I remember now why so many people love the Cinnamon Bun Coffee Soap. The scent is just heavenly!! I also remember now why I didn’t try to make a double batch of this particular scent before now. I had to *beat* *the* *soap* into the molds, and did a pretty good job of it. However, there are probably about 10 soaps that have been given the “not as pretty as they ought to be” label and will likely be sold a little bit cheaper at the farmer’s market this summer. Customers, this soap will be ready and available on the Great Cakes Soapworks website on Friday, February 6. If you are interested in what makes a soap seize and how to prevent it, read on…

What is in a fragrance that causes the soap to seize anyway? I couldn’t find any answers to this question, except that fragrances that contain high percentages of alcohols are more prone to this. I do know that there are certain types of fragrances that tend to cause this reaction in cold process soap. Spices, such as cinnamon and clove essential oils, are definitely in this category, as well as most synthetic floral fragrances. Once you know this, you can take precautions to prevent what we call “soap on a stick,” or soap that becomes instantly rock hard.

1. For a really tricky fragrance, use the full amount of liquid that is recommended (38% of the amount of oils). I personally hate to do this because it takes so long for the soap to cure, thus my problems with certain fragrances (including the Cinnamon Bun)!!

2. Add some of the base oils to the fragrance to dilute it before adding to the traced soap pot. Some soapers go so far as to add their fragrance to the base oils before adding the lye solution. I’ve tried this method before too, and it does seem to help.

3. Make sure the oils and lye solution are less than 100 degrees (even room temperature) before mixing them together. This is my regular method nearly every time I make soap.

4. Use the hot process method instead – this way you add the fragrance after the soap has saponified. Not my favorite method, but it works!

Next up: Patchouli Beer Bar – woo hoo!