Cold Process Test Results

Cold Process Test Results

There are many variables that can affect how a fragrance oil can perform in cold process soap. You likely already know that if a fragrance oil contains vanillin you can expect browning.

Other common problems include acceleration – which is when the soap batter thickens quickly. Usually floral and spicy fragrances are the worst culprits for this.

We test our fragrances in cold process soap so you can have some idea of how they perform, but it’s still a good idea to make a smaller test batch yourself first before committing to a large slab of soap. Your recipe and method, or even the weather, could produce different results than us.

Our Test Recipe

25% Coconut Oil
25% Palm Oil
35% Canola Oil
10% Sweet Almond Oil
5% Castor Oil

5% fragrance, or the maximum allowed under IFRA category 9

Fragrance Oils Tested

Fragrance Name	Acceleration	Discolouration	Strength	Notes
Dark Poppies (Black Opium)	Yes, very fast	Tan Brown	Medium	Very quick acceleration, I barely had time to plop the soap batter into the mould. Discolours to a tan brown. It’s a shame this isn’t a great fragrance for CP soap because the scent holds well and it smells divine.
Spellbound (Love Spell)	None	None	Good	Lovely scent, no ricing, acceleration or discolouration.
Almond	None	Slight Yellowing	Light to Medium	Perfect pour, scent has a light to medium strength. No ricing or separation.
Aloe & White Lily	None	None	Good	Absolutely beautiful scent to work with which was a surprise considering many floral fragrances can cause issues with CP soap. No issues at all and the scent has held well.
Amour (Coco Chanel)	None	Tan Brown	Great	Nice strong scent. Easy to work with, though the discolouration is fairly brown.
Animalistic	None	None	Strong	Perfect pour, no ricing, no acceleration, no discoloration. Strong scent retention. The scent is amazing!
Aphrodisiac	None	None	Strong	Lovely scent in CP soap. Scent retention is strong.
Apple Cinnamon	None	Light Beige	Strong	Lovely warm fragrance. Soap at cooler temperatures.
Apricot	None	None	Strong	Soaps like a dream. No acceleration. No discoloration. Nice strong scent.
Aspen Winter	None	Dark Brown	Good	Lovely warm winter fragrance. Good scent retention.
Baby Powder	None	Light Brown	Medium to Strong	Perfect pour, no ricing, no acceleration, discolours to a brown. Medium to strong scent retention.
Baileys Kahlua	Moderate	Dark Brown	Good	A moderate amount of acceleration, but nothing too difficult to work with. Discolours very dark brown, so if you wanted to add any colours I would recommend separating a portion to be unscented. Scent cured to smell a bit like playdoh in my opinion!
Banana Pudding	None	Dark Brown	Good	Turned instantly yellow when I added the fragrance oil so I expected final brown discolouration. No acceleration or any other issues. Nice strong scent which has been likened to the old fashioned banana lollies we used to eat as kids in the 80’s 🙂
Beach Daisies	Moderate	None	Mild	Accelerated trace, no discolouration, a very fresh scent especially for summer months. Some have reported ricing.
Birds of Paradise	Moderate	None	Strong	Very nice floral, no discoloration, scent stays strong, no ricing, moderate acceleration. Soap at low temp. Move fast.
Bite Me	None	None	Strong	Perfect Pour, no ricing, no acceleration, no discoloration, very strong scent.
Black Amethyst	None	Light Beige	Medium	Some discolouration, but nothing that will affect using colours.
Black Cherry Bomb	None	None	Strong	Perfect Pour, no ricing, no acceleration, no separation, no discolouration. Very Strong!
Black Linen & Amber	None	None	Good	Perfect pour, no ricing, no acceleration, no separation, no discolouration. Nice clean scent.
Black Raspberry & Vanilla	None	None	Strong	Perfect pour. Great scent to work with. Great fragrance retention. This is a best seller!
Black Tie	None	Very Light Tan	Strong	Nice strong unisex scent.
Bliss (Euphoria)	None	Very Light Tan	Strong
Blood Orange	None	None	Strong	Beautiful fragrance to work with. A best seller. Great scent retention.
Brazilian Beach Bod	None	Yellow	Mild	No acceleration so lots of time to work an intricate design. Mild scent.
