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Accelerating fragrance oils in cold-process soap can speed up the saponification process, thickening, and creating solid soap. However, overheating and discolouration should be considered. Adjusting the recipe to allow acceleration requires practice and consideration of design and avoidance of specific chemicals.
This article explores the issue of Accelerating Fragrance Oils, their causes, prevention methods, best fragrance oil design ideas, and recommended non-acceleration trace fragrance oils.
What Are Accelerating Fragrance Oils?
Accelerating fragrance oils in soap making accelerates the thickening of the soap batter, providing a desirable finish for thick soap trace designs, but it can be challenging for techniques like swirling or other time-consuming processes. Here are some examples of fragrance oils that accelerate the process:
- Spicy scents (like cinnamon or clove)
- Floral oils (like jasmine or rose)
- Some fruity fragrances
- Fragrances containing vanillin or aldehydes
Why Do Some Fragrance Oils Cause Soap to Thicken Fast?
Certain fragrance oils can accelerate the saponification process, causing soap to thicken and seize, resulting in a thicker batter. Factors such as oil composition, water discounting, high temperature, and the use of a stick blender can contribute to this process, including soap seizing fragrance oils.
High temperatures
High temperatures accelerate saponification, causing soap batter to thicken faster, potentially impacting swirled patterns and fragrance oils, possibly affecting desired effects.
Water discounting
Water discounting in soap making accelerates aroma thickening by concentrating the lye solution, accelerating saponification and emulsification, resulting in faster soap batter thickening.
How to Prevent Acceleration in Cold Process Soap
To prevent acceleration in cold process soap, use milder temperatures and slower-moving oils, avoid over-blending, adjust fragrance oil consumption, and use a hand whisk or spatula instead of a stick blender. Consider the following cold process soap tips:
Soap at Cooler Temperatures
Lower temperatures in soap making can reduce acceleration, allowing more time for design creation and avoiding issues like soap volcanoes and fast trace in soap caused by fragrance oils.
Avoid Water Discounting
Avoiding water discounts can prevent cold process soap from thickening and hardening, while using regular water amounts maintains a manageable trace and prevents issues with soap work.
Mix by hand.
Hand mixing in cold process soap reduces acceleration but increases trace time, necessitating a trade-off between speed and potential acceleration.
Work Quickly with Simple Designs
Another tip for managing soap acceleration is to work quickly with basic designs that can reduce acceleration in cold process soap, especially when using fragrance oils that accelerate, ensuring soap doesn't thicken too swiftly.
Add Fragrance Oils at Emulsion
Fragrance oils, when added to cold process soap emulsions, can accelerate the trace, although some oils may not. For preventing soap acceleration, add aroma oils at the trace or after and gently mix.
Best Soap Design Ideas for Accelerating Fragrance Oils
Select these soap design ideas for accelerating fragrance oils with a medium to thick trace, such as layered soaps, textured tops, and in-the-pot swirls, for optimal performance.
Layered soaps
Layered soap designs with fragrance oils can enhance batter thickening, but choose medium to thick trace designs and be aware of the soap batter's quick thickening tendency.
Textured tops
Textured tops and spoon plops are ideal for cold process soap production with accelerating fragrance oils, while layered motifs are suitable for thicker soap batter.
In-the-pot swirls
The "In-the-Pot (ITP) Swirl" design is suitable for accelerating fragrance oils in cold-process soap, creating simple and effective swirling patterns that speed up the soaping process.
The design ideas above are some of the best in cold process soap making that uses accelerating fragrance oils. You are welcome to explore additional techniques:
Recommended Fragrance Oils That Don’t Accelerate Trace
Fragrance oils like lavender, Citrus Burst, peppermint, etc., do not accelerate trace in soap making, as they are known to have no negative effects.
Lavender Fragrance Oil
Researchers have found that lavender fragrance oil and other citrus oils either decelerate or slow down trace levels in cold-process soap making.
Citrus-Based Fragrance Oil
Citrus-based fragrance oils are known to delay tracing in cold-process soap making, reducing the likelihood of acceleration.
Peppermint Fragrance Oil
Peppermint fragrance oil is a non-accelerating aroma in cold process soap production, preventing the soap batter from thickening faster than usual.
Apart from the above, essential oils like vetiver, eucalyptus, and vanilla are slow-moving, while rosemary and spearmint fragrance oils also reduce trace.
DIY Cold Process Soap Recipe (For Fast-Tracking Fragrance Oils)
Are you ready to try your abilities using an accelerating fragrance oil? This straightforward cold process soap recipe offers space to operate even with a quick trace. We've included a list of necessary equipment and materials, as well as a simple recipe, in this section.
Cold Process Soap Ingredients
- Olive Oil – 300 g
- Coconut Oil – 300 g
- Palm Oil – 200 g
- Castor Oil – 100 g
- Sodium Hydroxide (Lye) - 133 g
- Distilled water – 266 g
- Cinnamon Fragrance Oil (known to accelerate trace) - 30 g
- Optional: Red clay or natural colorants
Basic Equipment Required
The basic equipment required for this method is easily available and can be used for purposes other than cold process soap manufacture. Let's look at everything you'll need to get started.
Equipment Required for Soap Making
- Gloves—for keeping your hands safe during the procedure.
- Goggles—for keeping your eyes safe.
- Thermometer—for ensuring that the oils and lye solutions are at the appropriate temperature before mixing.
- Stick blender—for stirring and mixing the ingredients
- Mixing bowls—for placing the ingredients to be mixed
- Silicone mold—for forming or shaping the soap.
Process of Cold Soap Making
Beginners can easily create handmade cold-processed soap using accelerated fragrance oils with this simple cold-process soap-making recipe for experimentation.
- Put on goggles and gloves to get ready and measure your components precisely.
- Make the lye solution by adding lye to water gradually and letting it cool to 90–100°F.
- Melt the essential oils and allow them to cool to a comparable temperature as your lye.
- Combine lye and oils by gradually adding the lye to the oils. Don't over-blend; mix softly until you get a light emulsion.
- Now, incorporate fragrance oil by swiftly stirring in the cinnamon fragrance oil and pouring it.
- Pour straight into molds, along with oil and lye solution.
- Now, stir well; tap to pop bubbles; and spoon the top to create texture.
- Insulate and cover for twenty-four to forty-eight hours. Remove the mold and cure it for four to six weeks.
💡 Pro Tip: Use a simple mold and avoid intricate swirls with fast-tracing fragrances.
Conclusion
Mastering the use of accelerated fragrance oils in cold-process soap requires careful consideration of temperature, mixing processes, and design decisions to achieve desired outcomes while minimising issues like thickening and discolouration. This way, soap makers can create beautiful, well-crafted cold process soaps with accelerating fragrance oils that showcase their creativity.
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
Q1. Can I slow down the trace after adding a fast fragrance oil?
Yes, you can try to slow trace after adding a rapid scent oil; however, it may be difficult and depends on the intensity of the acceleration.
Q2. What happens if I add fragrance too early in the soap-making process?
Early fragrance addition in soap-making can cause discolouration, separation, increased trace, seizing, or hardening prematurely, posing risks to the final product.
Q3. Is it safe to mix essential oils and fragrance oils in the same batch?
Mixing essential oils and fragrance oils in the same batch is acceptable, but it's crucial to be aware of contents, interactions, and consumption limits.
Q4. What’s the best mold for fast-moving soap batter?
Silicone molds are ideal for quick soap tracing due to their flexibility and ease of release, even if the soap has not yet fully solidified.
