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.
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 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.
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
- Mixing pitchers
- Immersion blender
- Silicone spatulas
- Funnel pitchers
- Infrared thermometer
- Digital scale
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.
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.
Cold process soap DIYs and Design Ideas:
Lavender EO Hanger Swirl Cold Process Soap DIY
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
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