Essential oils and fragrance in shaving soap/creams - are they healthy for the skin ?

I think fragranced hygiene products have been around long enough and used by a wide enough data set that a reasonable assumption can be made without specific lab testing results.

A hundred years of scenting soaps and fragrances for people to use directly on the skin and no record of major mutations, defects, or associations with onset disorders may not be scientifically conclusive but it is certainly statistically viable...


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I agree with you.  However, a lot of these products may have been checked by independent sources.  But if Harry down the street gets a recipe to make a soap and he puts a little of this and a little in it could there be a problem?  With that in mind my face looks as good as it did several years ago so maybe not a big deal especially when it takes over a month to go through my rotation.

Unless Harry down the street is using an EO, FO, or absolute that has never been used before, I doubt there is a problem.

The oils and absolutes themselves have been studied and tested. We know what effects they have, both positive and negative. Combining them shouldn't alter their viability and efficacy, nor should it change their toxicity...

Bergamot is phototoxic whether it is combined with lime or patchouli...it doesn't change the properties of bergamot itself...

I think fragranced hygiene products have been around long enough and used by a wide enough data set that a reasonable assumption can be made without specific lab testing results.

A hundred years of scenting soaps and fragrances for people to use directly on the skin and no record of major mutations, defects, or associations with onset disorders may not be scientifically conclusive but it is certainly statistically viable...


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Ever heard of cancer ?

My point is, that we just don't have any cooncrete test results, that show us the facts.

Since we didn't have the same ability to test for cancer 40-50-60 years ago, we don't really know how cancer has evolved - is it worse than 5 decades ago, is it better, is it the same number of incidents ?

Look, I'll probably continue using my scented soaps and creams, but may begin to bowl lather for my 2.nd and 3.rd pass, because it's just logical to me, that skin and pores need a break - and one pass with the beard as protection is fine, a 2.nd and 3.rd without beard as protection for the skin, the pores are open to directly contact with the stuff we put on our beard area.

I think fragranced hygiene products have been around long enough and used by a wide enough data set that a reasonable assumption can be made without specific lab testing results.

A hundred years of scenting soaps and fragrances for people to use directly on the skin and no record of major mutations, defects, or associations with onset disorders may not be scientifically conclusive but it is certainly statistically viable...


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Ever heard of cancer ?

My point is, that we just don't have any cooncrete test results, that show us the facts.

Since we didn't have the same ability to test for cancer 40-50-60 years ago, we don't really know how cancer has evolved - is it worse than 5 decades ago, is it better, is it the same number of incidents ?

Look, I'll probably continue using my scented soaps and creams, but may begin to bowl lather for my 2.nd and 3.rd pass, because it's just logical to me, that skin and pores need a break - and one pass with the beard as protection is fine, a 2.nd and 3.rd without beard as protection for the skin, the pores are open to directly contact with the stuff we put on our beard area.

Well, that's fine, but to be honest, if you're really concerned about oils causing health issues, I don;t think it will help...

The oils either penetrate the skin, or they do not. They are either harmful or they are not. These 2 facts are not going to change because you have scruff on the first pass, and rub a little softer on the 2nd and 3rd.

Regardless of your application, be it face lather or bowl lather, you are still applying the same concentration of oils to the surface of the skin, in the same carrier soap. The concentration and absorption rates aren't going to change because you switch it up for the second pass...

Also...just as a point of clarification...pores do not "open" and "close" in the way we have been taught. They have no musculature to perform this action. They are pores, which are always open to the same degree. They are either clear or not, but they do not open and close, like a doorway...

CHSeifert Claus, I was speaking to a knowledgeable artisan yesterday. He mentioned how strict The EU is on this kind of thing, that everything has to be tested before sale.

As this is of concern to you as well as how much you enjoy scents, it may be worth looking into EU regulations

What about SdM? Don't they use something like plant extracts or botanicals instead of EOs or FOs? If you are concerned, but still want some scent, this might be an option.

What about SdM? Don't they use something like plant extracts or botanicals instead of EOs or FOs? If you are concerned, but still want some scent, this might be an option.

Essential oils and absolutes are plant extracts and botanicals for the most part. They come from flowers, roots, barks, bulbs, and fruits primarily...


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What about SdM? Don't they use something like plant extracts or botanicals instead of EOs or FOs? If you are concerned, but still want some scent, this might be an option.

Essential oils are botanical. They are distilled, extracted, or pressed from plant raw material. But just because essential oils "come from plants" doesn't mean that they can be used indiscriminately. There are guidelines to follow, maximum percentages that are advisable to use, some oils that are known to be more likely to cause sensitivities, etc.

What about SdM? Don't they use something like plant extracts or botanicals instead of EOs or FOs? If you are concerned, but still want some scent, this might be an option.

Essential oils are botanical.  They are distilled, extracted, or pressed from plant raw material.  But just because essential oils "come from plants" doesn't mean that they can be used indiscriminately.  There are guidelines to follow, maximum percentages that are advisable to use, some oils that are known to be more likely to cause sensitivities, etc.

Right, but are any of these oils commonly used for scenting soaps etc. known to be carcinogenic or cause other long term issues? Somehow I doubt it or they wouldn't be used for these purposes. What do you think Michelle?

That makes sense for the essential oils. Here is an excerpt for a vendor description of SdM that I was referencing: "SdM does not use essential oils for their cosmetics reasoning that too many people have sensitivities and essential oils can actually be dangerous in some situations. Instead, they use home-made aromatic extracts of plants and high grade perfumes from the Grasse region of France; both of which are extremely gentle on the skin."


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That makes sense for the essential oils. Here is an excerpt for a vendor description of SdM that I was referencing: "SdM does not use essential oils for their cosmetics reasoning that too many people have sensitivities and essential oils can actually be dangerous in some situations. Instead, they use home-made aromatic extracts of plants and high grade perfumes from the Grasse region of France; both of which are extremely gentle on the skin."

Not to offend anyone, but these vague claims are more of a sales pitch than reality, in my opinion.  And I think that the writer might be confused about what essential oils are, and when and why and how their use might be dangerous.

Essential oil is what is contained in plants that gives them a smell, so a "home-made aromatic extract of plants" would be...essential oils.  Simply infusing plants and flowers in oil or simmering them in water is not enough to give a scent to soap: many have tried and many have failed.  You need access to huge amounts of fresh plant material to distill your own essential oils in large enough quantities to scent batches of soap, not to mention that the commonly used fragrance components come from all over the world, not just in Grasse, France (or any other single locality).

There are essential oils that can be harmful, especially if taken internally, or if used in too strong a concentration, but a careful artisan should know that and follow safety guidelines.