Hanger Swirl Saffron and Oud Cold Process Soap DIY

Today I wanted to share a cold process soap DIY using the hanger swirl technique. This one is one of my favorites to use when I have scents that accelerate a bit. The fragrance oil I am using in this saffron and oud cold process soap DIY is from the Brambleberry Desert Romance Collection. This saffron and ould scent is my favorite of all the scents in that collection. All the fragrance oils are great, but this one is just wonderful. The description of the fragrance oil indicated mild acceleration. I did not experience the mild acceleration in this soap, but I had taken that into consideration when planning this soap, just in case.

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In this saffron and oud cold process soap, I used three colors, a lovely red/orange color mica along with a green and a yellow. I tried to match those wonderful views and pictures of cacti flowers that I saw during our Palo Duro canyon trip. I think the scent and the colors are just perfect together.

The goal of the hanger swirl technique is to create beautiful and intricate swirls that give each soap unique and lovely designs. For the hanger swirl technique, a medium trace of the soap batter is best. It is important to use a fragrance oil that behaves well and gives you enough time to pour. Even with the note of mild acceleration, this soap behaved very well. I also limited the use of the immersion blender to a minimum to ensure I kept the soap batter flowing.

The soap notes also indicated that there is no discoloration so I am super excited about the colors I chose for this soap and I know that the soap will not change colors due to any vanillin in the fragrance oil.

My favorite cold process soap additives

Two of my favorite cold process soap 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. For this saffron and oud cold process soap I also added tussah silk, it just makes the soap so much smoother and lovely in my opinion.

Kaolin clay

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

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.

The hanger swirl technique for cold process soaps is a more advanced technique. With this technique, you want to pay good attention to the trace and move quickly to make sure you have enough time to pour all the batter. This soap design technique is one of my favorites, even though it is considered advanced is fairly simple and straightforward. Each soap will be unique in its design.

Another thing to pay attention to when making this soap is to make sure you use good micas. Sometimes mica colorants can accelerate the batter. For this soap, I used always a bridesmaid, from Mad Micas and apple moss green and gold sparkle from Brambleberry. However, the ones I recommend below are great for soapmaking.

Making soaps using the hanger swirl technique for cold process soaps

Hanger swirl cold process soaps, four soaps side view of the saffron and oud cold process soaps.

Additional equipment needed for cold process soap making at home

Finished Saffron and Oud cold process soap side-top view of four soaps.

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.

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.

I want the 25 recipes!

Step by Step cold process soap DIY – using the clamshell technique for cold process soaps

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 in the mica colorants
Pour the orange/red color soap batter first, this is the largest amount of soap batter.
Pour the green soap batter and the gold soap batter from side to side.
Follow the steps 9 and 10 until most of the batter is poured.
Use a hanger insert on the soap batter on the mold. Make swirls using an infinity sign motion from the bottom to the top of the mold. A few 3 to 4 times is more than enough to get great designs.
Finish decorating the top of the soap with any leftover 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 saffron and oud cold process soap using the hanger swirl technique for cold process soaps.

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.