Cold Process Soap Essential Oils
Even if you’re new to cold process soap making, just having the basic knowledge of the right essential oils to use and the ways to combine them can be of a big help.
How, you may wonder? Let’s see, I bet you would want to create a bar of soap that looks luxurious, feels smooth and smells heavenly. And all of this, depends on what and how you mix your ingredients. Which is why we would like to introduce our blog piece that explores which scented oils to use and what are the little mistakes that impact the longevity of your scented soap.
How to use essential oils for cold process soap making
First things first, think about what kind of soap you want to create. You can even imagine your soap bar to the minutest detail. Think about the scent. The scent will help you decide which essential oil to use. Say I want to create a soap that smells flowery with a fruity spin then I will choose an oil blend of lavender essential oil, sweet orange essential oil and rose essential oil.
Since you have already decided the oil you want to use, you also know what properties your soap is going to have. In this case, this oil blend is known for its skin calming and acne controlling elements.
Begin with gently stirring the mixture of lye and water. You can set it aside for once. Next, in a bowl take a blend of carrier oils like coconut oil and olive oil. Ready your soap colouring and essential oils in two seperate bowls.
In the bowl containing carrier oils, carefully add the lye solution and stir using a blender. Once the mixture becomes slightly thick and fluffy (exactly like thick pancake batter), you can add in the soap coloring. Fold in the solution with a steady hand. Lastly pour in some measured amount of the decided blend. Keep stirring to prevent the air bubbles from forming. Understand the oil profile and dilution ratios using this chart of soap making oils and pick the ones that resonate the most with you.
You can now pour it in a soap mold. Personally, I would use a flower shaped mold for obvious reasons. Let it settle for about 48-72 hours before taking it out.
Congratulations, for you have successfully made your very own batch of handmade soaps.
PS. Confused about what quantity of essential oils to use? Check out our blog on
How Much Essential Oil to Use in Soap Making?
7 Best essential oils for cold process soaps
Here is our meticulously compiled list of best essential oils for cold process soap.
1. Rose essential oil
Roses have always been the symbol of beauty and royalty. But it is not the mere symbolism that draws soapmakers and perfumers towards the rose essential oil. No, it is the deep floral aroma and skin rejuvenating properties of this oil that make it an all time classic ingredient for soaps.
2. Vetiver essential oil
As summer returns, so does the pile of vetiver essential oil infused soaps in the market. If you also spend long summer hours practicing for football matches or preparing for marathons, this soap is perfect for you. The cooling essence of vetiver gently cleanses the body of the dirt and sweat to prevent body hives and acne while providing comfort on the sunburnt areas of the body.
3. Cinnamon bark essential oil
There is much more to cinnamon bark essential oil than just its scent. The refreshing nature of these soaps can help with something serious like cooling down a fever-ridden body. Or these soaps can be used for a simple late night shower to lift your spirits before you go off to bed.
4. Ylang ylang essential oil
You may find that washing your face with ylang ylang essential oil infused soaps is almost as good as using an expensive face wash. These soaps not only look hydrating, but they play the part too. Personally, what I like the best about this oil is that I can mix it with my favourite scented oils like lavender essential oil or sandalwood essential oil.
5. Patchouli essential oil
Beat the winter blues with the warm and comforting scent of patchouli essential oil soap. The deep moisturising and skin plumping properties only serve as an incentive to get you out of your bed and take that hot water shower.
6. Champaca essential oil
It is true that champaca essential oil leans a bit on the pricier side. But it makes up for its high cost, with its vital ability to reduce fine lines and improve the appearance of under eye bags. If your skin has been feeling dry and stretchy as the weather changes, this soap bar will provide deep nourishment with each wash.
7. Geranium essential oil
If you are also suffering from stubborn acne and pigmentation that just wouldn’t go away, including geranium essential oil in your skin care ritual can help. The diluted essence of geranium will balance the oil production on your skin while ridding the skin of acne causing bacteria.
Why essential oils fade in cold process soaps
During soap making you finally get to see the chemistry you learnt in school at work. It is a given that chemical mixtures don’t always turn out the way you want them to.
Even the tiniest changes in the process like using higher temperatures than recommended can lead to loss of scent and the benefits of essential oils.
How you store your soap bar also plays a role in cold process soap scent retention.
This is why labels often ask you to store your soaps in cool, dry cabinets instead of in the open where it is exposed to direct sunlight or humidity.
If you want pocket friendly soap oils that also last long, citrusy essential oils are then not the best option. I have noticed that with citrus essential oils such as bergamot essential oil, tangerine essential oil or blood orange essential oil you need to put in more essential oil, lest their light and airy scent floats away very quickly.
List of essential oils that fade in soap
Here is a list of essential oils that fade in soap faster;
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Spearmint essential oil
A quick guide to improving scent retention
Let’s quickly review the changes you should be making to your soap making procedure to improve the soap’s scent retention.
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Start by using essential oils that are easy to work with. We have included a list of the top 10 essential oils for soap making that also last in cold process soap.
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Instead of a singular essential oil, use a combination of essential oils with different scents. Pick the faint scented Amyris essential oil as a base oil. Using such fixative essential oils for soap will allow the lighter scents to hold onto something without it overshadowing their own scent.
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Try using essential oils and fragrance oils together. Where essential oils will enrich your soap with therapeutic benefits, fragrance oils will infuse the soaps with a lasting scent.
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You can also mix essential oils in french green clay or rose clay for adding them to cold process soaps.
Conclusion
At the beginning soap making is much of a trial-and-error process. You might have trouble setting the correct temperature or maybe deciding what quantity of essential oils to use. But don’t worry, you’ll get a hang of it! Eventually… Just make sure that the ingredients that you’re using are pure and natural from day one.
At Aromachology oil we offer you a wide variety of wholesale essential oils, CO2 extracts, carrier oils, fragrance oils and absolute oils-basically everything you could need to start your soap making journey.
