Vanilla?

[roomformore]

I LOVE the smell of vanilla! I want to use it in the house and in my lotions. How do I use vanilla? Is there a vanilla EO?(if so, I'm guessing I couldn't afford it ) Can I use the vanilla I cook with? What are your favorite uses for vanilla?

[paxye]

: cause I want to know too

[mothragirl]

bump!

[velcromom]

vanilla absolute! but save your pennies or write a very persuasive letter to Santa.... see the bottom of the list on this page for two types of vanilla absolute & prices.

[SusannahM]

What's wrong with something like this:

http://www.pcfallon.com/detail.asp?p...eferer=froogle

or this:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...category=11847

[velcromom]

I'd be very suspicious that those are actually fragrance oils, if it were real vanilla oleoresin or absolute or anything, it wouldn't be that cheap. They are also selling sandalwood "essential oil" that probably isn't a pure eo either: the real, pure sandalwood eo would run you about $75 an ounce, wholesale. There are a lot of companies out there who will tell you they have "essential oil of..." you name it - bubblegum, apple, cherry, strawberry... when actually there is no such thing. Selling the cheaper vanilla fragrance oil as an essential oil wouldn't be surprising. There are a lot of claims made out there, some of them completely outrageous and others just a step outside of the truth.

So in light of the many dishonest or perhaps just uneducated suppliers out there, I'd personally skip the ones that are priced like fragrance oils. Here's some vanilla that's priced a bit lower than the absolute - but still the real thing and affordable enough to splurge on once a year -
http://www.thesage.com/catalog/Essen...ab178c3f64ce8b

[SusannahM]

I think the Caswell-Massey one is just a fragrance oil (they're a reputable company, I went straight to their website and they had the same description for it). What is wrong with just adding a little fragrance oil to something you are cleaning your house with? Just wondering.

You can get the beans from bulkfoods.com, they are $4.95 for one, $19.95 for 10, you can also get larger amounts. Wouldn't there be a way to cook these into a carrier oil, and then you could add that?

I'm just asking questions for my own knowledge here, not trying to badger at all!

[velcromom]

That's a great idea, to make your own infusion. It wouldn't be as concentrated but it would no doubt still smell delicious. Wow that starts a whole train of thought... It would be simple to make a balm with vanilla-infused oil, yum! I'm wondering if you could also make a spritz for room fragrance or linens by infusing it into everclear, but I've never looked into that or tried it.

What is wrong with just adding a little fragrance oil to something you are cleaning your house with? Just wondering.

I just think for those wanting to avoid synthetic chemicals in general, a fragrance oil with synthetic perfumes and carrier substances is probably not the preferred method of bringing fragrance into their homes. I personally still use both, although I've gone to using homemade household products 90% of the time. I still enjoy some of the scents you can only get as a synthetic... but if there's a natural version, why not use that.

Of course, all the eo's we know and love are also chemicals, just like the baking soda, vinegar and washing soda we use, and even simple salt. It's a matter of which ones we are comfortable exposing ourselves to on a daily basis, that's all.

I can tell you that a few drops of pure vanilla extract simmered in a pot with a pinch of cinnamon & nutmeg & maybe some ginger... is heavenly and will fragrance your home for a few hours. The pure extract can be pricy too but I know there are some sources online that offer a good deal.

Oh, and sorry for being so long winded but I wanted to also mention that peru balsam is a less expensive alternative to real vanilla and smells very much like vanilla.

I think the Caswell-Massey one is just a fragrance oil

That's what I think too, but they are calling it an essential oil. Maybe it has some eo in it, but I doubt it's 100% naturally derived vanilla at that price! I would just like to see that kind of labeling corrected, it's misleading.

I'm just asking questions for my own knowledge here, not trying to badger at all!

Not at all, I didn't think anything of it!

[bburnie2]

I have always been under the impression that there are VERY FEW true EO's.

???

[velcromom]

Well considering the vast number of scents out there, a relative few are actually eo's. I mean there obviously is not going to be an essential oil of banana bread or pumpkin pie, lol!!

But when you get into them and start buying them... there's always another you want to try... someday... Here's a page with a pretty comprehensive list. I'm sure there are more. Some eo's aren't something you'd want to use anyway if you are just looking for something that smells nice. Some are very medicinal & gross. LOL I'd guess the list for just pretty smelling eo's would be smaller, especially if you don't include absolutes or oleoresins or other types of extracts.