept, the product

Pioneer Soap Works has been offering Salt Glo Body Polish for an at home spa experience at a fraction of the cost and the comfort and privacy of home with the same results you receive from a spa. What does it do?



Polished skin from head to toe! This luxurious full body gentle exfoliation treatment uses dead sea salts, Himalayan salts and fine ground sea salts that soothes away dead skin cells leaving your skin hydrated and soft. Your skin is brought back to health and radiance – silky smooth and ready for further treatment, while it helps detoxify your skin of impurities. After using our Salt Glo Therapy your skin will feel soft, silky and smooth. We recommend doing a salt glo every two weeks or once a month. :)At the spa you're likely to pay $65.00 and up per 20 minute sessions for someone to massage your body with salts and oils. Pioneer soap works offers you a special blend of exotic oils and salts in a premixed 16 ounce jar with a sea shell scoop for $20.00. 1 - 2 heaping scoops of salts and oils will massage your entire body in the bath or shower and you can get 6 months - 1 year of salt glo treatments for a fracation of what you would pay at the spa and the comfort and privacy of a salt glo treatment in your own home.

Salt Glo therapy is wonderful for many uses other than full body skin renewal and detoxing. One of our customers reports that she massages her legs with the salt glo, rinses the salt away then shaves with the remaining oils, leaving a very soft and smooth shave. Others use salt glo for their hands after gardening, their elbows, knees and feet to treat very dry rough skin.



Salt glows are one of the most popular spa treatments, in which the body is rubbed with a mixture of salt , oils and essential oils. The salt scrub helps exfoliate leaving your skin smooth and glowing and is a great way to detox the body. The friction from massaging the salt into the skin helps to remove impurities. After the treatment you will rinse the salt off your body to remove the salt and any excess impurities, then buff away the excess oils with a dry terry cloth towel. You should avoid having a salt glows if you have any sores, wounds, rashes or sunburn, and definitely do not shave before treatment or the salt will sting.



Our Salt Glo Body Polish contains amazing healing oils like Grape seed oil, Olive Oil, Hemp Seed Oil, and sunflower oil with a pinch of purple poppy seed and essential oils for aroma therapy and detoxing the skin.

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Natural Body Massage Candles: Proper Use and Care Guide

Pioneer Soap Works Natural Body Candles are easy and fun to use. And rest assured, they will not burn you! Because of the ingredients in Pioneer Soap Works Natural Body Candles, they have a very low melt point. When fully melted they're just 102 degrees -- not even as warm as a hot tub.

Ingredients include: cosmetic-grade soy wax, coconut oil, shea butter, cocoa butter, sunflower oil, vitamin E, and scented oils for aroma. The ingredients are not only natural, but they are extremely rich and moisturizing. A little bit will go a very long way, so please use sparingly. When you use the right amount, the melted oils will soak into your skin completely within just a few minutes. Mainly intended for massage use, but wonderful for extremely dry hands, feet and legs as well.

To use your Natural Body Candle, simply light it and let a melt pool form. Extinguish the flame! (As you know, the flame itself is always hot so please blow it out before using.) You can dip your fingers directly into the melted oils, or you can use the little scoop that is included to dip a small amount out to use.

Use the warmed lotion on your cuticles, elbows, heels, or other dry skin areas on the body. You can also pour the melted oils out of the tin and use the Natural Body Candle for massage.


Regardless of how and where you choose to use the Pioneer Soap Works Natural Body Candle, only use the amount you need. Any unused ingredients will set up again in candle form, ready for your next use.For best results, always trim the wick to 1/4" prior to each use.


If any ingredients are not melted when you use the candle, you will start to see a well form down the middle of the candle. You can push this unmelted portion back in toward the wick so it will melt the next time you use the candle.


You can also use the Natural Body Candle without melting it. When "set" like a candle, use the scoop or the back of a fingernail to remove some unmelted mixture. Then simply use it as you would a body balm. It will melt very easily as you begin to massage it into your skin. This is a very quick and convenient way to experience skin moisturizing benefits when lighting the candle simply isn't possible or practical.

Never put fingers into the candle while burning. And please, always keep these candles away from children, pets and flammable objects.


If you choose you use this candle on your facial skin, please do a patch test 24 - 48 hours before using all over the facial area. Your facial skin is far more sensitive than most skin on your body.


Because this candle contains Shea Butter and Shea Butter is from the shea nut, customers who have an allergy to tree nuts should avoid this product.

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