Iced Vanilla Woods Cold Process Soap DIY

This Iced Vanilla Woods cold process soap DIY is perfect for winter. I was told that this scent is a bestseller for some of the soap making companies and I had to try it. This is a double-layer design with an in-the-pot swirl design on the top layer. It took me a moment to come up with a design for this scent because the scent contains vanillin and it will discolor. Nonetheless, I wanted to create a fun and unique design with this wintery vanilla woods cold process soap.

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In this cold process soap DIY, I am using the in-the-pot technique. This one is one of my favorites to use when I have scents that accelerate a bit. This fragrance oil certainly accelerated but it was not too bad. I was glad I had a plan! The scent is perfect for winter, I can see why it is a favorite for many. I think it is great for soaps for either women or men. Perfect for the whole family! The description of the fragrance oil indicated mild acceleration. I did experience some acceleration in this soap, but I had considered that when planning this soap, just in case.

I recommend taking good notes on how the soap behaves and always planning your soaps. There have been times that even with a good plan I had to improvise and change the plan on the fly because of acceleration due to the fragrance oil. This iced vanilla woods cold process soap accelerated a bit but it was a joy to make.

The soap notes indicated that this fragrance oil causes discoloration. With that, I decided to keep the color simple and added just enough of the brown color mica to even out the color of the bottom layer.

For the top layer in the pot swirl, I used a gorgeous blue mica and titanium dioxide.

My favorite cold process soap additives – I add these to all of my soaps!

My favorite cold process soap additives are kaolin clay and colloidal oatmeal. I add them to all of my soaps because of the wonderful properties they add to the soaps.

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.

Iced vanilla woods cold process soap four soaps side top view. DIY by Eccentricities by JVG and Jas and Jul Soaps.

The in-the-pot swirl technique for cold process soaps is one of my favorites, even though it is considered a simple technique it yields beautiful, intricate, and unique designs each time.

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 a brown color mica from Mad Micas, a lovely blue color from Mad Micas as well, and titanium dioxide for the white. Titanium dioxide also tends to accelerate trace, so keep that in mind as well when making this soap.

Making soaps using double layer and in-the-pot swirl technique for cold process soaps – Iced Vanilla Woods Cold Process Soap

Additional equipment needed for cold process soap making at home

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, but 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 Iced Vanilla Woods Cold Process soap DIY – using the hanger swirl 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 – For this soap, I replaced the water with aloe vera juice from my plants at home.
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 aloe vera 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 brown color in the large bowl, the blue mica in the medium container, and the titanium dioxide in the smaller container
Pour the brown color soap batter first, this is the largest amount of soap batter.
Pour the white batter over the blue color batter in the medium container and make a swirl motion in the container
Pour the blue and white mix of soap batter over the brown soap batter
Decorate the top of the soap with any leftover soap batter
Allow the soap to go through the saponification process for at least 24 hours
Unmold and cut the soap and allow it to cure for four to six weeks

I hope you enjoy making this coffee shop cold process soap using the in-the-pot 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.