-Soap Oils

Ever wonder just what is in a good, handcrafted bar of soap? Well, lots of good things of course! Lol But the simple fact of the matter is, all soap is fat + lye. Remember that fats are oils, both solid and liquid. It is the type of fat, or fats, and the additives that set each handmade soap apart. I keep stressing "handmade" because most any soap that you buy from a big box store is going to be a syndant bar, a detergent bar, in other words, a made with synthetics bar. Just check out the ingredients.  Commercially made soaps are more harsh, using less fats and removing or harvesting the natural glycerin that is a byproduct of soap production.  
Anyway, there are not just one or two oils to choose from to make soap, and there are certainly not just one or two oils that are good for using in the soap. We jokingly say "too many oils, too little time", yet to most Soapers this is really not a joke. We are constantly experimenting and reformulating, striving for that perfect combination of oils. The problem is, there is not just ONE perfect combination, rather, there are many! So we find our favorites and stick to them, until we find new favorites. But I digress again....


So how do soap makers decide which oils to use? Certainly each Artisan has their personal favorites, for a myriad of reasons, I am sure. While availability and cost must factor in, hopefully there is an understanding of the oil's properties, as well as an understanding of how those properties will enhance the soap and benefit the user.  So here are just a few of the fats that are commonly used in soaping. Well, I say commonly, but I should have said, that I commonly use in soaping.  



Apricot Kernel Oil (Prunus armeniaca) – is expressed from apricot kernels. It is known for its ability to penetrate the skin easily, leaving it soft and smooth. It is a very lightweight emollient, high in oleic and linoleic acids. It’s also high in minerals,  as well as vitamins A and  E. It's gentle enough for a baby, and it is very similar, both in how it feels, and in its properties, to sweet almond oil, to which many are allergic to. 


Avocado Oil (Persea americana) – This oil comes from....yep, you guessed it, the pulp, of the fruit, of the avocado tree. It is categorized as a vegetable oil, but the avocado is really a fruit since it has a stone. It is a great oil (and fruit), rich in protein, vitamins A, D and E, as well as lecithin and potassium. It is highly  moisturizing, and studies have actually indicated that this oil increases the collagen in the skin, which makes this a great oil for any skin, especially for aging skin. It is also purported to relieve the itching and dryness of psoriasis and eczema, as well as reduce age spots, alleviate scars and sun damage. 


Babassu Oil (Orbignya Oleifera (babassu) seed oil) is a solid, white fat, that melts when it touches the skin. In fact, it actually draws heat from the skin in order to initiate the melting. The resulting heat transfer produces a cooling effect on the skin as well. And the Babassu oil forms a protective, soothing coating when its applied. It leaves the skin with a very pleasant, velvety feeling, and has been used for centuries to soothe dry skin. 
This oil is cold pressed from the fruit kernels of the Babassu palm, which is native to the southeastern Amazon region of Brazil. It is ultra-refined without chemicals, and is a superior emollient. It is beneficial for both dry and oily complexions, and gently moisturizes the skin without contributing to an oily sheen. It's properties make it especially suitable for eczema, itchy, dry and inflamed skin. It contains about 70% lipids (fats), glycosides, vitamins and minerals, and it creates a nice, mild soap with good lather. This oil is a bit on the pricier side, but I really feel it is worth it! 

Besides that, the tree that bears the fruit used to make this oil is highly sustainable and quite beneficial. The fruit is used to produce products such as medicines, beauty aids, and beverages. The seeds contain the oil, which is used for cooking, as well as soap making. The leaves of the tree are used to provide thatch for houses, and woven into mats for constructing house walls. The stems are even used for timbers. Natives make use of every part of this tree, as well as benefiting from the exporting and sale of the oil.

Caster Oil (Ricinus communis) comes from the castor bean plant. I use cold pressed castor oil in almost all of my soaps. It is a humecant, meaning that it actually attracts and pulls moisture to the skin. Castor oil is a skin softener and emollient. It is great for many skin conditions, including psoriasis. When added to soap, it helps to create a nice, bubbly soap lather. Almost every bar of soap that I make has castor oil in it, it just adds so much! 

Coconut oil  (Cocos nucifera) is an oil that is not only in almost every bar of soap that I make, but is in most every bar that everyone makes. Why? It produces a nice, hard, bubbly bar of soap. Coconut will bubble and lather in the hardest of water, and has been used for centuries as a cleanser. But it is also, in the correct proportions, very moisturizing. Coconut oil presents as a solid, but melts as it is warmed by the skin.  

Hemp Seed Oil (Cannabis sativa) has a high amount of essential fatty acids, and is considered a wonderful healing oil for all skin types. It is a very emollient, nourishing, balancing and restorative oil, so it is great for all skin conditions, even the most severe. Many studies have been done on this oil and all report great results. This is not the same cannabis variety that produces marijuana. This plant has so little THC that, even if you grew it, rolled it and smoked it, you would not get high. So don't worry about its use. It is even gentle enough for a baby! For more in depth info on hemp seed oil, check out this past post, as well as this one, from my exotic oil series.

Olive Oil (olea Europaea (olive) oil) is another oil that is in almost every bar of soap made. In fact, some soap has nothing else with it, Castile Soap, and some has just another oil or two with it, Bastile Soap. Why? Olive oil is exceptionally mild. In fact, it is almost always chosen for baby soaps and soaps for sensitive skin. While it doesn't really produce much in the way of bubbles, it does have a nice, rich, albeit maybe a bit slimy lather. Used alone, this soap may take some getting used to. But as a part of a base, this is considered the king of soaping oils. Not only is it a humecant, attracting moisture to the skin, but at the same time, this oil allows your skin to breathe, as well as preventing it from losing  its natural moisture. Olive oil keeps the skin soft and supple, and is very emollient. This is a wonderful oil for many skin conditions and is a good for infants to elders.

