Not sure how to choose the right oils, fats, and butters for soapmaking? Don’t worry—this guide makes it simple! This beginner’s guide will walk you through some of the best oils for soapmaking so you can create bars that suit your needs, budget and preferences.
Whether you’re new to soap making or have been doing it for a while, knowing which oils and fats are best for your soap is really important. Let’s take a closer look at what makes each oil and fat different and how to choose the right ones for your soap.
Table of contents
Factors to Consider When Selecting Oils
When selecting oils for your homemade soap recipe, there are a few important factors to think about. Each type of oil has unique properties that can influence the final result, such as how moisturizing or cleansing your soap will be, how it looks, and even how it feels on the skin. You’ll want to choose oils that complement your goals for the soap. So, it’s essential to keep in mind the kind of bars you’re hoping to create before deciding on your oil blend.
- Do you want bars of soap that are super moisturizing?
- Are you making bars with extra cleansing power?
- Are you making very decorative bars of soap that requires a slow trace for better control?
- Do you want bars of soap that can create a lot of bubbles or have a nice slick feeling?
- If you’re gifting or selling, consider the preferences of your audience.
If you’re aiming for bars of soap that are super moisturizing, it’s important to pick oils that are known for their nourishing qualities. Oils like olive oil, avocado oil, and coconut oil can help create a rich, moisturizing lather that hydrates and softens the skin. These oils have high fat content, which is perfect for keeping skin feeling smooth and pampered. The right oils can make a big difference if you want your soap to leave skin feeling soft and cared for after each use.
On the other hand, if you’re looking to create bars with extra cleansing power, oils like castor oil or coconut oil are a great choice. These oils help produce a soap that cleanses deeply, making them ideal for people with oily skin or those who want a soap that cuts through dirt and oil effectively. However, too much cleansing power can also be drying, so it’s essential to balance it with moisturizing oils if needed.
If your goal is to make decorative soap bars that require more control during the soap-making process, you’ll want to choose oils that create a slow trace. A slow trace means that the soap mixture takes longer to thicken, giving you more time to design intricate swirls or layers. Oils like olive oil, sunflower oil, and lard are great for this, as they help your soap batter stay workable longer, making it easier to have more time to create visually stunning designs.
For soap that creates a lot of bubbles or has a nice slick feeling, certain oils are more effective than others. Coconut oil is known for producing a bubbly, frothy lather, while castor oil adds to that by creating a slick, smooth feel on the skin.
If you’re planning to gift or sell your soaps, it’s important to consider the preferences of your audience. Some people might prefer moisturizing soaps, while others might favor those with a more cleansing effect. Some audiences might find that vegan soaps are of utmost importance. Understanding what your audience likes will not only bring in extra sales, it will also hopefully bring in repeat customers.
The Balance of Solid and Liquid Fats
Solid fats and liquid oils each bring unique strengths the kinds of soap you would like to make. Balancing them in your soap recipe is key to creating bars that are neither too hard nor too soft. When calculating your soap recipes it’s essential to understand how they interact in making the perfect bar of soap to suit your needs. Check out my free lye calculator here to create your own recipe.
For Example:
- Solid fats, such as coconut oil, palm kernel oil, lard, and tallow, produce firm, long-lasting bars of soap. These fats contribute to the soap’s hardness and durability, making it less likely to dissolve quickly in water. However, using only solid fats in a recipe can lead to a brittle bar that lacks balance and may crack over time. To prevent this, solid fats are often paired with liquid oils to achieve the perfect texture and performance.
- Liquid oils, like olive oil or castor oil on the other hand, bring softness and flexibility to a soap recipe. They are typically combined with solid fats to create a well-rounded, solid bar of soap that’s both firm and moisturizing. One remarkable exception to this rule is olive oil. When used on its own, olive oil can produce a hard, dense bar of soap, known as Castile Soap.
Soapmaking Oils and Properties Chart
The chart below outlines the most commonly used fats in soapmaking. The “Bar Result” column indicates the final hardness of the bar. The “Trace Acceleration” column shows whether the fat causes the trace to speed up. The “Properties” column summarizes the benefits and drawbacks of each fat.
