Natrasorb was originally developed to carry scent into a water-based environment; and that capability makes it perfect for adding oil or fragrance to dry products that are formulated for the bath.
Natrasorb Bath is an oil absorbing starch powder made from tapioca and is an invaluable staple personal care ingredient. During mechanical processing, little pockets are created in the particles that allow it to absorb and hold fixed oil and/or Fragrance or Essential Oils. This makes it very useful when making Bath Salts, Milk Powders, Clay Soaks, Foaming Bath Milk, Bubble Bombs and Bubble Bars, in fact any products that need to be kept dry until use. It is water soluble whilst being able to hold and then disperse oil, and it contributes to water softness. It is also used in powder formulations as it can replace some of the talc, though Dry Flo or Oat Silc are more suited to these applications.
The secret to successful dry products is Natrasorb Bath. Using this natural starch means you don’t *wet* the ingredients, therefore it doesn’t activate dry products. The other big bonus is that Natrasorb Bath is a water softener and makes the bath water feel silky and smooth! What Natrasorb allows you to do is mix Fragrance or Essential Oils into the formulation as a “dry fragrance”.
The amount of the Natrasorb Bath required is directly related to the amount and type of oils being added, so there is no exact ratio and the following can be used as a guide. The Natrasorb should remain “free flowing” after the addition of the oils, so if it is moist or gluey, there is too much oil in the mix.
General Usage Guidelines
As a general guide, you scent your product at 1 – 2% of fragrance or essential oil. Scenting at a rate of 1 – 2%, that would be about 10 – 20 grams of scent per kilo of powdered ingredients. More is not necessarily better as excessive Natrasorb can affect the free-flow of the oil loaded particles.
Measure out the oils or fragrance, weighing it if feasible. You will need to experiment with the amount of Natrasorb Bath depending on the oil, fragrance or essential oil you use, you may be able to less.
1. Measure 50g Natrasorb into a bowl
2. Gradually begin adding up 8g oil/s to the Natrasorb in the bowl or jug, (Fragrance, Essential or fixed oil)
3. Mix with a spoon or spatula until the mixture resembles soft breadcrumbs
4. If you have liquid oil left, add more Natrasorb until oil is totally absorbed, and looks and feels light and dry
5. Gradually add the scented Natrasorb into main product, mixing as you add some increments
The amount of Natrasorb required will vary depending on the fixed oil, Fragrance and/or Essential Oils you are using. In our trials, we found that 30g Natrasorb is the least amount required to gain most benefit.
INCI Name: Tapioca Starch
Appearance: Fluffy, bulk density, white powder
Natural 100%, Non GMO
Vegan and Vegetarian
You can see our tutorial for Avocado Oil and Oat Powdered Oil here