Breezes & Sunshine	None	None	Strong	Nice strong scent retention.
Brown Sugar & Fig	None	Toffee	Mild	Perfect pour, no ricing, no acceleration, discolours to a butterscotch toffee. Light scent retention.
Bubblegum	None	Dark Brown	Good
Bulgarian Rose	None	None	Good	Very surprised there was no acceleration considering floral fragrances tend to move fast. This fragrance soaped beautifully and has a nice scent retention.
Buttered Popcorn	None	Light Beige	Good	No ricing, fairly easy to work with. Good scent retention.
Cafe Mocha	None	Chocolate Brown	Good	Lovely creamy coffee aroma with chocolatey undertones.
Camellia & Lotus	None	Beige	Strong	Lovely fragrance to work with. Does discolour somewhat, but I was still able to work with colours. Strong scent retention that leaves a lovely skin smell after showering.
Candy Cane	None	None	Medium	Slow to trace with no acceleration. Plenty of time to work with. Medium scent retention.
Caramel	None	Caramel – Amber Tan	Medium	Perfect pour. No ricing, no acceleration, discolours to a caramel tan. Medium scent retention.
Chica (Miss Dior)	Yes	Slight yellow	Mild	Don’t plan on any fancy designs with this fragrance. Prepare to move very quickly. Discolouration isn’t so bad that you can’t work with it. Mild scent retention.
Chocolate	None	Dark Brown	Good	Perfect pour, no ricing, no acceleration, discolours to a bright gold, but then turns to a dark chocolate brown
Christmas Cabin	Mild	Light Caramel	Good	Some acceleration, slight separation, but does stick blend back in. Discolors to a light caramel.
Christmas Night	None	None	Strong	I really liked working with this fragrance – it’s very slow moving so you have plenty of time for designs. Scent holds nice and strong.
Christmas Time	None	None	Medium	Slow to trace with no acceleration. Plenty of time to work with. Medium scent retention.
Cinnamon Sticks	None	Light Beige	Good	Lovely warm fragrance. Soap at cooler temperatures. Note the very low usage rate.
Citrus Explosion (Lime, Basil & Mandarin)	None	None	Strong	This is a beautiful strong citrus scent. Holds well over time.
Clean Linen	Mild	None	Strong	Some acceleration. No ricing, no separation. No discolouration. Strong scent.
Clean Shaven	None	None	Strong	Perfect pour, no ricing, no acceleration, no discoloration. Strong scent retention. Easy to work with.
Coconut	None	Beige	Mild
Coconut Lime	None	None	Good	Perfect pour, no ricing, no acceleration, no discoloration, very clean and very fresh.
Coffee Flower & Vanilla	Heavy	Light Beige	Strong	Lovely strong scent, but heavy acceleration. Also, heated up in the mould to go full gel phase very quickly. Soap cool and don’t plan any designs.
Cranberry	None	Very Light Beige	Mild	Lovely scent to work with, no issues. Mild scent.
Creamy Coconut	None	Light Brown	Mild
Crimson Lollies	None	Orange – Beige	Mild	Lovely to work with, ample time to do designs. Mild scent.
Crystal Blue Waters	None	Almond Milk	Great	Well behaved. No acceleration or ricing. Great scent strength.
Cuban Affair (Cuban Tobacco)	None	Yellow	Medium	Very easy to work with. Lots of time for design with no acceleration. Medium scent retention.
Cucumber Ginger & Mint	None	None	Subtle	Well behaved. Plenty of time to work with – no acceleration. Subtle but fresh scent.
Cypress Forest	None	None	Good	Very nice fragrance to work with. I wasn’t sure how nice this fragrance would be in soap, but it has turned into a lovely fresh smelling bar of soap!
Dark Musk	None	None	Good
Dark Suede (Tuscan Leather)	None	None	Medium	Very easy to work with. Scent is subtle at first, but after curing for 9 months the fragrance is holding well.
Dragon’s Blood	None	Dark Tan	Strong
Dragonfruit Chipotle	None	None	Good	Very easy scent to work with. It was fun trying to match the bright pink with white speckled colours
Egyptian Musk	Light to Medium	None	Light	Some acceleration however I was still able to work with colours. Don’t plan on a design that needs a fluid batter, but multi colours are possible.
