Soap oils from scratch

Oils are the foundation of cold process soap, and your choice of oils decides what the bar will be like: hard or soft, with big bubbles or creamy lather, gentle or strongly cleansing. Here are the most popular oils and the role each plays in a recipe.

Hard oils

Coconut oil gives abundant lather and good cleansing, palm oil makes soap hard and stable, while shea and cocoa butter add hardness and gentleness. Hard oils usually make up a large share of the recipe.

Liquid oils

Olive oil is a classic, producing soft, gentle soap with creamy lather. Castor oil stabilises and enriches the lather, while sweet almond, sunflower and grapeseed oils make soap milder. You will find all of these in our carrier oils section.

Building a recipe

A balanced recipe combines hard and liquid oils, and the amount of lye must always be calculated with a soap calculator. Wear gloves and goggles when working with lye. You will find lye and other chemicals in our acids and alkalis section, and for scent use essential oils.

FAQ

Can I make soap from olive oil alone?

Yes, that is classic Castile soap, though it takes a long time to cure.

Why add castor oil?

It makes the lather more stable and dense.

What is superfat?

The share of oils left unsaponified, which makes the bar gentler on skin.