Cold Process Soap Fragrance Testing

There are many variables that can affect the performance of fragrances in cold process soaps. To help out our soap makers, we’ve begun testing our soap-safe fragrances and reporting results on each individual fragrance page. Below, we’ve shared our process for testing the fragrances. Please use our results as a baseline for your own testing, as your results might differ.
Our Recipe:
- 5% Castor Oil
- 25% Coconut Oil (92° Melt Point)
- 50% Olive Oil
- 10% Rice Bran Oil (Refined)
- 10% Shea Butter
Our Process
- Added 5% fragrance to the oils before the lye water.
- Blended the oils and lye water at 120ºF or lower.
- Used silicone molds and only covered the mold with plastic wrap to help minimize soda ashe.
- Used minimal insulation, typically only two to three molds sitting side by side on a wire rack. This helped us test for overheating and observe if gelling occurred.
We unmolded the soap between 24-72 hours, then cut them. We documented scent strength, changes in odor, and any discoloration. We allowed the bars to cure on a wire rack for four weeks and then checked for scent strength, discoloration, and changes in scent profile.
We only tested fragrances that are allowed by IFRA in Category 9 at 5% or higher. Before running your own tests, be sure to review the IFRA certificate for maximum usage levels on the product page. Using more or less fragrance may produce different results in your final product.
Once the soaps cured, we saved one bar for reference and donated the others to Urban Ministries of Durham.
Fragrance oils tested as of January 19, 2023:
- Alpine Balsam
- Apricot Grove
- Amber and Driftwood
- Amber Noir
- Apple Harvest
- Bamboo and Coconut
- Beach Linen
- Beachwood
- Black Cardamom and Cream
- Black Cherry Merlot
- Black Coral and Moss
- Black Currant Absinthe
- Black Currant and Jasmine
- Black Violet and Saffron
- Black Raspberry Vanilla
- Blueberry Cheesecake
- Blueberry Spruce
- Brandied Pear
- Brown Sugar and Fig
- Cactus Flower and Jade
- Cake
- Campfire Marshmallow
- Calla Lily
- Caramel Apple
- Caramel Popcorn (New 4/2022)
- Cardamom and Star Anise (Discontinued)
- Caribbean Teakwood
- Cashmere Musk
- Cashmere Plum
- Cedarwood Blanc
- Chamomile Tea
- Citron and Mandarin
- Citrus Agave
- Citronella
- Clean Cotton
- Coconut Lime
- Coconut Lime Verbena
- Coconut Soleil
- Cotton and Iris
- Cotton Candy
- Cranberry Woods
- Creme Brulee
- Cucumber Water and Melon
- Cypress and Bayberry
- Dragon's Blood
- Dry Gin and Cypress
- Dulce de Leche (Discontinued)
- Egyptian Amber
- English Garden
- Fig and Rhubarb
- Fig Tree
- Frankincense and Myrrh
- Fraser Fir
- Fresh Coffee
- Fresh Linen Odor Eliminator
- Fresh Picked Cucumber
- Frosted Juniper
- Fruit Slices
- Garden Mint
- Gardenia Tuberose
- Ginger and Spice
- Golden Santal
- Grapefruit and Mint
- Green Tea and Lemongrass
- Hansel and Gretel's House
- Hazelnut Coffee
- Hemp
- Hibiscus Palm
- High Tide
- Himalayan Bamboo
- Hot Apple Pie
- Jamaica Me Crazy
- Japanese Cherry Blossom
- Juniper Breeze
- Lavender
- Lavender Driftwood
- Lavender Tea and Tonic (Discontinued)
- Lemon Pound Cake
- Lemon Verbena
- Library
- Love Spell
- Lush Linen
- Macintosh Apple
- Magnolia and Peony
- Mahogany Shea
- Mango and Coconut Milk
- Mango and Gardenia
- Margarita (Discontinued)
- Mediterranean Fig
- Mimosa and Mandarin
- Mistletoe
- Moroccan Cashmere
- Mountain Mist
- Mountain Pine
- Nag Champa
- Neroli and Jasmine
- Nordic Night
- Oakmoss and Amber
- Ocean Breeze
- Ocean Rose
- Orange Blossom
- Orchard Pear
- Palo Santo (Rebranded)
- Passionfruit Pineapple
- Peach Nectar
- Peppermint and Eucalyptus
- Persimmon Citron
- Pineapple Sage
- Pink Sugar Crystals
- Pomegranate Bitters
- Pomegranate Cider
- Pumpkin Pie
- Pumpkin Souffle
- Rain Water
- Red Berry Balsam
- Red Currant
- Red Ginger Saffron
- Red Sangria
- Rose Petal Gelato
- Rosemary Sage
- Saffron Cedarwood
- Sage and Cypress
- Sandalwood
- Santal and Coconut
- Sea Minerals
- Sea Mist
- Sea Salt and Orchid
- Seaside Plumeria
- Sel de Mer
- Sparkling Grapefruit
- Spiced Honey and Tonka
- Strawberry Guava
- Suede and Smoke
- Sweet Orange and Sriracha
- Sweet Tobacco
- Toasted Coconut
- Tonka and Oud
- Vanilla Chestnut
- Vanilla Eggnog
- Very Vanilla
- Vetiver
- Watermelon
- Watermint and Clementine
- White Birch
- White Currant
- White Oak and Vanilla
- White Sage and Lavender
- White Tea
- Wild Rose
- Woodland Snow
Have a question?
If you have additional questions please reach out to us at support@candlescience.com.