Fixed Oils
Author: Sinclair A. Sheers Published on: November 13, 2001

Almond Oil
See sweet almond oil.

Avocado Oil
Avocado oil makes a soft bar with stable lather. It has a high percentage of unsaponifiables, so it is a great superfatting oil. When it is a large percentage of the total oils in a soap, it makes a bar appropriate for sensitive skin.

Beeswax
Beeswax adds hardness to bars although too much leaves the soap sticky and can inhibit lather.

Canola Oil
Canola oil, also known as rapeseed oil, creates a conditioning soap with stable lather.

Castor Oil
Castor oil, from the seed of the castor plant, by itself, would make a very soft, sticky bar with sparse lather. In combination with other oils, it makes an emollient, rich, conditioning bar. It is quick to trace. Limit castor oil to less than 12% of total oils. It is great when making a shampoo bar because it moisturizes and makes a creamy, frothy, stable lather. Castor oil is great for superfatting.

Cocoa Butter
Cocoa butter comes from the seed of the cocoa tree. It makes a creamy, hard, conditioning bar with stable lather. It is quick to trace. It smells like chocolate. It should not be more than 15% of total oils.

Coconut Oil
Coconut oil is extracted from dried coconut meat. The oil is resistant to rancidity. It makes a creamy, fluffy, bubbly lather. It should not be more than 25% of the total oils or the resulting soap will be too drying. It makes a hard, cleansing bar. It is quick to trace.

Emu Oil
Emu oil, made from the fat of the emu bird, has anti-inflammatory properties. It helps thicken thin, aging skin. Used in soap at 10-20%, emu oil will make a hard bar with stable moisturizing lather.

Jojoba Oil
Jojoba oil is actually a liquid wax, not an oil. It is extracted from the seeds of the jojoba plant. It resists rancidity. It makes a conditioning bar with stable lather. It will accelerate trace. Use it at a rate of approximately 2 ounces per pound of soap. It a great superfatting ingredient which adds a touch of luxury to soaps.

Kokum Butter
Kokum butter is from the root of the Garcinia indica tree grown in India. Its recommended use level is 3-6% of total oils. It is similar to shea butter and is great for superfatting.

Lard
Lard is rendered pork fat. It cleans well. It produces a softer soap than either palm or tallow with lasting lather.

Mango Butter
Mango butter is made from the fruit seed of the mango tree grown in the sub-tropics. It is slightly more solid than shea butter but gives the same characteristics to soap. Its recommended use is 3-6% of total oils. It is great for superfatting.

Olive Oil
Olive oil makes a very hard bar of mild, gentle, conditioning soap with little bubbles and stable lather. It is slow to trace and is good for sensitive or baby's skin.

Palm Oil
Palm oil is extracted from the fruit of the palm tree. It makes a hard bar with stable lather. It hastens trace. It saponifies easily and pulls other oils into saponification more quickly. It should be limited to 20% of the total oils as it may be drying to the skin. If used alone, the resulting soap is brittle with sparse lather.

Palm Kernel Flakes or Oil
Palm kernel flakes or oil, not to be confused with palm oil, makes a hard, cleansing, white bar with fluffy lather. It substitutes well for coconut oil. It makes a smooth textured soap. It traces quickly. If it is less than 25% of your total oils, it will make a moisturizing soap; anything more will make a soap that is too drying.

Peanut Oil
It is a good idea to avoid using peanut oil when making soap because some people are very allergic to peanuts.

Pomace Olive Oil
Pomace olive oil is extracted from the residues (from previous pressings), skins and pits (pomace) of olives. It has a high percentage of unsaponifiables and, unlike regular olive oil, tends to put the oils into a quick saponification. The final bar of 100% pomace tends to be somewhat softer than those made from virgin or midgrade olive oil.

Shea Butter
Shea butter, also known as African karite butter is expressed from the pits of the fruit of the African butter tree. It is high in unsaponifiables, so it is great for superfatting. It makes a hard, conditioning bar with stable lather. It traces quickly. Use it in 2-5% of your total fats and oils.

Soybean Oil
Makes a nice, hard bar of soap especially when mixed with olive oil and coconut oil.

Sweet Almond Oil
Sweet almond oil comes from the edible almond. It makes a wonderful moisturizing bar of soap when mixed with other oils. It saponifies easily and yields a mild soap with good lather. It will turn rancid quickly if not refrigerated. Make sure you list it in your ingredients for some people are allergic to almonds.

Tallow
Tallow is rendered beef fat. Suet is the hard fat from around the beef kidneys. Suet is the highest quality tallow. It makes a mild soap that cleans well. It adds hardness to soap. If used alone, it makes a brittle soap with sparse lather.

Turkey Red Oil
Turkey red oil is sulfonated castor oil. It has been processed so it mixes with water more easily. It is not recommended for soapmaking.

Vegetable Shortening
See soybean oil.