Eternal Grace (Chanel No 5)	None	Slight Yellow	Great	Perfect pour, no ricing, no acceleration, slight yellow discolouration, amazing scent that lasts a very long time.
Eucalyptus Spearmint	None	None	Good	Lovely fresh and clean scent. Stays strong.
Exotic Potion (Poison)	None	Almond Milk	Good	Soaped beautifully. No acceleration and lots of time to work with. Very slight discolouration about the shade of almond milk which is easy to colour. Good scent strength.
Exotic Woods	None	Dark Caramel	Strong	Lovely to work with. No acceleration, plenty of time for designs. Initial discolouration to bright yellow which turns to a caramel brown. Strong scent.
Floral Explosion (Flowerbomb)	None	Mid Brown	Good	I was expecting acceleration but there was none – plenty of time to work with. Good scent retention.
Frankincense & Myrrh	None	Light Brown	Good	Please note the low usage rate for soap.
Freesia	Moderate	None	Good	No ricing, some moderate acceleration which is common to floral fragrances, no discolouration.
French Lavender	None	None	Strong	A very pleasant floral fragrance to soap with. Good scent retention.
French Pear	None	Tan	Strong	Soaps very well, no acceleration. Discolours to a tan brown. Scent stays nice and strong. A best seller!
French Vanilla	None	Dark Brown	Good
Fresh Cut Roses	Possible	None	Strong	No discolouration, no separation, very strong scent retention. We’ve had reports of this fragrance ricing or accelerating on occasion, but others with no issues. Soap at cooler temps to be safe and be prepared to move fast if necessary.
Fresh Peach	None	None	Light	Very well behaved, no acceleration, no ricing, no separation, no discolouration. Very light scent retention.
Frosted Pinecones	Heavy	Butterscotch	Strong	Heavy acceleration, no separation. Scent is strong. Discolours to butterscotch. Low usage rate for soap.
Ginger Pomelo	None	None	Medium	Very easy fragrance to soap with. Plenty of time for design. Medium scent retention.
Gingerbread	None	Light Beige	Good
Green Tea & Lemongrass	None	None	Strong	Lovely fresh and clean scent. Stays strong.
Green Tea	None	None	Good	Perfect pour, no ricing, no acceleration, no discolouration. Good scent retention.
Guava	None	None	Medium	Lovely fragrance to soap with. No problems and scent is great.
Honey & Wildflowers	None	Beige	Good	Due to the low maximum usage rate I wasn’t expecting much, but I’ve been pleasantly surprised. Several months later the soap still has great scent retention. Use at the maximum 0.64% and you won’t be disappointed.
Honey Bunny	Very slight	None	Medium	Very slight acceleration, still have lots of time to work though. No discoloration. Great scent retention.
Honeysuckle	Moderate	None	Good	There is acceleration, so be prepared to move fast or increase your water. No ricing, no discoloration.
Indian Sandalwood	None	Beige	Good
Indian Summer	None	None	Strong	No ricing, no acceleration, no discolouration. Scent stays nice and strong
Jade	Mild	None	Strong	Slight ricing when first added, but stick blended out easily. Very mild acceleration. Lovely strong scent.
Jam Doughnut	None	Brown	Very Good	Stayed very fluid. Had heaps of time for a design. I used a red mica which has stayed red after nearly a year, so the brown discolouration can be worked with.
Jamaica Me Crazy	None	None	Good	Very well behaved, no acceleration, no ricing, no separation, no discolouration.
Japanese Musk	None	None	Strong	Lovely scent to work with. No problems with creating an intricate swirl pattern. This will be a favourite!
Jasmine	None	None	Good
Jasmine Vanilla Almond	Heavy	Almond Milk	Strong	I love this fragrance in soap! So I’m very disappointed it accelerated so badly to be almost ‘soap on a stick’, but this is such a beautiful fragrance in soap – it makes my whole bathroom smell divine. I’m going to persist with making soap with this fragrance because I love it so much.
