Base Oil, Butter or Fat Soft, Hard or Brittle Properties in Soap Recommended Usage Coconut Oil Hard Abundant lather, large fluffy bubbles, high cleansing, hard bar, white color 15-50% High amounts of coconut oil can be drying, however you can always use a higher superfat to counteract the drying effect.
The more unsaponified oils in your soap the more moisturizing it is. Experiment with a 100% coconut oil soap with a 20% superfat. Palm Oil Hard Mild stabilizing lather, hard, long lasting bar 25-50% Palm oil is great for those that don’t want to use animal fats such as lard or tallow.
Olive Oil Soft/Hard Low slippery lather, almost no bubbles, low cleansing 25-80% The low cleansing properties of olive oil make it very mild and nourishing. Soap for sensitive skin, elder skin or baby skin should include high amounts of olive (60%).
Castile soap is made with 100% olive oil. I classify this as a soft/hard oil because it makes a very soft bar of soap initially upon unmolding but cures into a rock hard bar. Soaps high (50%+) in olive oil need longer to cure and unmold
Palm Kernel oil Brittle Similar to coconut oil, large fluffy bubbles, high cleansing but a bit milder than coconut oil, white color 15-30% Palm kernel oil is a great sub for coconut oil. You can also use it with coconut oil to add some hardness to your bar. If you have a recipe that calls for 20% coconut oil…try using 10% coconut oil and 10% palm kernel oil.
Cocoa butter Brittle Mild stabilizing lotion-like lather, hard, long lasting bar 5- 15% You can experiment using cocoa butter and other butters in high amounts – up to 80%. Try a bar made from 60% cocoa butter and 40% coconut oil. You might like it! Shea butter Hard Mild stabilizing lotion-like lather, medium hard, long lasting bar 5- 20% Same as cocoa butter.
Castor oil Hard Suspends the lather created by coconut oil 5-10% Some soap makers like to use 15-20% castor oil in their shampoo bars or shaving bars.
Apricot Kernel oil Soft Medium lather, mild cleansing 5-12% Apricot Kernel is a wonderful sub for some of the olive oil in a recipe. Avocado oil Soft Medium lather, mild cleansing 5-12.
Avocado oil is a wonderful sub for some of the olive oil in a recipe. It is high in vitamin E and other vitamins and minerals making it a great addition to facial bars or bars for elder skin.