Natural Oils & Butter

Different oils behave differently, and react differently with the different skin types, and the oiliness of the skin. Certain oils are also very enriching to the skin, leaving it feeling smooth and clean, others even fight fungus and bacteria and heal wounds and cuts, some even fight acne and other skin conditions such as psoriasis and dandruff. The right balance will create soap with certain features, suited for the right skin condition. Combined with floral and herbal scents, one can reach a pleasurable experience of cleanliness and freshness while positively affecting the mood.

One of the best additions to Olive oil in soap making is Moringa oil (Moringa Oleifera cold pressed seed oil; also known as Ben or Behen Oil). Moringa oil is very stable and has an extremely long shelf life; being very light and pleasant-tasting the oil is similar to Olive oil in being a monounsaturated fat, and so is good for healthier eating. It spreads easily on the skin, and so is a fine massage oil and base for essential oils. The oil itself is a good rub for a pregnant woman’s belly. Soothing and softening to the skin, Moringa oil has moisturizing, nourishing, and emollient properties, and also excellent cleaning ability. Modern uses are found in soap, perfumes, shampoos, and other skin care products. Moringa oil is very useful in cleaning hair and scalp. It has long been known to provide a high quality fuel for lamps, giving a clear, smokeless light, and was used in Ancient Egypt’s temples for burning.

Other oils we use in our soaps are: Coconut butter, Shea butter, Palm oil, Castor oil, Moringa oil, Grape seed oil, Sage seed oil, Neem oil, Sweet Almond oil and Avocado oil. These oils have varying effects on the final soap bar, ranging in softness, degree of lather and longevity.

One can make soap using only one type of oil; however, the best soaps have a balance of oils as each oil type will contribute a different quality to the final bar of soap.

The qualities of oils can be categorized in four groups:

    • Moisturizing & Conditioning - (olive oil, canola oil, sunflower oil, soybean oil)
    • Silkiness & Super Moisturizing - (Cocoa butter, Shea butter, Almond oil, Hemp oil, Jojoba)
    • Lathering - (Coconut, Castor, Palm)
    • Stable, hard & long lasting - (Moringa seed oil, Palm oil, Coconut oil)

 

In addition, different oils may have multiple characteristics - e.g. Shea butter is super moisturizing and makes a very hard bar of soap as well. Coconut is primarily used because it makes great lather, but makes a super hard bar too.

 

Our most commonly used oils & their qualities – (listed alphabetically):
A lovely moisturizing oil that is very light and absorbs well. As an emollient it nourishes and softens the skin helping to keep it smooth to the touch. It relieves itchiness, soreness, rashes, dryness, irritation and burns.
A heavy, green, rich, moisturizing oil that has a high percentage of unsaponifiables (the portions of the oil that don't react with the lye to form soap,) so it's a good oil to superfat with. It's often used in soap recipes for people with sensitive skin. On the skin, it first feels a little heavy...but after a moment, it absorbs nicely. Vitamins A, B1, B2, D, and E are abundantly found in this oil. It also contains protein, potassium, and unsaturated fatty acids such as lecithin, amino acids, sterols, and pantothenic acids, which are essential to healthy skin. Age spots, scars, and even itching from eczema and psoriasis can be treated as well. The skin tissue easily absorbs the oil, which makes mature skin easily treatable. Scaly skin and scalp can also be treated.
A thick, clear oil that helps increase the lather in soap - a rich, creamy lather. It's also a humectant oil (attracts moisture to your skin), with good anti-bacterial effects.
One of the primary oils soap makers use. Susan Miller Cavitch, in her book The Soap Maker’s Companion calls it "a gift." It gives tremendous, bubbly lather to soap. It also makes for a very hard, white bar of soap.
A lightweight, moisturizing oil that is a good additive to soap in small quantities. It is lovely in shaving soap. Grape seed oil is made from pomace, the waste left in the grape press during the wine-making process after the pressing cycle. The nutritional components in grape seed oil provide a variety of healthy benefits, such as their ability to slow down and reverse free radical damage and reduce the risk of disease, slowing skin aging. Grape seed oil is a powerful antioxidant, 50 times more potent than Vitamin E and 20 times more effective than Vitamin C in destroying these free radicals, harmful molecules that roam the body and damage cells.
Is cold pressed from the Moringa Seeds. This edible product of the “miracle tree” is a new addition to western soap making, simply since the oil is very expensive, and supplies in the west are limited. The oil however is one of the best for aroma-therapy as a vessel for essential oils and for its myriad outstanding qualities to the skin (as an anti-oxidant, ant-bacterial, anti-fungal… the list goes on..). Although few Westerners have ever heard of it, Moringa Oleifera is potentially one of the planet’s most valuable plants, at least in humanitarian terms. Its oil is excellent in soap making as it moisturizes the skin, rich in Vitamin A, Vitamin E, Vitamin C that whitens the skin and unsaturated fatty acids that keep soft skin even softer.
Is extracted from the bark of the neem tree. It is growing in popularity as a soap making oil due to its antiseptic, anti-fungal and insect repellent qualities. Good for treating skin conditions like athletes foot.
Food grade - comes from the pressing of the olives. Olive oil has been used in soap for centuries. 100% olive oil makes the famous "Castile soap" and "Marseille soap" must contain at least 72% olive oil. Olive oil is generally the #1 oil in most soap makers' recipes - and for good reason. Olive oil soaps are very moisturizing, make hard, white bars of soap (though high % olive oil soaps take a longer time to cure) and are exceptionally mild. But the lather from Castile soap is low and a bit slimy. Most soap makers combine olive oil with other oils to improve the lather. it's great for your skin and makes a wonderful, stable, creamy, moisturizing bar of soap.
Is often called "veggie tallow" in that it gives many of the same qualities that beef tallow does - a hard bar with a rich creamy lather. Alone, it's pretty unremarkable, but combined with other oils like olive, coconut and castor, it makes great, hard, long lasting soap.
A cold pressed oil from seeds of Sage (Salvia Officinallis). Pale yellowish oil; rich with Omega-3 and antioxidants, excellent for the tired and cracked skin.
Is one of the most popular luxury oils used in soap making recipes. The oil comes from the fruit of the African Karite Nut Tree. It's very moisturizing in the tub, but may be a bit too oily for some tastes.