Buying essential oil samples in Portland OR?

November 2, 2019 10:12 PM

Hi! I'm going to try my hand at candle making for loved ones for Christmas. Is there a place in Portland where I can buy tiny samples of essential oils? I don't really want to buy full bottles because if I hate making candles then I will have wasted a bunch of money. Thanks!
posted by fairlynearlyready to Shopping (7 answers total)

Do you have a TJ Maxx near you? I see essential oils there all the time and they also come in single bottles or packs of 3-6 for less than $10.
posted by Constance Mirabella at 10:37 PM on November 2, 2019

Liberty Natural Products. Just outside Portland, but a go-to essential oil shop. Wholesale to the public. Ships fast.
0.02 oz I believe is the size you'd want to price.
posted by Nosmot at 12:35 AM on November 3, 2019 [1 favorite]

Best answer: I made candles for gifts last year and most instructions said not to use essential oils but specific scents formulated for candles. I found a set of these at Michael’s.
posted by xo at 4:51 AM on November 3, 2019 [2 favorites]

Best answer: 2nding xo's comment. Sorry to provide a sideways answer.... Many essential oils don't do so well in candles and may even smell like burning fuel. That said, fragrance oils are tested for candle use and can usually be found at Michael's or similar big craft stores. They are generally around $4-7 a vial. I think this might be in the price range of any essential oil samples you may find.

If you are set on using essential oils (I get it, fragrance oils aren't a very attractive option when you had natural oils in mind) maybe try some homemade soaps!
posted by eggs at 5:24 AM on November 3, 2019

Best answer: Periodically, CandleScience sells samples of fragrance oil for $.99. I have no idea if they'll do another sale in time for you to try this, but if you do like candle making you might like to sign up for their email list for the next sale.
posted by shirobara at 5:51 AM on November 3, 2019

Best answer: If you're ok with using Facebook, "buy nothing" is active in Portland. It's where to go to borrow a cup of sugar or a few drops of fragrance oil from people who live near you.
posted by aniola at 9:05 AM on November 4, 2019

Response by poster: Thanks AskMe - you all really helped me out by explaining that fragrance oil is different than essential oil - I didn't know that! I ended up buying a bunch of samples of fragrance oil on Etsy and I have now successfully made 2 batches of candles!
posted by fairlynearlyready at 11:57 AM on December 4, 2019