| Fat Type | Bar Result | Trace Acceleration | Properties |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apricot Kernel Oil | Soft | No | Produces a conditioning, gentle soap; medium lather; doesn’t contribute to hardness; moisturizing. |
| Argan Oil | Medium | No | Luxurious, conditioning bar with silky lather; softens the skin. |
| Avocado Butter | Hard | No | Adds conditioning; creates a hard bar with creamy lather. |
| Avocado Oil | Soft | No | Adds conditioning and mild cleansing; creates a soft bar with creamy lather. |
| Babassu Oil | Hard | Yes- Mild | Cleansing with bubbly lather; similar to coconut oil but milder. |
| Beeswax | Extra Hard | Yes | Hardens the bar significantly; little to no effect on lather or cleansing. |
| Borage Oil | Soft | No | Excellent for moisturizing; produces a soft bar with silky, mild lather. |
| Canola Oil | Soft | No | Adds mildness and conditioning; soft bar; low lather. |
| Carrot Seed Oil | Soft | No | High in antioxidants; contributes conditioning and luxurious properties. |
| Castor Oil | Soft | No | Boosts bubbly lather; conditioning; creates a softer bar if used in high amounts. |
| Chia Seed Oil | Soft | No | Rich in omega-3 fatty acids; soft bar; great conditioning properties. |
| Cocoa Butter | Hard | No | Adds extra creamy, luxurious feel and mild lather. |
| Coffee Butter | Hard | No | Conditioning and creamy lather. |
Coffee Seed Oil | Medium | No | Conditioning and adds a slight luxurious feel, creamy lather. |
| Coconut Oil | Hard | Yes | Bubbly lather, high cleansing. Can be drying in high amounts. |
| Emu Oil | Medium | No | Creates a conditioning and creamy bar. |
| Evening Primrose Oil | Soft | No | Moisturizing and mild; creates a conditioning bar with creamy lather. |
| Flaxseed Oil | Soft | No | Highly conditioning; prone to rancidity if used in large amounts. |
| Fractionated Coconut Oil | Soft | Yes | Adds light conditioning and silkiness; little lather boost. |
| Grapeseed Oil | Soft | No | Light conditioning properties, creamy lather; short shelf life. |
| Green Tea Seed Oil | Soft | No | Conditioning and mild; creates a moisturizing bar. |
| Hazelnut Oil | Soft | No | Light and conditioning; medium lather. |
| Jojoba Oil | Soft | Yes | Creates a silky bar; acts as a superfat;mild lather. |
| Kokum Butter | Hard | No | Conditioning; creamy lather. |
| Kukui Nut Oil | Hard | No | Adds conditioning and silkiness. |
| Lard | Hard | No | Conditioning and long lasting, produces a creamy, mild lather. |
| Lingonberry Seed Oil | Soft | No | Rich in antioxidants; conditioning; medium lather. |
| Mango Butter | Hard | No | Creates conditioning; creamy lather. |
| Meadowfoam Oil | Hard | No | Extends shelf life; conditioning and mild; creamy lather. |
| Meadowfoam Oil | Medium | No | Adds conditioning and silkiness. |
| Neem Oil | Hard | No | Antibacterial properties; mild lather. |
| Oat Oil | Soft | No | Adds mildness and creamy texture. |
| Palm Kernel Flakes | Hard | Yes | Produces cleansing and bubbly lather. |
| Palm Oil | Hard | No | Creates a hard, long-lasting bar; creamy lather. |
| Peach Kernel Oil | Soft | No | Light and conditioning; creates a soft bar; mild lather. |
| Peanut Oil | Soft | No | Adds conditioning; creates a soft bar; light lather. |
| Peanut Oil | Hard | No | Hardens the bar; adds mild cleansing and creamy lather. |
| Rice Bran Oil | Soft | No | Conditioning; creates a mild lather. |
| Rosehip Seed Oil | Soft | No | Rich in vitamins; creates a conditioning bar; mild lather. |
| Safflower Oil | Soft | No | Adds conditioning; creates a soft bar; low lather; can speed up rancidity. |
| Sesame Oil | Soft | No | Conditioning; creates a moisturizing bar with creamy lather. |
| Shea Butter | Hard | No | Adds creaminess and mild cleansing and silky lather. |
| Soybean Oil | Soft | No | Mild and conditioning; light lather. |
| Sunflower Oil | Soft | No | Adds conditioning and mildness with creamy lather. |
| Sweet Almond Oil | Soft | No | Adds conditioning and mild cleansing properties with a silky feel. |
| Tamanu Oil | Hard | No | Adds conditioning; creates a hard bar; mild lather. |
| Tallow (Beef) | Hard | No | Creates a very hard, long-lasting bar; creamy, mild lather. |
| Walnut Oil | Soft | No | Highly conditioning, mild, creamy lather. |
| Wheat Germ Oil | Soft | No | Adds conditioning and antioxidant benefits with creamy lather. |
In conclusion, making your own soap is great because you get to choose the ingredients that work best for you. It’s a fun process where you can experiment and find the perfect mix of oils and fats. The best part is that you have complete creative freedom, which makes the whole experience so much fun! I’m not sure about you, but I love mixing science with creativity! If you’re ready to start creating your own soap recipes, you can access my Free Online Lye Calculator Here.
Download an easy PDF printable of my tried and true soap recipe here—it’s a total game-changer! I like to call it my “no-fail” recipe because the bars come out hard, lather like crazy, and have a luxurious 5% superfat for ultra moisturizing goodness!
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