vanilla discoloration Archives

Cinnamon Cocoa Melt & Pour Soap

November 19, 2018 Filed Under: Bath & Body Tutorials, Melt & Pour Soap

Melt and pour soap is a great option for crisp and clean layers. This Cinnamon Cocoa Soap tutorial shows you how to create a brown and white design that’s topped with a bit of cocoa powder. It’s scented with new Cinnamon Cocoa Fragrance Oil, which is an irresistible mix of nutmeg, coffee, and vanilla. Just tie a rustic ribbon around the bars and they’re ready to gift.

There are a few key tools and techniques to create even layers. The first is patience – it’s important to allow the soap to cool and harden enough to support the next layer. The next is paying attention to temperature – it’s crucial that the soap isn’t too hot when it’s poured or it may melt the layer below. The last is 99% isopropyl alcohol – it needs to be sprayed before each pour to help the layers adhere. We also like to spray it after pouring to get rid of bubbles.

Because of the bakery notes in the Cinnamon Cocoa Fragrance Oil, this soap will discolor without Vanilla Color Stabilizer. We added it to the white and brown soap to prevent bleeding in between the layers.

What You Need:
10″ Silicone Loaf Mold
30 oz. White Melt and Pour Soap Base
20 oz. Honey Melt and Pour Soap Base
0.8 oz. Cinnamon Cocoa Fragrance Oil
0.8 oz. Vanilla Color Stabilizer
Brown Oxide Color Block
Cocoa Powder
99% Isopropyl Alcohol in a Spray Bottle
Optional: Crinkle Cutter

Click below to add everything you need for this project to your Bramble Berry shopping cart!

ONE: Chop 30 ounces of White Melt and Pour Soap Base into small uniform pieces. Place the soap into a heat-safe container. Chop 20 ounces of Honey Melt and Pour Soap Base and place into a separate heat-safe container.

TWO: Place the container of white soap into the microwave and melt using 30-60 second bursts. Add 0.4 ounces of Cinnamon Cocoa Fragrance Oil and 0.4 ounces of Vanilla Color Stabilizer. Use a spoon to thoroughly mix in.

THREE: To make each layer exactly the same size, place the mold on a scale and pour 10 ounces of white soap into the mold. Spritz the soap with 99% isopropyl alcohol to get rid of bubbles. Allow the layer to harden and cool for about 20-30 minutes so it can support the next layer.

FOUR: Once the white layer has cooled and hardened, melt the 20 ounces of Honey Melt and Pour Soap Base in the microwave using 30-60 second bursts. Add chunks of the Brown Oxide Color Block to the melted soap and stir until you have a rich brown color.

FIVE: Add 0.4 ounces of Cinnamon Cocoa Fragrance Oil and 0.4 ounces of Vanilla Color Stabilizer. Stir in thoroughly. Allow the soap to cool to 125-130° F so it doesn’t melt the soap below.
NOTE: While this soap is already brown, the Vanilla Color Stabilizer prevents the vanilla discoloration from bleeding into the white layers.

SIX: Spritz the white layer with 99% isopropyl alcohol and place the mold onto a scale. Pour 10 ounces of the brown soap into the mold and spritz with alcohol to get rid of bubbles. Allow the soap to cool for 20-30 minutes.

SEVEN: Remelt the white soap using 20-30 second bursts and allow it to cool to 125-130° F. Spritz the bottom layer with 99% isopropyl alcohol and pour 10 ounces of white soap into the mold. Spritz the soap with alcohol to get rid of bubbles. Allow this layer to cool and harden for 20-30 minutes.

EIGHT: Remelt the remaining brown soap using 10-20 second bursts and allow it to cool to about 125-130° F. Spritz the soap in the mold with 99% isopropyl alcohol and pour the remaining brown soap into the mold. Spritz with alcohol to get rid of bubbles and allow it to cool and harden for 20-30 minutes.

NINE: Remelt the remaining white soap using 10-20 second bursts and allow it to cool to about 125-130° F. Spritz the soap in the mold with 99% isopropyl alcohol and pour the remaining white soap into the mold. Spritz with alcohol to get rid of bubbles.

TEN: Place a small amount of cocoa powder into a sifter – we used the Powder Duster. Gently tap the sifter to dust the top of the soap with cocoa powder. Once you’re happy with the look, allow the soap to fully cool and harden for about 4 hours or overnight.

