Base
Oil, Butter or Fat

Soft,
Hard or Brittle

Properties
in Soap

Recommended
Usage

Breaking
the Rules & Other Notes

Argan

Med

Stable rich creamy bubbly lather

 5- 10%.

Referred to as "liquid gold" in Europe, Argan oil is used in soap to provide antioxidants, nutrients and Soaping Oil/Butter Hardness Cleansing Conditioning Sap Value NaOH/KOH Misc. Information conditioning to the skin. Provides a stable, conditioning to the skin.

Coconut
Oil

Hard

Abundant
lather, large fluffy bubbles, high cleansing, hard bar, white color

15-50%

High amounts of coconut oil can be drying, however you can always use a higher superfat to counteract the drying effect. The more un-saponified oils in your soap the more moisturizing it is.
Experiment with a 100% coconut oil soap with a 20% superfat. 

Palm Oil

Hard

Mild
stabilizing lather, hard, long lasting bar

25-50%

Palm oil is great for those that don’t want to use animal fats such as lard or
tallow. I personally do not use palm oil because of the environmental effects of producing it. 

Olive
Oil

Soft/Hard

Low
slippery lather, almost no bubbles, low cleansing

25-80%

The low cleansing properties of olive oil make it very mild and nourishing. Soap for sensitive skin, elder skin or baby skin should include high amounts of olive (60%). Castile soap is made with 100% olive oil.  I classify this
as a soft/hard oil because it makes a very soft bar of soap initially upon unmolding but cures into a rock hard
bar.  Soaps high (50%+) in olive oil need longer to cure and unmold.

Lard

Hard

Mild
stabilizing creamy lather, hard, white bar

25-50%

100% lard soap with no superfat makes great laundry
soap.

Tallow
(beef)

Hard

Mild
stabilizing creamy lather, hard, white bar

25-50%

100% tallow soap with no superfat makes great laundry soap.

Babassu

oil

Brittle

Similar
to coconut oil, large fluffy bubbles, high cleansing but a bit milder than
coconut oil, white color

 15-30%

Babassu oil is a great oil to use in place of coconut oil for those that
have a coconut allergy.

Palm
Kernel oil

Brittle

Similar
to coconut oil, large fluffy bubbles, high cleansing but a bit milder than
coconut oil, white color

15-30%

Palm kernel oil is a great sub for coconut oil.  You can also use it with
coconut oil to add some hardness to your bar.  If you have a recipe that
calls for 20% coconut oil…try using 10% coconut oil and 10% palm kernel
oil. 

Cocoa butter

Brittle

Mild
stabilizing lotion-like lather, hard, long lasting bar

5-15%

You can experiment using cocoa butter and other butters in high amounts –
up to 80%.  Try a bar made from 60% cocoa butter and 40% coconut
oil.  You might like it!

Shea
butter

Hard

Mild
stabilizing lotion-like lather, medium hard, long lasting bar

5-20%

Same as cocoa butter.  I typically use 5-15% but occasionally will
experiment with using up to 60%.

Castor oil

Hard

Suspends
the lather created by coconut oil

5-10%

Some soap makers like to use 15-20% castor oil in their shampoo bars or shaving
bars.

Apricot
Kernel oil

Soft

Medium
lather, mild cleansing

5-12%

Apricot Kernel is a wonderful sub for some of the olive oil in a recipe. 

Avocado oil

Soft

Medium
lather, mild cleansing

5-12%

 Avocado oil is a wonderful sub for some of the olive oil in a recipe. It is high in vitamin E and other vitamins and minerals making it a great addition to
facial bars or bars for elder skin.

Camellia oil

Jojoba
oil

Soft

Stabilizes
and suspends lather

5-8%

Jojoba oil, a liquid wax, can kill lather when used in high amounts.

Sunflower oil

Soft

Medium
lather, mild cleansing

5-12%

Sunflower oil is a wonderful sub for some of the olive oil in a recipe.

Grapeseed

oil

Soft

Medium
lather, mild cleansing

5-12%

Grapeseed is a wonderful sub for some of the olive oil in a recipe.

Hazelnut oil

Soft

Medium
lather, mild cleansing

5-8%

Hazelnut is a wonderful sub for some of the olive oil in a recipe.

Hemp
Seed oil

Soft

Medium
lather, mild cleansing

5-8%

Hemp Seed is a wonderful sub for some of the olive oil in a recipe.

Safflower oil

Soft

Medium
lather, mild cleansing

5-12%

Safflower oil is a wonderful sub for some of the olive oil in a recipe.

Soybean
oil

Soft

Medium
lather, mild cleansing

5-12%

Soybean oil is a wonderful sub for some of the olive oil in a recipe.

Rice Bran oil

Soft

Medium
lather, mild cleansing, gives soap a sheen making it look less dull

5-12%

Rice Bran oil is a wonderful sub for some of the olive oil in a recipe.

Almond
oil, sweet

Soft

Medium
lather, mild cleansing

5-12%

Sweet Almond oil is a wonderful sub for some of the olive oil in a recipe.