A few posts back, I described the science of soap – that soap is formed by mixing fatty acids and a strong base.  Historically, it seems likely that early peoples discovered soap when they noticed that during rainstorms, meat drippings that had fallen into the ashes of the cook-fire tended to suds up, leaving everything in its path clean and grease-free.  After experimentation, our ancestors learned to mix water with wood ash to make lye, then mix the lye with whatever fats were on hand, which for US pioneers would have been animal fats like beef tallow or pork lard.  The technique was crude and the ash to fat ratio was inexact, but the result was a hard (often harsh) bar of soap that lathered and cleaned.

Thankfully, we have come a long way from meat drippings and wood ash lye.  Our craft has been refined over the years so that soapmakers can now calculate precise concentrations of lye using commercially available sodium hydroxide.  And while some soapers still make good use of tallow, lard, and other animal fats, we also now have the knowledge and ability to make high quality vegetarian soaps as well.  By mixing specific concentrations of lye with a wide variety of plant-based fatty acids, we can fine-tune soaps for different qualities like hardness, suds quality, cleansing, and conditioning.  Below you will find more information about the qualities and purpose of some of the most commonly used base oils in vegetarian soapmaking.   If you are looking for a particular oil or butter, and you don’t see it below, check the Ingredients page on our webpage.  You may find it there.  Enjoy!

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  Oil Carafe by hartart13 on Etsy

  Olive Oil ~ One of the mildest oils available for soapmaking.  In soap, olive oil is an excellent moisturizer because it attracts and holds moisture to the skin, forming a breathable film that prevents the skin’s internal moisture from escaping without leaving a waxy coating that inhibits the skin’s natural functions.  Pure olive oil soaps, historically known as Castile soap, require longer curing times to form hard bars (at least 8 weeks), and the lather of olive oil bars is minimal.  However, olive oil bars are excellent cleaners while also being gentle enough for babies and the most sensitive of skin.  If you love olive oil soaps, like our Kuan Yin bar, make sure you use a self-draining soap dish to keep the bar from sitting in puddles.  Just as olive oil attracts moisture to your skin, it will also attract moisture into the soap bar, making the bar soft and slimy if it does not dry between uses.

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  Coconut on lime by kitchenwizard on Etsy

  Coconut Oil ~ Coconut oil is THE oil for vegetarian soapmaking.  It is responsible for the quick, fluffy lather in most vegetarian soaps, and has such a fantastic sudsing capablities that a pure coconut oil soap can lather even in seawater.  Because it is a saturated fat (solid at room temperature), it also contributes to the hardness of the bar.  In lower concentrations, coconut oil is both penetrating and skin-softening, but at higher concentrations, it becomes drying.

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  Orange Wheat by JulieSuzanne on Etsy

  Wheat Germ Oil ~ This is a power-packed, highly nutritious oil.  Dark, thick and earthy,  you can practically see the nutrients in this rich oil.  Wheat germ oil contains vitamins B and E, protein, and essential fatty acids, all of which contribute to skin health. Wheat germ oil is an excellent moisturizer for normal to very dry skin, mature skin, and environmentally damaged skin, and it is soothing for sensitive or irritated skin.  You can find wheat germ oil in several of our soaps, including the Asherah, Earth, Demeter, and Vesta bars.  All are also available in our Etsy shop.

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  Marijuana Leaf by pieintheskie on Etsy

  Hempseed Oil ~ Hempseed oil, derived from the seeds of Cannabis strains (including Cannabis sativa, also known as marijuana), is another nutrition packed oil.  Hempseed oil is high in protein, as well as in essential fatty acids, vitamins, and enzymes that are easily absorbed by the skin.  It is a very healing oil, is wonderfully moisturizing for dry and aging skin, and can also be used to treat minor burns.  The active compound in marijuana, THC, is not present in the oil and soaps made with hempseed will not get you high.  Sorry folks!  However, if you would like to enjoy hempseed oil’s skin-conditioning qualities, you can find it in our Witch’s, Earth, and Om bars. All are also available in our Etsy shop.

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  Sunset by karenfaulknerart on Etsy

  Sunflower Oil ~ Sunny, nourishing, and moisturizing, this is a wonderfully inexpensive oil for soapmaking and other skin-care products.  It is sometimes used as an alternative to the more expensive olive oil.  Derived from sunflower seeds, this oil is high in essential fatty acids, and contains anti-oxidant vitamins A, D, and E.  Because it contains very little saturated fat, sunflower oil is very light.  It’s content should be kept below 15% of the soap formula, and it must be combined with saturated fats in order for saponification to take place in a timely manner.  You can find sunflower oil in several of our soaps, including the Gaia, Lakshmi, Om, and Flora bars.  All are also available in our Etsy shop.

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  Straight Palm Leaf by SureAsBlue on Etsy

  Organic Palm Oil ~ Palm oil is the vegetable soap’s substitute for tallow.  On its own, palm oil does not contribute much to the lather or to glycerin production in handcrafted soaps.  However, because too much coconut oil can be drying, palm oil is often added to soap formulas to help harden up the bar. Palm oil stays in the background, providing a firm foundation so that the more conditioning oils in the bar can work their magic without becoming a spongy mess when the bar gets wet.  There is a lot of controversy surrounding palm oil due to the massive destruction its harvest is causing in Malaysia.  Orangutan habitat is being destroyed at an alarming rate due to palm oil’s recent popularity as a “healthy” substitute for trans fats.  Because we are dedicated to non-violence in the production of our soaps, we have switched to organic palm oil that is harvested in South America, where no orangutans reside.

Much of the information for this post was found in Susan Miller Cavitch’s The Soapmaker’s Companion and in Stephanie Tourles’ Organic Body Care Recipes. Please see our Soapmaking Resources page if you are interested in learning more about soapcrafting.