ELEVEN: Remove the soap from the mold. Cut the soap into bars with either a non-serrated knife or a crinkle cutter. Which you use just depends on what look you prefer. The non-serrated knife shows off crisp layers, while the crinkle cutter gives extra detail. To prevent glycerin dew, wrap the soap in plastic wrap. Enjoy!

4.7 from 6 reviews

Cinnamon Cocoa Melt & Pour Soap

Cook time

2 hours

Total time

2 hours

Melt and pour soap is a great option for crisp and clean layers. This Cinnamon Cocoa Soap tutorial shows you how to create a brown and white design that’s topped with a bit of cocoa powder.

Author: Bramble Berry

Recipe type: Melt and Pour Soap

Serves: 50 ounces of soap

Ingredients

10″ Silicone Loaf Mold
30 oz. White Melt and Pour Soap Base
20 oz. Honey Melt and Pour Soap Base
0.8 oz. Cinnamon Cocoa Fragrance Oil
0.8 oz. Vanilla Color Stabilizer
Brown Oxide Color Block
Cocoa Powder
99% Isopropyl Alcohol in a Spray Bottle
Optional: Crinkle Cutter

Instructions

Chop 30 ounces of White Melt and Pour Soap Base into small uniform pieces. Place the soap into a heat-safe container. Chop 20 ounces of Honey Melt and Pour Soap Base and place into a separate heat-safe container.
Place the container of white soap into the microwave and melt using 30-60 second bursts. Add 0.4 ounces of Cinnamon Cocoa Fragrance Oil and 0.4 ounces of Vanilla Color Stabilizer. Use a spoon to thoroughly mix in.
To make each layer exactly the same size, place the mold on a scale and pour 10 ounces of white soap into the mold. Spritz the soap with 99% isopropyl alcohol to get rid of bubbles. Allow the layer to harden and cool for about 20-30 minutes so it can support the next layer.
Once the white layer has cooled and hardened, melt the 20 ounces of Honey Melt and Pour Soap Base in the microwave using 30-60 second bursts. Add chunks of the Brown Oxide Color Block to the melted soap and stir until you have a rich brown color.
Add 0.4 ounces of Cinnamon Cocoa Fragrance Oil and 0.4 ounces of Vanilla Color Stabilizer. Stir in thoroughly. Allow the soap to cool to 125-130° F so it doesn’t melt the soap below. NOTE: While this soap is already brown, the Vanilla Color Stabilizer prevents the vanilla discoloration from bleeding into the white layers.
Spritz the white layer with 99% isopropyl alcohol and place the mold onto a scale. Pour 10 ounces of the brown soap into the mold and spritz with alcohol to get rid of bubbles. Allow the soap to cool for 20-30 minutes.
Remelt the white soap using 20-30 second bursts and allow it to cool to 125-130° F. Spritz the bottom layer with 99% isopropyl alcohol and pour 10 ounces of white soap into the mold. Spritz the soap with alcohol to get rid of bubbles. Allow this layer to cool and harden for 20-30 minutes.
Remelt the remaining brown soap using 10-20 second bursts and allow it to cool to about 125-130° F. Spritz the soap in the mold with 99% isopropyl alcohol and pour the remaining brown soap into the mold. Spritz with alcohol to get rid of bubbles and allow it to cool and harden for 20-30 minutes.
Remelt the remaining white soap using 10-20 second bursts and allow it to cool to about 125-130° F. Spritz the soap in the mold with 99% isopropyl alcohol and pour the remaining white soap into the mold. Spritz with alcohol to get rid of bubbles.
Place a small amount of cocoa powder into a sifter – we used the Powder Duster. Gently tap the sifter to dust the top of the soap with cocoa powder. Once you’re happy with the look, allow the soap to fully cool and harden for about 4 hours or overnight.
Remove the soap from the mold. Cut the soap into bars with either a non-serrated knife or a crinkle cutter. Which you use just depends on what look you prefer. The non-serrated knife shows off crisp layers, while the crinkle cutter gives extra detail. To prevent glycerin dew, wrap the soap in plastic wrap. Enjoy!

Christmas Star Melt & Pour Soap Tutorial

December 1, 2016 Filed Under: Bath & Body Tutorials, Melt & Pour Soap

Christmas is just a few weeks away. Hard to believe, I know! If you’re making handmade gifts, melt and pour soap is a great option at this stage in the game. It only takes a few hours to harden, and is ready to use as soon as it’s fully cooled. These Christmas Star Melt and Pour Soaps are the perfect way to spread the Christmas cheer. They are also a great project for beginners.