Of course these are but a few of the oils available, and are not even all of the oils that I regularly use. But these are my top "go to" oils. For more oil information, check out my Exotic Oils series from about this time last year. You can start with Babassu oil (3-1-11), and find about two a week, sometimes more, through the 5-27-11 Wheat Germ oil post.   

Make it Yourself Monday- Bath Butter

What melts in bath water, smells terrific, and moisturizes your skin like nobody's business? Bath Butter, that's what! What is bath butter? Think of a cross between a bath oil and a body moisturizer and you will be close to this tantalizing and exotic treatment.

To make, you will need;
1   cup regular or deodorized cocoa butter
1/4 cup coconut oil
1/4 cup sweet almond oil
2 teaspoons olive oil
6-12 drops essential oil(s) of choice

The choice of deodorized or regular cocoa butter is yours to make, but keep in mind the EO(s) that you want to use, and how they will blend with the scent of the cocoa butter that you choose. Once decided, melt the cocoa butter in a double boiler on the stove. Then add the coconut oil. When they are melted, add the almond and the olive oils, stir, remove from the heat and add the essential oil(s). Blend well and when it begins to cool, after about 4-5 minutes or so, pour it into the jar or tin of your choice. Then set aside and allow to completely set up. You can place it in the refrigerator to help it set up faster if you choose. This recipe has a shelf life of at least 6 months, but care must be taken to keep water from coming in contact with the product. If water is introduced, the nasties will begin to grow and your product will be ruined, possibly within days of the contamination. So make sure to use a spoon to scoop it out of the jar and into the tub. If the spoon comes in contact with the water, don't place it back in the jar! How much should you use? That's up to you! Start out with one heaping teaspoon and add another one or two, or even three if you want! Just be very careful when getting in and out of the tub, as this will make the tub slippery! The butter should be, will be, firm in the container, but will melt in the warmth of the bath water. So sit back, soak, and relax as you treat yourself to this wonderful moisturizing treatment!

Teaching Tuesdays - Exotic Oils For Skin Care, Babassu

With Winter having pounded our skin for months now, and Spring and Summer looming just around the corner, I thought that we would discuss some of the more "exotic" oils that are great for skin care, and in skin care products. For basic information on the usual carrier oils, see this post. We will begin with Babassu oil.


Babassu nuts were first brought to the world’s attention in 1914, when there was a shortage of coal, due to WWI. All eyes went to Brazil as these nuts were used whole, as fuel, in the boilers of Brazilian steamships. Additionally, the rubber workers of the Amazon valley have used these nuts as fuel, for the smoking of rubber for many years. Of course, the Brazilian natives have used the babassu nut since their earliest recollections, for many things.  


Babassu oil is cold-pressed from the kernels of the Babassu nut, which is the hard-shelled nut of the babassu palm tree. This palm tree grows in the Amazon valley of Brazil (South America). It's botanical name is Orbignya oleifera.  It is a tall palm, with an erect trunk, growing up to 20 m tall, and it can be 30-40 cm in width. It has a crown of erect, spreading leaves, which have long, narrow lobes, that make the leaf look somewhat like a branch. It bears flowers that  are unisexual, and the fruits, the Babassu nuts, look like small coconuts, about  6 cm long, and pointed. They can be yielded in large amounts, making this an easily sustainable crop. 


As the nuts ripen, they fall to the ground, where the women, called babassu breakers, pick them up and break them open. The kernels are then sent to the processing plants where the oil is extracted. The oil itself is somewhat transparent, being light yellow to white in color. It presents as a solid, at room temperature, and has a medium viscosity. Due to the fact that this oil is cold pressed from the kernel, it contains about 70% lipids (fats), and is ultra-refined without the use of chemicals. Its chemical and physical properties are very similar to coconut oil, and it is used in much the same way. In fact, it is considered to be a cost effective substitute for Coconut oil when making cosmetics such as soaps, creams, lotions, balms, massage oil, lipsticks, and [any] other anhydrous formulations. Aside from cosmetics, this oil is routinely used in food processing, beverages, fuel, lubricants, medicine, and cleaners.


Babassu oil is composed mainly of lauric, myristic and oleic acids. Since it has a high portion of lauric and myristic acids, which have melting points [relatively] close to our body temperature, when it is applied to the skin it  draws the heat from the skin to initiate its melting. This heat transfer actually produces a nice cooling effect on the skin. It can be used to provide a protective barrier against the climate and pollution.  Babassu oil forms a soothing, protective coat when applied to the skin, providing a nice, soft, velvety feeling. It is a superior emollient, and is beneficial for all skin types, working equally well on dry and oily complexions. It is quickly absorbed by the skin, conditioning and moisturizing, without leaving a greasy residue. It has several benefits, but is best known to heal dry, itchy, and/or eczema afflicted   skin, as well as dry, itchy scalps (when used in shampoos). 


For the soap makers out there, this oil makes a great addition to your soap. According to most information sites, there is no maximum usage recommendation, but I did see a max of 6% on one vendors web site. All agree though, it creates a nice hard bar, with fluffy, stable lather, again, having properties that are similar to coconut oil. It should be stored in a cool area, and out of direct sunlight. Depending upon who you listen to, it should remain good for anywhere from 1 to 2 years. 


*As per usual, see the "References" tab for the bibliography for this, or any other post. 


Next oils post we will look at Boabab and Borage oils!