Question: Can I make up batches of product and scent it later?

An e-mail question came in asking this question...Can I make up batches of lotion and scent them later? What about things like body wash?

The answer to this is simple. Yes.

I'll make up a large batch of lotion with all the ingredients, except the fragrance oils, and store them in a clean ice cream container with a tight lid. When I'm in the mood for smelling more like Christmas than a cupcake, I remove the amount I want (generally 125 ml) and add the correct amount of fragrance (I like to use around 1% but you can go slightly higher or lower). I mix it with my stick blender, then funnel or pipe into my bottle. Ta-da!

As an aside, I was watching something on the Food Network the other day and thought to myself, "Hey, I could use the stick blender for cooking!" That's when you know you make more lotions than cakes! 

I do the same thing with bubble bath and body wash. I make up big batches with all the ingredients and store them in clean ice cream containers with tight lids. I take out the amount I want (generally 250 ml) and add my colour and fragrance. I mix it well, then funnel into my bottle.

I do this with conditioner, liquid conditioner, shampoo, and so on. Please only use clean bottles, jars, or containers to store larger batches of products. I like to put them in a box titled "Finished Products", which I store in a cool, dark place. Ensure you have added everything - preservatives are vital! - before storing. The only ingredient left out should be your fragrance oil.

Make sure your containers are clean - I get mine from Voyageur, and they have never been used to store ice cream - and make sure the lids are tight. If you are planning to store something, make sure that anything with oils contain some nice anti-oxidants to keep the oils from going rancid. (Here's more information on anti-oxidants.)