When I set up my booth at shows or the Farmers' Market, I separate the soap tables by which soaps are 100% natural, and those that contain a fragrance oil, which is the only thing that's not natural in that soap. That way it's easy for those who are interested in strictly 100% natural soap to see what they have to choose from, and avoid the soaps with fragrance oils.
Sometimes I'm asked why I use fragrance oils and don't strictly do 100% natural soaps. My reasons are many. I personally don't have a problem using soaps containing fragrance oils, because I know they are high quality cosmetic fragrances. I only buy fragrances from reputable companies, never the "cheap imitation fragrances" I've heard other soapers refer to. Good quality fragrance oils aren't "cheap" to begin with, some are much more expensive than essential oils. I hold myself to a higher standard than that, and would never buy or use something in my soap that wasn't top quality (don't forget, my family uses the soaps too!). I scent my soaps at 1% of the recipe, so each bar contains a very small amount of fragrance, whether it's essental oils or fragrance oil.
There are many, many fragrances which people love, that just aren't available in a safe essential oil (not all essential oils are skin safe either). Scents that are very popular, such as Fresh Cut Grass, Black Raspberry Vanilla and Hardwood Musk just aren't going to happen unless I use a fragrance oil. I like bathing with scents such as Lime Margarita or Cleopatra's Treasure.
I also struggle with the "sustainability" of essential oils. Do you realize how much plant material it takes to make a tiny amount of essential oil? And what is the environmental impact of all the machinery used to plant, harvest and process the plants to make such a small amount of oil? Are those plants grown without pesticides? Are they processed without solvents? Here's an interesting link about essential oils: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Essential_oil#Production
If someone wants to live completely natural, I honor and applaud that. Whether you choose 100% natural soap, or those containing fragrance oils, handmade soap is still 100% better for you than commercial detergent bars. Guaranteed.
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