| Oil |
Source |
Characteristics |
|
|
| Palm oil |
Extracted from fruit pulp of oil palm tree |
Adds hardness to soap; very mild; if used alone, soap is brittle with sparse lather |
| Tallow |
Rendered animal fat, from cattle or sheep |
Adds hardness to soap; very mild, although some people think it contributes to acne; if used alone, soap is brittle with sparse lather |
| Lard |
Rendered pork fat |
Produces a softer soap than either palm or tallow; good, lasting lather; cleans well |
| Any of the above three "hard fats" make better soap when combined with coconut oil and/or palm kernel oil, which have similar characteristics and can be used interchangeably in recipes. SAP values are different, though, so adjust lye amounts accordingly. |
| Coconut oil |
Pressed from dried coconut meat from coconut palm tree |
Lathers extremely well; makes a hard soap and is moisturizing if used in moderation (too high a percentage makes soap drying) |
| Palm kernel oil |
Extracted from kernel of African or oil palm tree |
Adds hardness to soap; lathers well; makes soap moisturizing if used in moderation (too high a percentage makes soap drying) |
| For even better soap, add one or more of the soft oils (below) to your oil blend. |
| Olive oil |
Various pressings of olive fruit... grade of oil varies with subsequent pressings (pomace oil is made from pulp residue and pits and contains a higher percentage of unsaponifiables) |
A humectant; makes a very mild, gentle soap; soap made from 100% olive oil is good for sensitive or baby's skin |
| Soybean oil (vegetable shortening) |
Extracted from soybeans, often with solvents |
Makes mild soap with good lather; add coconut oil and olive oil for better lather and conditioning. Caution: Many people are allergic to soybean, so be sure to list it as an ingredient on your soap label, even if you used a hydrogenated shortening like Crisco. |
| Castor oil |
Extracted from castor beans |
Acts as humectant, so is moisturizing; use in combination with other oils (too much castor oil produces soft, sticky soap with sparse lather). Caution: Don't use sulfated castor oil... it will cause your soap oils to seize when they are mixed with lye. |
| And finally, superfat with a small percentage of one of the following: |
| Jojoba |
Extracted from seeds of jojoba plant |
Very mild and soothing, especially to dry skin; contains natural antioxidants; excellent superfatting oil |
| Almond oil, sweet |
From dried kernels of almond tree |
Makes very mild soap with good lather; emollient; excellent superfatting oil |
| Avocado oil |
From pulp of avocado pear |
Moisturizing and healing for sensitive skin; rich in vitamins A and D, proteins, and amino acids |
