Do you offer price breaks on bulk quantities of oil?

For those wishing to purchase larger quantities of a single fragrance, our bulk-pricing policy is as follows for our flavor, fragrance, and essential oils:   

1. 4-9 pounds of a single oil -- 5% discount off the 1-pound price 

2. 10-24 pounds of a single oil -- 10% discount off the 1-pound price

3. Entire 25-pound pail/can of a single oil -- 15% discount off the 1-pound price

Please note that purchase of an entire pail/can of oil may entail a delay of 1-3 weeks (although in many cases we are able to ship right away).  These discounts (as well as all prices) are subject to change at any time without notice.

Are all your fragrances suitable for use in soap? How about candles?

Our fragrances have been formulated for use in all types of soap, and in candles as well.  Fragrances with flashpoints of 170 degrees Fahrenheit and greater are safe for use in gel candles.  Additionally, because all of our fragrances are cosmetic grade, they are suitable for use in all toiletries (e.g., shampoo, shower gel, bath bombs, etc.).  The only exception to this rule will be fragrances that for a variety of reasons are just not suitable for cold-process soaps.  In this case, we will clearly indicate this in the descriptive copy for the product.

Are all Sweet Cakes fragrances cosmetic-grade?

Yes, they are. This is important to us (and necessary) because our primary customer base is soapmakers. While candlemakers don't need to use cosmetic-grade fragrances, they're usually amazed at how much stronger and truer-smelling cosmetic-grade fragrances are than inexpensive ones formulated specifically for candles.

How much fragrance will I need?

Here are our recommendations: For cold-process soap, add between .5 and .7 oz. of fragrance oil per lb. of fats/oils in your recipe. If you're working with melt-and-pour soap base, add between .3 and .5 oz. of fragrance per lb. of soap (that's 1-2 teaspoons). For candlemakers, .5 oz. of our fragrances per lb. of wax will yield an extremely strongly scented candle; use less if you'd prefer a more moderate scent. If you're making things like lotion and bath gel, you'll want to experiment a bit -- but you'll most likely end up adding between 0.5% and 1% scent by weight.  You need to be careful with how much you try to add to soap and candles, though; too much will cause problems with seeping in soap and mottling in candles.

I am having a problem with your XYZ fragrance in my cold-processs soap -- can you please help!?

Unfortunately from time to time, people have problems with some fragrances and their particular recipe. We have put together a list of tips that will help you be successful with fragrances even if you are having a problem. They are as follows:

1.  Use at least 6 oz. of water per pound of fats/oils in your recipe.

2.  Do not use temperatures of over 100º for mixing lye and fats together.

3.  Add your fragrance at light trace -- if the batch looks like pudding, odds are that the mixture will thicken even more when fragrance is added, and a smooth, neat pour may be out of the question.

4. DO NOT use a hand blender (also known as a stick blender) at all once you've added fragrance to your soap mixture (although of course you may feel free to use it before this point).

5. Once you add fragrance, stir only briefly (just enough to make sure the fragrance is incorporated) and pour.

6. Do not over-insulate.  Profusely sweating soap is the beginning of disaster.

7. Do not use grapefruit seed extract (GSE) -- it is a trace accelerator and if your soap is made properly, there is no need to to preserve it.

8.  We work very hard to greatly lower the likelihood that our fragrances will cause seizing in your CP soap.  If you do find an oil to be on the seize-y side, try holding back several ounces of base oil from your batch (the amount is dependent of the size of your batch) and mix the fragrance with this held-back oil.   Instead of adding straight fragrance oil to your batch at trace, add the base oil/fragrance mixture.  Sometimes this is enough to dilute the effects of raw fragrance and will prevent insta-trace in a touchy batch. You will still need to work quickly and add the fragrance at light trace, but this will certainly help.
 

I live in Canada, can I place an order through your site?

Yes, you may! Please be aware that there may be additional fees associated with importing goods to Canada. For more information about this, please contact UPS at 1-800-PICKUPS to discuss any additional fees that you may incur.

How much flavor oil do you recommend using in lip balms?

The recommended usage rate for our flavor oils is 1-3% by weight, but you may safely use up to 5%.

Where are you located?

We're in Minnesota, in the midwestern region of the United States. (And if you're asking this question because you're that hunky James Van Der Beek from TV's "Dawson's Creek," you'd better paddle that canoe a little faster, honey -- I ain't getting any younger.)

How long will it take for my order to be processed?

