Handmade Soap Oil Properties
When making handmade soap one of the first things we learn as soapmakers is how to combine the properties of different oils we use in the soap making process to give a particular recipe it’s unique quality in the finished soap. It’s like participating in a chemistry experiment on finding the perfect bar of soap. Here is a list of soap characteristics contributed by the more common fatty acids.
Lauric Acid - Hard Bar, Cleansing, Fluffy Lather
Lenoleic Acid – Conditioning
Myristic Acid – Hard Bar, Cleansing, Fluffy Lather
Oleic Acid – Conditioning
Palmitic Acid – Hard Bar, Stable Lather
Ricinoleic Acid – Fluffy Lather, Conditioning, Stable Lather
Each oil we use has it’s own particular fatty acid profile and no one fat or oil has all the characteristics we soapmakers find advantageous. One of the tools I use when designing a recipe can be found here.
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