Jasmine, Incense & Coconut	Moderate to Heavy	None	Light	Moderate to heavy acceleration. I had just enough time to do a quick drop swirl, but by the time I’d poured all my soap into the mould the soap had setup to firmly to be able to texture the top. You’ll need to work fast with this fragrance and keep to a simple design. Light scent retention.
Juicy Fruit Gum	Very Heavy	Olive – Dark Brown	Strong	No time for a colour or design. The soap turned to instant custard as soon as the fragrance oil was added. Just time enough to plop it into the mould.
Lamington	None	Very Dark Brown	Strong	Stayed very fluid. Discolours to a very dark brown, but I was able to use black oxide to create a black and brown swirl which looks great.
Leather & Oudh	None	Beige	Strong	Heaps of time for an intricate design. Makes a lovely masculine soap. Strong scent retention.
Lemon	None	Cream – Yellow	Strong
Lemongrass & Ginger	None	None	Good	Very easy to work with, great scent retention
Lemongrass, Kiwi & Cassis	None	None	Good	No acceleration or discolouration, soaped very well!
Lilac	None	Dark Cream	Strong
Lime	None	None	Great	A lovely strong lime scent. Zero acceleration and very easy to work with.
Lotus Flower	Yes	Yellow – Tan	Good	Accelerates CP soap. Work fast and at cool temperatures! Good scent retention.
Luminous (Ambre Lumiere)	None	Brown	Strong	No acceleration so plenty of time to work with. Lovely strong scent.
Lush Succulent	None	None	Great	What an amazing fragrance to soap with. Easy to do intricate designs, no discolouration and has a nice clean green scent. Definitely recommend for soapers.
Lust	None	Bright Red	Very Good	I’ve never used a fragrance that had such a stunning discolouration before – this fragrance turns an amazing bright red. Stunning!
Lychee & Black Tea	None	None	Good	Good scent retention.
Lychee Guava Sorbet	Slowed Trace	Almond Milk	Good	What a delight to soap with. Fragrance actually slowed down trace so ample of time for design work. Good scent retention and only mild discoloration.
Mandarin & Mimosa	None	Orange – Tan	Good
Mango Habanero	None	None	Medium to Strong	Lovely fragrance to work with. Has a medium to strong scent retention.
Mango Papaya	Possible	None	Strong	This fragrance accelerated very badly for me when testing – soap on a stick! However, others have reported not having any acceleration issues. Soap at cooler temps to be safe and be prepared to move fast. Great for other body products and candles though!
Mango Sorbet	None	None	Medium	Perfect pour, no ricing, no acceleration, no discoloration in my test recipe
Maple Bourbon	None	Dark Brown	Medium	Very nice fragrance to work with. No issues. Scent holds well.
Marshmallow Sandalwood	None	Dark Brown	Good	Very nice fragrance to work with. No issues. Scent holds well.
Monkey Farts	None	Mild Yellow	Good	Easy scent to work with. Fragrance holds well. Slight discolouration but easy to incorporate into yellow or bright colours to match the fragrance.
Mulled Wine	None	Yellow – Beige	Strong	Nice strong scent that has been holding well. Can still work with colours even though the fragrance discolours.
Muscadine	Moderate	Dark Cream – Orange	Good	Soap at cooler temperatures to avoid heavier acceleration.
Nag Champa	None	Light Beige	Good	Not too overpowering, not too medicinal, not too powdery. Perfect pour, no ricing, no acceleration. Discolours to a light beige colour.
Oakmoss & Amber	None	Very Light Beige	Good	Scent holds well.
Oatmeal, Milk & Honey	None	Golden Yellow	Good	Perfect pour, no ricing, no acceleration, honey really popped when added to the soap, discoloured to a golden yellow.
Odour Eliminator	None	None	Good	Perfect pour, no ricing, no acceleration, very clean and refreshing scent that lasts. No discoloration.
One Fine Day (CK One)	None	None	Good	No acceleration, no ricing. no separation, no discolouration. Good scent retention.
Paradiso	Heavy	None	Great	What a shame this fragrance accelerated so badly to the point it almost seized! It’s a beautiful smelling scent. I managed to stick blend out the ricing, but I was left with little option but to ‘plop’ the soap batter into the mould and vigorously tamp it down.
