Best Oils for Soap Making: A Complete Guide

Choosing the right oils is the most important decision in soap making. Each oil brings unique properties to your soap, from hardness and lather to moisturizing and shelf life.

Understanding Soap Bar Properties

Before diving into specific oils, let's understand what we're optimizing for:

• Hardness - How solid and long-lasting the bar is
• Cleansing - How effectively it removes oils and dirt
• Conditioning - How moisturizing it feels
• Bubbly Lather - Big, fluffy bubbles
• Creamy Lather - Dense, lotion-like lather
• INS Value - Overall quality indicator (ideal: 136-170)

Our calculator shows these properties in real-time as you build your recipe!

The Essential Oils for Beginners

🥥 Coconut Oil (20-30%)

The workhorse of soap making. Coconut oil creates:

• Hard bars
• Excellent cleansing
• Big, bubbly lather

Caution: Above 30%, it can be drying. Balance with conditioning oils.

🫒 Olive Oil (25-100%)

The gentle moisturizer. Olive oil provides:

• Conditioning properties
• Creamy lather
• Gentle cleansing

Tip: High-olive soaps (Castile) need longer cure times (6-12 months for best results).

🧈 Shea Butter (5-15%)

Luxury addition for:

• Extra conditioning
• Creamy lather
• Bar hardness

🌴 Palm Oil (20-30%)

Creates hard, long-lasting bars with:

• Mild lather
• Good stability

Note: If using palm, choose sustainably sourced (RSPO certified) or substitute with lard, tallow, or palm-free hardening oils.

🌻 Castor Oil (5-10%)

The lather booster! A little goes a long way:

• Stabilizes lather
• Adds bubbles
• Moisturizing

Warning: Above 10% can make soap sticky.

Oil Categories

Hardening Oils

Make your bar solid and long-lasting:

• Coconut Oil
• Palm Oil
• Cocoa Butter
• Lard/Tallow
• Babassu Oil

Conditioning Oils

Add moisture and skin-loving properties:

• Olive Oil
• Avocado Oil
• Sweet Almond Oil
• Rice Bran Oil
• Hemp Seed Oil

Specialty Oils

Use at 5-15% for specific benefits:

• Castor Oil - Lather boost
• Jojoba Oil - Closest to skin sebum
• Argan Oil - Luxurious conditioning
• Neem Oil - Antibacterial properties

Building a Balanced Recipe

The ideal soap recipe includes oils from multiple categories:

Category	Percentage	Purpose
----------	------------	---------
Hardening	40-60%	Structure, longevity
Conditioning	25-40%	Moisturizing, gentleness
Specialty	5-15%	Lather, luxury

Example Balanced Recipe

Oil	Amount	Property
-----	--------	----------
Coconut Oil	25%	Cleansing, hardness
Olive Oil	35%	Conditioning
Palm Oil	20%	Hardness
Shea Butter	10%	Conditioning
Castor Oil	10%	Lather

This creates a balanced bar with good hardness, cleansing, and moisturizing properties.

Palm-Free Alternatives

Looking to go palm-free? Try these swaps:

Instead of Palm	Try
-----------------	-----
Palm Oil	Lard, Tallow, or Cocoa Butter
Palm Kernel Oil	Babassu Oil

Palm-Free Recipe Example:

• 30% Olive Oil
• 30% Lard or Tallow
• 20% Coconut Oil
• 10% Shea Butter
• 10% Castor Oil

Oils to Avoid or Limit

High Linoleic Oils (Use Sparingly)

These oils can cause DOS (Dreaded Orange Spots) - rancidity in soap:

• Grapeseed Oil
• Sunflower Oil (high-linoleic)
• Hemp Seed Oil

Limit to 10% or less, or use high-oleic versions.

Expensive Oils

Use as superfatting oils or at low percentages:

• Argan Oil
• Tamanu Oil
• Sea Buckthorn Oil

Using Soaply to Build Recipes

Our calculator includes 68+ oils with accurate SAP values. As you add oils, you'll see:

1. Real-time property predictions - Watch hardness, cleansing, etc. update
2. Warnings - If your recipe is unbalanced
3. INS value - Target 136-170 for ideal bars

Try experimenting with different combinations to see how properties change!

Quick Reference Chart

Oil	Hardness	Cleansing	Conditioning	Lather
-----	----------	-----------	--------------	--------
Coconut	High	High	Low	Bubbly
Olive	Low	Low	High	Creamy
Palm	High	Low	Medium	Creamy
Shea Butter	Medium	Low	High	Creamy
Castor	Low	Low	High	Bubbly
Cocoa Butter	High	Low	High	Low
Avocado	Low	Low	High	Creamy

Start Creating

Ready to build your perfect recipe? Use our free Soaply calculator to experiment with oil combinations and see properties update in real-time.

Remember: The best recipe is one you enjoy using! Don't be afraid to experiment.

Related Articles

• Soap Bar Properties Explained - Understand what the numbers mean
• Palm-Free Soap Recipes - Great alternatives to palm oil
• Complete Guide to Superfat - How superfat affects your bar

Where to Buy Oils

Looking for quality soap making oils? Here are some options on Amazon:

• Coconut Oil (76° Refined)
• Olive Oil (Pomace Grade) - Pomace is ideal for soap
• Shea Butter (Unrefined)
• Castor Oil (Cold Pressed)
• Cocoa Butter

💬 Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best all-around oil for soap making?

Olive oil is the most versatile soap making oil. It's gentle, moisturizing, and works well at any percentage from 20% to 100%. For a balanced bar, pair it with coconut oil for lather and a hard butter like shea or cocoa for firmness.

Can you make soap with just one oil?

Yes! 100% olive oil soap is called Castile soap and has been made for centuries. 100% coconut oil soap with a high superfat also works well. Single-oil soaps are simpler but may lack the balanced properties of a multi-oil blend.

How much coconut oil is too much in soap?

Most soap makers cap coconut oil at 25-30% of the recipe. Above that, bars can feel drying and strip the skin's natural oils. If you want more coconut, increase your superfat percentage to 8-10% to compensate.

What oils make the hardest soap bars?

Coconut oil, palm oil, tallow, lard, and cocoa butter all produce hard bars. For the hardest bar possible, combine two or more of these at 40-60% of your total recipe. Check the hardness score in our calculator before mixing.

Do I need to use palm oil in soap?

No. Many excellent recipes skip palm entirely. You can substitute with lard, tallow, cocoa butter, or babassu oil. Check out our palm-free soap recipes for tested alternatives.