Properties of Soap Making Oils
Understanding Hard and Soft Oils for Better Soap Bars
Each oil used in soap making brings its own unique characteristics — from lather quality to hardness and conditioning benefits. Finding the right blend of oils is key to crafting a bar of soap that cleanses well, feels luxurious, and lasts a long time.
A good starting point for most recipes is 60% hard oils and 40% soft oils, then adjust based on your personal preferences.
Here is a list of some common oils used in soap making and their characteristics. A good percentage to start with when making soaps is 60% hard oils and 40% soft oils. You can adjust it from there to make the right bar for you.
| Oils | Hardness | Lather | Properties |
|---|---|---|---|
| Almond | Soft | Medium Lather | Conditioning, with low cleansing |
| Apricot Kernal | Soft | Medium Lather | Soothing and Conditioning |
| Avocado | Soft | Stable | Soothing and Conditioning |
| Canola (Rapeseed) | Soft | Poor | Conditioning |
| Castor Oil | Soft | Rich and Fluffy | Rinses and Clean * |
| Cocoa Butter | Hard to Brittle | Creamy | Conditioning ** |
| Coconut | Hard | Rich | Cleansing |
| Grapeseed | Soft | Thin | Conditioning |
| Hemp Seed | Soft | Thin | Soothing and Restorative |
| Jojoba Oil | Mushy | None | Restorative |
| Lard | Hard | Creamy | Cleansing and Conditioning |
| Olive | Soft to Hard | Poor | Cleansing, Soothing and Conditioning *** |
| Palm | Hard to Very Hard | Stable | Cleansing |
| Palm Kernal | Hard to Brittle | Rich and Fluffy | Cleansing**** |
| Shea Butter | Hard | Stable | Soothing and Restorative |
| Tallow | Hard to Very Hard | Creamy and stable | Cleansing |
| Wheatgerm | Soft | Creamy | Soothing |
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💡 Tips for Using Soap Making Oils
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Castor Oil: Use no more than 5% in your recipe or your soap may turn out soft and sticky.
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Cocoa Butter: Can be drying on its own—blend with moisturizing oils for balance.
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Olive Oil: Pure olive oil soaps (Castile soaps) benefit from a longer cure time (6–8 weeks) for a harder bar.
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Palm Kernel Oil: Great cleanser but drying in high amounts; stay below 30% of total oils.
🧴 Crafting the Perfect Soap Recipe
As you can see, every oil has its strengths. Some create big bubbles, others add creaminess or moisture. The beauty of soap making lies in balancing hardness, lather, and skin conditioning to create a bar that suits your needs.
It took me many batches to find my favorite blend—but experimenting is part of the fun! Start with a tried-and-true recipe, then adjust oils, colors, and scents as you gain experience.
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📚 Related Soap Making Resources
- Soap Making Oils
- Step by Step Instructions on making cold process soap
- Soap Making Supplies
- Books on how to make soap
© 2016 – 2025, Tes. All rights reserved.
My sister had been considering making her own soap. She likes to know what types of ingredients she will be coming in contact with.
I myself didn’t realize the amount of experimentation that was involved trying to find the correct balance.
How long do you think it would be before my sister would get good at making her own soap? Is it months or even years? Thanks
There are lots of good recipes she could try here is one Soap Recipe – Green Mint Tea but I think what happens as did with me. I tried a recipe and then wanted to add different oils so that’s when the experimenting began. I think it was a few months and many recipes before I found the one I like to use the most.
In terms of price, what is the most economic way of making your own soap? Out of that list which is your favorite and for a complete beginner which is the easiest one to make and get into making on a consistent basis?
That hemp oil one looks pretty cool. Didn’t know that hemp oil could be used for making soap. Looks like you learn something new everyday!
Prices can definitely vary with oils. I like to use Olive Oil as my main oil, but others will use Canola Oil as it is a fraction of the cost. Canola Oil I also love Hemp oil and have been making a soap with that for many years. For me cost is not so much a factor as the quality of the soap. Here is are a few recipes to try out. Recipes