Passionfruit	None	Light Brown	Good
Peach Magnolia Raspberry	None	None	Good
Peach Smoothie	None	None	Good	No acceleration, no ricing, no separation, no discolouration. Good scent retention.
Peony, Blush & Suede	None	None	Strong
Peppermint	None	None	Strong	Lovely strong peppermint fragrance. Great scent retention.
Pina Colada	None	Beige	Good	Scent is holding well.
Pineapple	Mild	Light Yellow	Good	Mild acceleration but still completely workable. Good scent retention.
Pineapple Jasmine	None	Light Beige	Strong
Pineapple Mango	None	None	Great	This is a popular fragrance that is easy to work with. Great scent retention.
Polynesian Ylang Ylang	None	Yellow to Tan	Mild	No acceleration which surprised me as florals have a tendency to move fast. I had only planned a single colour design, but since the soap stayed fluid I was able to change plan and achieve a multi-coloured bar.
Pomegranate	None	Light Beige	Good	A lovely fruity scent. Fragrance retention is mild to good.
Poppies (Opium)	None	Light Beige	Good	Perfect pour. No ricing, no acceleration, no separation. Discolours to a light beige. Good scent retention.
Queen of the Nile	None	Caramel	Strong
Radiance (Daisy Dream)	Mild	None	Good	There was some acceleration which is common with florals, but I was still able to do a four colour column pour with no problems.
Rainbow Sherbet	None	Mild	Medium	Plenty of time for a complex design. Some mild discolouration, but easy to work with.
Raspberry	None	Tan Brown	Strong	Discoloured to bright yellow immediately on adding fragrance even with adding titanium dioxide. Lovely strong fragrance though.
Raspberry Zinger	None	Dark Brown	Good
Riches for Him (1Million)	None	Slight Yellow	Mild	Very nice scent to work with. I used titanium dioxide to whiten and didn’t have an issue with discolouration. Lovely mild, but long lasting scent.
Roasted Coffee	None	Light Beige – Almond Milk	Medium	After curing for four months the soap is still a nice almond milk beige (I expected it to be a lot darker!) with a nice mild coffee aroma.
Rose	Mild to Moderate	None	Good	Like all florals, this can accelerate, but depending on your recipe it could perform nicely without speeding up trace.
Rose Quartz	Moderate	None	Strong	Moderate acceleration. Basic swirls and designs possible, but don’t plan on anything intricate. While I didn’t experience any ricing, others have reported it. Scent has held strong.
Salted Caramel	None	Dark Brown	Mild
Scandinavian Pine	None	Yellow	Good	No problems using colours or titanium dioxide to mask the discolouration. Lovely pine – mint scent that has been holding up well.
She’s the Bomb (Bombshell)	None	None	Good
Sheer Leather	None	None	Good	Lovely fragrance to work with. Makes a great unisex soap.
Skye (Cloud)	None	Dark Brown	Strong	Absolutely beautiful to soap with, perfect for intricate designs. It’s shame that it turns dark brown though. I added a bunch of titanium dioxide to try and manage the discolouration but it just turned a shade of dark purple instead which I’m expecting to eventually turn to brown. Nice strong scent retention.
Smoked Coffee Whiskey	None	Dark Brown	Good	Lovely scent to work with. Discolours very dark brown so if you want to use colours split some soap batter to be unscented. Scent holds well.
Smoked Honey	None	Brown	Medium to Strong	You can offset the discolouration a little bit by adding titanium dioxide, this will turn the brown into more of a beige.
Smoked Petals	Heavy	Light Tan	Strong	Terrible ricing and heavy acceleration. Watch for overheating in the mould. Very strong scent.
Smouldering Woods & Cinnamon	Moderate	Tan Brown	Medium	Moderate acceleration, but still had time to do an ITP swirl but had to work fast. Strong scent faded after a week, but 4 weeks later it seems to have settled into a medium strength.
Soul (Si)	Very Mild	Tan	Moderate	Nice and easy to work with. Some very mild acceleration, but still plenty of time to finish my design. Scent is lovely and holds well.
Strawberries & Champagne	None	Dark Brown	Good	Lovely scent to work with. Discolours very dark brown so if you want to use colours split some soap batter to be unscented. Scent holds well.
Strawberry Fields	Moderate	None	Medium	Scent is holding well.
