There are several qualities that are desirable in a good bar of soap. Having a good blend of oils will incorporate all of the properties into a great product. I use at least one oil from each of the following four categories in every batch of soap that I make.
Here is a simple guide to the contributions that the various oils make to a bar of soap:
Hard, Stable, Long-lasting:
Palm Oil (nicknamed "veggie tallow")
Beef Tallow (makes hard, white bars)
Lard (makes hard, white bars, adds moisture)
Lather:
Coconut Oil (keep under 40% to prevent drying skin)
Castor Oil (humectant. 5%-8% in soap, 10%-15% in shampoo bars)
Palm Kernel Oil (adds hardness, provides rich lather)
Moisturizing, Conditioning:
Olive Oil (100% Olive Oil is called Castille Soap)
Canola Oil (will slow trace rate therefore good for adding color swirls)
Rice Bran Oil (alternative to Olive Oil, adds conditioning)
Sunflower Oil (works well with Palm and Olive oils for extra lather, too)
Soybean Oil (use Crisco! It's a blend of Soybean and Cottonseed oils)
Luxury Oils/Additives:
Cocoa Butter (skin softener, keep under 10%)
Shea Butter (great for dry, aging or damaged skin)
Sweet Almond Oil (limit to 5%-10%, emollient, softens skin)
Jojoba Oil (actually a liquid wax and will speed up trace rate, great moisturizer)
Lanolin (emulsifier)
Avocado Oil (soothing, emollient, adds vitamins)
Grapeseed Oil (creamy lather, rich in Vitamin E, astringent)
Stearic Acid (hardens soap, counter balances Castor Oil in shampoo bars)
About Me
- Lori Jo
- I have a wonderful family who supports my many hobbies including singing, soapmaking, wine tasting and rabbits. I recently retired from teaching English as a Second Language and love to travel. I started making soap in 1999 when we were showing goats in milk as a 4-H project. All of my soaps are made with pure oils and no animal fats. All fragrances are from essential oils. Store-bought "soap" is really a detergent. My soap will leave your skin clean and moisturized. Try some!
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