How Fragrance Creation Affects Cold-Processed Soap Making

When making cold-processed soap, the addition of fragrance oils can cause the soap batter to thicken more quickly than usual, which is known as acceleration. This can be a problem when creating swirl techniques, as it leaves a limited amount of time to mould the soap. Some fragrance oils, such as Ginger Lime, are known to cause acceleration, while others, such as Energy, Blackberry Sage Cybilla, Tobacco & Bay Leaf and Yuzu, are non-accelerating. It's important to only use fragrance oils that have been tested in cold process soap, as some oils can also cause ricing or separation.

Some fragrance oils cause soap to accelerate quickly, leaving a limited amount of time to mould soap

Some fragrance oils cause soap to accelerate very quickly, leaving a limited amount of time to mould soap. Each fragrance oil is composed of numerous ingredients, and the unique blend of ingredients has differing effects on cold process soap. For example, the time it takes for the oils/butters to emulsify with the lye solution, also known as trace, varies with the addition of each fragrance oil.

Acceleration is perhaps the most common issue caused by fragrance oils in soap. Acceleration is when the soap batter thickens more quickly than usual. Sometimes acceleration can be quite extreme, or it can be slight. Fragrance oils have the potential to cause ricing, acceleration and even separation. That’s why it’s important to only use fragrance oils that have been tested in cold process soap.

Floral scents tend to accelerate, although not in all cases. It is recommended to always check the manufacturer’s notes on whether the fragrance oil accelerates or not, and to understand how they test to come up with that information. Knowing the formulation they use is important because in most cases you will be using a different formulation. Understanding the differences is important so that you can prepare and make a plan.

Non-accelerating fragrance oils are important for creating swirl techniques. If you’re looking for a non-accelerating fragrance oil, check out the list below! According to our tests, these fragrance oils will not cause your soap to accelerate. That being said, keep in mind other things can lead to acceleration, including the oils in your recipe, temperatures and additives.

Non-accelerating fragrance oils are important for creating swirl techniques

Fragrance oils are composed of numerous ingredients, and the unique blend of ingredients has differing effects on cold-processed soap. For example, the time it takes for the oils/butters to emulsify with the lye solution, also known as trace, varies with the addition of each fragrance oil. Some fragrance oils cause soap to accelerate very quickly, leaving a limited amount of time to mould the soap. Acceleration is when the soap batter thickens more quickly than usual. Sometimes acceleration can be quite extreme, or it can be slight.

When creating swirl techniques, it's important to have enough time to work with the soap before it sets. Non-accelerating fragrance oils give soap-makers more time to create intricate designs and patterns. By using non-accelerating fragrance oils, soap-makers can achieve more complex and detailed swirl techniques.

Some fragrance oils that are known to accelerate cold-processed soap include floral scents and ginger lime fragrance oil. It's important to always check the manufacturer's notes on whether a fragrance oil accelerates or not and understand how they test for this information. Knowing the formulation they use is important because, in most cases, you will be using a different formulation. Understanding the differences is key so that you can prepare and make a plan.

Fragrance oils can cause ricing, acceleration and even separation

Non-accelerating fragrance oils are important for creating swirl techniques. If you’re looking for a non-accelerating fragrance oil, check the manufacturer’s notes on whether the fragrance oil accelerates or not and understand how they test to come up with that information. Knowing the formulation they use is important because in most cases you will be using a different formulation. Understanding the differences is important so that you can prepare and make a plan.

There are a few ways to work with a scent to slow it down, including heating it with a fixed oil before adding.

Floral scents tend to accelerate

Fragrance oils can cause cold process soap to accelerate, which is when the soap batter thickens more quickly than usual. This can leave a limited amount of time to mould the soap. Floral scents tend to accelerate, but not always. It's important to check the manufacturer's notes on whether the fragrance oil accelerates and understand how they test for this information. Knowing the formulation they use is also important because you will likely be using a different one.

Some fragrance oils cause ricing, acceleration and even separation. This is why it's important to only use fragrance oils that have been tested in cold process soap. Acceleration can be quite extreme, or it can be slight.

Non-accelerating fragrance oils are important for creating swirl techniques. Some non-accelerating fragrance oils include Energy, Blackberry Sage Cybilla, Tobacco & Bay Leaf and Yuzu.

There are a few ways to work with accelerating scents to slow them down, including heating them with a fixed oil before adding.

Ginger Lime Fragrance Oil accelerates cold process soap

Ginger Lime Fragrance Oil does accelerate cold process soap. Acceleration is when the soap batter thickens more quickly than usual, which can leave a limited amount of time to mould the soap. This is caused by the unique blend of ingredients in each fragrance oil.

Some fragrance oils are non-accelerating, which is important for creating swirl techniques. Non-accelerating fragrance oils include Energy, Blackberry Sage Cybilla, Tobacco & Bay Leaf, and Yuzu.

It is important to only use fragrance oils that have been tested in cold process soap. Bramble Berry has a thorough testing process to make sure all its fragrance oils behave well.

To slow down the acceleration of Ginger Lime Fragrance Oil, you can heat it with a fixed oil before adding it to your soap.

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