First, the soap is colored with Shimmer Gold Color Block for a sparkly gold hue. It’s scented with Sleigh Ride Fragrance Oil, one of my all-time favorite holiday scents. It does discolor brown, so don’t forget the Vanilla Color Stabilizer! Once the soap is unmolded, a mixture of mica and alcohol is painted on the star details to really make them pop. To help seal the mica, spray the soap lightly with non-scented aerosol hairspray. This creates a seal that makes the mica a little more resistant to rubbing off when handled. That being said, the mica will wash off after one to two uses. I still think it’s worth it though. =)

This project is perfect to make with family visiting for the holidays. The hardest part is “painting” the soap once unmolded, and even that is pretty fool-proof. Young kids would have fun adding the colorant, fragrance and stirring the soap! It would be a great project to create a new holiday tradition.

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Creamy Cow Milk Cold Process Tutorial

April 23, 2015 Filed Under: Cold Process Soap

Soap made with goat milk is popular, but did you know luxurious soap can also be made with cow milk? For this Creamy Cow Milk Cold Process Tutorial, whole cow milk is used to add extra moisture and skin-loving properties. Full of contrast, this project features black and white layers reminiscent of a cow pattern. The scent combination of Vanilla Rosewood and Grass Stain fragrance oils creates a blend that is both warm and green…similar to a barn!

Freezing the cow milk before adding the lye prevents the milk from scorching. For a step by step tutorial of this process, check out this How to Add Lye to Milk for Cold Process Soap blog post. When selecting milk for soap making, be on the lookout for the least amount of additives such as vitamins, preservatives or thickeners. These additives can cause unpredictable soaping results. It can be difficult to find milk without vitamins. This recipe uses whole milk with added vitamin D; it worked great. You can also use skim, 1% or 2% milk if you’d like.

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Goat Milk & Oatmeal Cold Process Soap Tutorial

April 14, 2015 Filed Under: Cold Process Soap

Goat milk may be the most popular type of milk when it comes to soap making. Moisturizing and nourishing, goat milk contains lactic acid which helps keep skin smooth by naturally exfoliating skin. Goat milk also contains vitamins A, D and B6. Many soap makers find fresh goat milk via local farms and markets, or raise their own goats. When fresh goat milk is unavailable, goat milk powder is a fantastic option. Simply add the goat milk to distilled water to reconstitute and receive all the skin loving benefits. For more information on working with milk in soap, check out this How to Add Lye to Milk post, and the Buttermilk Bastille Baby Bar video on Soap Queen TV.

This Goat Milk and Oatmeal Cold Process soap is made with powdered goat milk, oat extract and colloidal oatmeal for a bar that is gentle on the skin. Colloidal oatmeal is extremely fine ground oatmeal that is fantastic for irritated or sensitive skin. Oatmeal, Milk and Honey Fragrance Oil gives this bar a warm and comforting scent. The fragrance also lends its vanilla discoloration to the top layer, which darkens the Brown Oxide used to color it. For more information on fragrance discoloration, click through the Why Did My Soap Turn Brown post.

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Best Selling Bramble Berry Fragrance Oils + Discoloration

March 23, 2015 Filed Under: Tips & Tricks

Choosing a fragrance from all the fragrances out there is a big choice! There are sooooo many good ones =) One important factor to consider is fragrance discoloration. Some fragrance oils change the color of soap due to various components within the oil. The most common type of fragrance discoloration is vanilla discoloration, which changes the soap to a deep brown. Fragrance oils can also turn soap various shades of yellow, tan, and orange. Fragrance oil discoloration can dramatically change the colors created in soap, so it’s important to choose your fragrance oil (FO) wisely.

Vanilla discoloration is a natural occurrence. Fragrances containing vanilla notes are created with a component called vanillin, which is the primary component of the extract of vanilla bean. Vanillin is the organic compound that gives vanilla its flavor, and is widely used in fragrances to impart gourmand sweetness. The chemical nature of vanillin leads it to cause a darkening or browning, especially of white products. This effect also occurs with natural vanilla extract. The higher the level of vanillin within the fragrance oil, the more darkening will occur. Even fragrances with a small amount of vanillin content of .4% (such as Almond Fragrance Oil) will still cause slight discoloration.
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Cinnamon Cocoa Melt & Pour Soap

Find the supplies you need for this project below