Sugar Me (Pink Sugar)	None	Brown	Good	Perfect pour. No ricing, no acceleration, no separation. Discolours to brown. Good scent retention.
Sugar Plum	Mild	Orange/Yellow	Strong	Very slight acceleration. No ricing, no separation. Very strong in cold process soap. Discolours to an orange/yellow.
Sunshine (Daisy)	Mild	Khaki Brown	Good	Mild acceleration but easily workable. No ricing. Good scent strength.
Suntan Lotion (Coppertone)	Heavy	Light Beige	Medium	Soap on a stick! I couldn’t determine if there was ricing since it accelerated so fast. Nice true scent, pity about the acceleration.
Sweet Orange Chilli	None	None	Good	Awesome soap scent, no ricing, no acceleration, no discolouration.
Sweet Pea	Yes	None	Good	Definite acceleration. Recommend soaping at cooler temperatures. For the trouble the scent is so worth it. No final discolouration.
Sweet Pea Jasmine	Moderate	None	Good	There was some initial ricing but stick blended out OK. Some acceleration, but nothing like I was expecting – still completely manageable.
Sweet Pea Vanilla	Some	Light Tan	Good	Some acceleration, but manageable. Scent holds well.
Sweetheart Roses	Mild	None	Strong	Slight acceleration, soap at room temperature, no ricing, no separation, no discolouration. Very strong scent retention.
Tahitian Tiare	Some	None	Strong	Typical of floral fragrances you might get some acceleration. Soap at cooler temperatures.
Teak & Neroli	None	Dark Brown	Strong	Slow to trace but once there behaved well. Time to do a two colour design. Some fragrance separation that needed to be stick blended in. Strong scent retention.
Thai Lime & Mango	None	None	Good	Awesome soap scent, no ricing, no acceleration, no discolouration.
Tobacco Caramel	None	Very Light Yellow	Good	Easy to work with. Plenty of time to create layers or swirls. Good scent retention.
Tropical Guava & Passionfruit	Mild	None	Good	Some very mild acceleration, but completely workable. Lovely scent.
Turkish Fig	None	None	Medium	Very slow to trace and stayed fluid for ages. This is a great soap fragrance for intricate designs. Medium scent strength.
Unicorn Farts	None	Brown	Medium
Vanilla Chai	Medium	Dark Brown	Medium to Strong	Some acceleration. By the time I had finished mixing a second colour the batter had thickened a lot. I still had enough time to do a spoon swirl and get a nice peaked top.
Vanilla	None	Very Dark Brown	Good
Vanilla Lavender	None	Dark Brown	Great	Perfect pour, no ricing, no acceleration, discolours to a dark chocolate. Great scent!
Vanilla, Patchouli & Sandalwood	None	Dark Brown	Strong	Lovely to work with. No acceleration or ricing. Strong scent strength.
Verbena (L’Occitane)	None	None	Medium	No acceleration, plenty of time for designs. Lovely fresh scent.
Victorian Rose	None	None	Strong	True Rose scent. Behaves well, but soap at cooler temps. Scent holds strong and does not fade. No discoloration. Beautiful! Our most popular rose fragrance for cold process soap makers.
Vintage Gardenia	None	None	Strong
Violet Sugar Petals	None	Dark Brown	Good	Easy scent to work with and lovely fragrance, but be prepared for the dark discolouration.
Watermelon	None	None	Good	Scent is holding well.
Watermelon Lemonade	None	None	Strong	Great scent to work with. Fragrance holds nice and strong.
Whiskey	None	Light Beige	Medium	Fairly easy to work with. The discolouration isn’t too much of a problem to overcome. Medium scent strength.
White Lily & Rose	Moderate	None	Strong	Some ricing initially but could stick blend out. Moderate acceleration typical to a floral scent. Nice and strong.
Wild Currant & Sandalwood	None	None	Strong	No acceleration, no ricing, no separation, no discolouration. Strong scent retention.
Wood Sage & Sea Salt	None	None	Good	Slow to trace with no acceleration. Plenty of time to work with.
Ylang Ylang	Very Heavy	Light Beige	Good	Very heavy acceleration, solidified by the time I’d poured it into the mould which made texturing the top impossible. Watch for overheating.