Tiger Stripes Technique Cold Process Soap DIY

Today I am super excited to share the tiger stripe technique for cold process soaps. This technique is a bit more advanced but it is fun to try it and as always, each soap has its unique design and as I like to say, each soap will be a unique piece of art.

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I have used this technique before using a tall and skinny mold but I wanted to show that it is still possible to create beautiful soaps using this technique in one of the most common 10-inch soap molds.

Because this technique requires a light trace, more fluid batter to pour I kept it simple with the scent and used my favorite: lavender essential oil.

Tiger stripes technique cold process soap DIY Pinterest Pin

Of course, if you have a favorite essential oil or fragrance oil that you are comfortable with, use that. I keep lots of lavender EO soaps at the house because it is one of our favorites but love experimenting and using other fragrance oils. For all of my soaps, whether for personal use or for sale in my Jas and Jul Soaps shop, I only use phthalate-free fragrance oils.

The micas I used for this tiger stripe technique cold process soap are from Wholesale Supplies Plus and Brambleberry, but I have used some purchased from Amazon in the past. If you are starting out, it would be good to get good micas, the ones I recommend below work well in cold process soaps.

I always add kaolin clay and colloidal oatmeal to my soaps

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. These two additives are great for the skin and I love them in my 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.

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.

Tiger stripes technique cold process soap, four soaps in top side view. Tiger stripe in orange and yellow on a teal green base.

The tiger stripe technique for cold process soaps is fairly easy to do but it requires a fluid batter so that it can be poured into a container with various colors before pouring into the soap mold. With this technique, you want to have a light trace. I recommend mixing the colors and the fragrance oil by mixing in the lye water solution with the immersion blender for only a few seconds to keep the soap batter fluid. The technique includes pouring the largest color on the mold first and then adding the additional colors on each side, then pouring on the long end of the mold.

The soap can be cut on the standard side or in the middle, both cutting techniques give a tiger stripe design for these soaps.

To cut the soap use a knife or a soap cutter.

Making and cutting Tiger Stripes Cold Process Soap

Additional equipment needed to make the Summer Fig cold process soap at home

Recipes and techniques for making cold process soap

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.

Making Cold Process Soap with an Accelerating Scent

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 – Summer Fig Cold Process Soap using the hanger swirl technique

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
Add the lavender essential oil and mix well by hand using a whisk
Split the batter into three separate containers and mix in the mica colorants – use the larger amount for the base color and smaller amounts of soap for the tiger stripes
Pour base color soap into a larger container
Using both hands from both sides of the container pour the additional colors of soap batter into the base soap – on opposite sides (see video above)
Prop the mold on towels on the far side and pour the batter on the long side going side to side on the long end
Repeat the pour step for all the batter and until the mold is filled
Decorate and swirl the top by adding rose petals, jasmine flower buds and lavender buds
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 have fun making this gorgeous tiger stipes cold process soap DIY.

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.