Your order will ship within 1-3 business days of your placing it.  During most of the year, virtually all orders ship out within 24 hours of placement; we will sometimes need to add an extra day to that during the Christmas rush (September thru December).

What's the best way to place an order?

The shopping cart will give you an immediate total and will allow you to see exactly what you've ordered. It's completely secure, so you can include your credit card information confidently and fearlessly. Phone-in orders are very welcome (we can be reached at 952-945-9900), as are faxed orders (952-945-9905 for faxes).  Please note:  UPS charges us $5 to reroute packages for which an incorrect address is given.  Please check the information you type into the cart carefully -- we will regretfully be forced to pass the $5 fee on to you, in the event that you give an incorrect address.

Do you have a minimum order?

Yes, our order minimum is $25.00 in merchandise. Orders not meeting our minimum will be discarded.

Do you have a printed catalog?

We do not.  Frankly, the vast majority of our product line is packaged in austere-looking amber glass bottles and are really not muck to look at.  In the interest of holding prices steady and not killing any extra trees, we do not anticipate publishing a paper catalog.

"There are items missing from my order" or "I got the wrong item in my order".  What do I do?

Please send an email to info@sweetcakes.com immediately so that we can carefully check our in-house copy of your invoice, plus the weight of your package at the time of shipment. We will then give you further instructions on how to resolve this issue. All claims for loss/damage/wrong items must be made within 3  business days from the date the package was received. 

My bottles are all at different fill levels, and some of them are not completely full. Why?!

All of our fragrances are sold by weight and not by volume. They are all individually weighed by hand on digital scales accurate to 1/1000th of an ounce.   Our oils vary widely in density, and thus a 16-oz. bottle ofSpecial Edition Vanilla (one of our densest oils) appears to be over 1/3 empty.  We do receive many questions about the fill level of our fragrances, but unfortunately, since all the large oil vendors sell the oils to *us* by weight, we have to weigh out each and every bottle we sell, rather than simply filling them up to the top as we could if they were sold to us by volume.

I'm not sure if I'm going to like what I ordered -- is your merchandise returnable?

Our merchandise is NOT returnable, so please select carefully, and when in doubt, opt for the smallest size offered. (We're unable to accept returns because we can no longer vouch for the contents of a bottle, once it's left our hands.)

I had a friend who ordered some soapmaking supplies over the internet and got really burned -- the stuff was just no good. How do I know that won't happen if I order from Sweet Cakes?

The internet, sadly, is home to many purveyors of substandard fragrance oils -- ones that reek of chemicals, are highly diluted, and/or cause soap to seize. One thing to keep in mind when shopping for fragrance oils is that if the prices are too good to be true, then they're too good to be true -- regardless of any superlatives the seller may employ in describing their product. Research is your ally, as well -- search the web and newsgroups for positive or negative mentions of prospective vendors. We feel very confident in making this suggestion because the comment we hear most often from first-time orderers is "I was surfing around on the 'Net and your name kept coming up as the best place to buy fragrances." In addition, Sweet Cakes has been listed as a source for fragrance oils and/or soap base in Handcraft Illustrated magazine, in Martha Stewart's syndicated newspaper column, in the projects section of HGTV's monthly magazine, and on "The B. Smith Show."

Do you ship to post office boxes?

No, we are not able to. UPS will not deliver to PO Boxes, and the US Postal Service will not insure packages that contain liquid-filled glass bottles.

Do you accept COD orders?

No, we do not.  If you are not a fan of credit cards, please contact us via phone or email with your order; we'll give you the final total including S&H.  Upon receipt of your money order, we'll ship your order out within 1-3 business days.

Can I have a list of the fragrance oils that discolor CP soaps?

While we wish it were as easy as saying "oils X, Y, and Z will discolor," it is not. The only thing that we can say for certain is that anything with vanilla mentioned in the description is prone to discoloration to some shade of brown, be it pale tan all the way up to chocolate brown (the exceptions on our site being White Vanilla and Fruity Vanilla, which do not discolor).  Virtually ALL fragrances have the potential to discolor soap -- if this is an issue for you we suggest that you do a small test batch with the recipe of your choice to see if the color change is within acceptable margins for your project.

How long do I have  to cancel an order?

You may cancel any order for up to 15 minutes after it is placed. If more time has elapsed, we will be happy to cancel any order that hasn't already been pulled, packed, and/or shipped.   If you cancel an order that's already been shipped, you will be charged for postage to you and back to us again, plus a 20% restocking fee. This same policy applies to refused shipments.