In this Beautiful Life cold process soap DIY I am sharing some advice on how to handle a soap that is accelerating. I started with a plan to do a lovely hanger swirl design but this soap decided to take a turn and accelerate. I immediately had to pivot and ended up getting the soap into the mold as fast as possible with an improvised in-the-pot design. The fragrance oil that I am using has floral and sweet notes, it is very perfumy since it is a comparable version of a lovely perfume. As soon as I added the fragrance oil the soap discolored a bit, I knew the fragrance oil had some vanillin because of the sweet aroma but was not expecting it to turn yellow right away.
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I decided to share this post even when the soap is not so “pretty” or at least not as pretty as I wanted it to be to share a few things to consider when you are facing an accelerating soap.
The fragrance oil I used in this Beautiful Life cold process soap is La Vie Est Belle comparable to the lovely perfume. It is a very strong scent with floral and sweet notes. I used the Pink Sippers mica from Wholesale Supply Plus and the Island Sunset and Silver Mist micas from Nurture Soap. Nurture soap and Mad Micas are some of my favorite places to purchase good quality mica for the soaps that I make and sell.
I initially planned a lovely hanger swirl design for this soap, however I experienced acceleration and had to immediately pivot.
A few things I recommend with making cold process soap and you see the soap quickly accelerating are first, not to panic. Even if you cannot get the soap into the mold there are other things that you can do to still get a good soap.
What to keep in mind when working with an accelerating fragrance oil
- Review the supplier notes for each fragrance oil that you plan to use. Good suppliers will provide information regarding acceleration and discoloring so that you can plan accordingly.
- With the notes on the fragrance oil plan your design. I like to plan simple designs when I know that there is a possibility that the soap batter will accelerate. For accelerating scents, my designs are usually an In The Pot Swirl, a Layered Design, or if mild acceleration, then I like using the hanger swirl technique. I share all of these in some of the cold process soaps DIY in this blog.
- Know that even with supplier notes on the fragrance oil, the soap can still accelerate based on your specific soap formulation. Suppliers usually share what formulation they use for their fragrance testing, I usually compare the amount of hard oils and butters with the percentage I use in my soaps. Generally, I use a large amount of hard oils and butters and I want to consider this as well. This can also impact how fast the soap will accelerate. With this in mind, I know that if a supplier states mild acceleration, it could be faster for me as I have a larger percentage of hard oils that can move the process even faster.
- Lastly, the temperature of the soapmaking process in combination with the formulation used can also accelerate the soap. If you are using a formulation with a large percentage of hard oils, you want to make sure that these remain at a temperature that will keep the oils and butters fully melted. If these are starting to solidify, there will certainly be some acceleration in your soapmaking process.
If all this fails, the last thing I recommend is to get the soap into a slow cooker and make a hot process soap instead. This will limit your colors and designs but you will still have a good usable soap with a lovely scent.
My favorite cold process soap additives
Two of my favorite cold process soap making additives are kaolin clay and colloidal oatmeal. I add them to almost all of my soaps because of the wonderful properties they add to the soaps.
Kaolin clay is a very gentle clay used in many cosmetics and face masks. It is not only gentle on the skin but it is also great for anchoring the scents in the soaps. I also think it gives a great slip to the soaps that make the soap super luxurious.
Colloidal oatmeal is also used in several skin care products and is considered a skin protectant. It helps retain moisture on the skin. It is very soothing and is usually recommended for people with dry skin. You can skip it but I like it in my soaps because of its excellent skin properties.
Another additive that I tend to add to the soaps is tussah silk. I love how it makes the soap so much smoother and with a lovely silky glide.
I encourage you to take a lot of notes as well, it is a great reference when making your next batch of soap.
How to make cold process soap – Beautiful Life Cold Process Soap
Additional equipment needed for cold process soap making at home
- Mixing pitchers
- Immersion blender
- Silicone spatulas
- Funnel pitchers
- Infrared thermometer
- Digital scale
Recipes and techniques for making cold process soap at home
Check out the posts linked below for several free cold process soap recipes and techniques. I hope you find one that is perfect for you.
Hanger Swirl Almond Marzipan Cold Process Soap DIY
Clamshell Technique Cold Process Soap DIY
Handmade Cold Process Soap Making
All Natural Aloe Vera Cold Process Soap
In this Kiss Pour and Handmade Mold DIY I not only give you a recipe and another fun technique to use, I also share how to make a mold using a cardboard milk box.
Summer Vibes Double In the Pot Swirl Cold Process Soap DIY
Coconut Milk & Coconut Water Cold Process Soap
Mahogany & Amber Cold Process Soap
Hibiscus Guava Fresca Cold Process Soap Layers – Tiger Stripe Technique
Ready to start making your own cold process soaps? Then this eBook with 25 different cold process soap formulations is the perfect resource. With so many formulations, you will have lots of inspiration to experiment and find the perfect one.
This eBook also includes best practices to modify the formulations to your liking.
Step by Step In the Pot Swirl Beautiful Life Cold Process Soap DIY
- Weigh out the butters and coconut oil and melt them in the microwave
- Add the liquid oils to the melted butters
- Weigh out the water in a separate container
- Weigh out the sodium hydroxide (lye) needed for the soap in a separate container
- Sprinkle the sodium hydroxide (lye) into the water and mix well, then allow to cool to 85-90 degrees F
- Add the lye water solution to the melted oils and butters
- Mix using the immersion blender for only a few seconds until you achieve a light trace
- Split the batter into three separate containers and mix the Sexy Pink Slippers mica colorant into one of the soap containers the Silver Mist mica into a second container and the Island Sunset mica in the smallest container.
- Add the Silver Mist and Island Sunset soap batters into the big container with the pink soap and use a spatula to mix the colors. One or two swirls is enough.
- Pour the soap batter into the mold.
- Decorate the top of the soap using the remaining soap batter
- Allow the soap to go through the saponification process for at least 24 hours
- Cut the soap and allow it to cure for four to six weeks
I hope you enjoy making this cold process soap.
You can learn more about cold process soap making in Cold process soap making most common questions answered in one place. This post summarizes all the questions I get about cold process soap making.
Cold process soap DIYs and Design Ideas:
Saffron and Oud Hanger Swirl Cold Process Soap DIY
Cashmere Fig Cold Process soap with In The Pot Swirl
Marbled Technique Cold Process Soap DIY
All Natural Facial Cold Process Soap with Activated Charcoal and Rose Clay
How to make soap dough embeds for cold process soap
Refreshing Avobath Perfect for Spring and Summer Cold Process Soap DIY
Cold Process Soapmaking with 25 unique formulations
Have you ever wanted to take control of the ingredients that go on your skin and make it a hobby or a business opportunity at the same time? This is exactly what I wanted several years ago when I was trying to figure out how to stop dry skin and start making my own natural products. I spent several months doing research and trying to understand the process and went over so many websites. I wished there was one single place to get all the information I needed to feel comfortable.
This is why I decided to create this ebook with lots of great information and 25 different formulations that can help you get started and put you on the right path for cold process soap making.
One of the main reasons you will fall in love with soapmaking is that you have full control of the ingredients you use to make your perfect batch of cold process soap for your needs. Cold process soap making is also a wonderful hobby that allows you to create a beautiful practical piece of art as well.
With 25 different formulations, best practices to tweak and some ideas on how you can test your batches, this ebook is the perfect resource to get you started.
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