Fixed Oils - part 1

Here are some of the most popular fixed oils used for making cold process or hot process soap. Since the list of oils is so long, I have separated it into two parts. This is the first part of the alphabetical list of soapmaking oils.

I got most of my information from the following resources.

• the soapcrafters email list on http://www.yahoogroups.com
• Essentially Soap by Dr. Robert S. McDaniel
• Kelsei's Creations at http://www.kelseiscreations.com/oilandbu...
• Soapcrafters at http://www.soapcrafters.com
• From Nature with Love at http://www.from-nature-with-love.com/soap
• A Garden Eastward at http://addy.com/brinkley/index.htm
• Pine Meadows at http://wwwlpinemeadows.net
• The natural Soap Co at http://www.strange.co.uk/soap/fixed.htm
• TLC Soaps & Sundries at http://www.tlcsoaps.com
• North Country Mercantile at http://www.northcountrymercantile.com
• http://www.millennium-ark.net/News_Files...

Almond Oil

See sweet almond oil.

Avocado Oil

Avocado oil makes a soft bar with stable lather. It has a high percentage of unsaponifiables, so it is a great superfatting oil. When it is a large percentage of the total oils in a soap, it makes a bar appropriate for sensitive skin.

Beeswax

Beeswax adds hardness to bars although too much leaves the soap sticky and can inhibit lather.

Canola Oil

Canola oil, also known as rapeseed oil, creates a conditioning soap with stable lather.

Castor Oil

Castor oil, from the seed of the castor plant, by itself, would make a very soft, sticky bar with sparse lather. In combination with other oils, it makes an emollient, rich, conditioning bar. It is quick to trace. Limit castor oil to less than 12% of total oils. It is great when making a shampoo bar because it moisturizes and makes a creamy, frothy, stable lather. Castor oil is great for superfatting.

Cocoa Butter

Cocoa butter comes from the seed of the cocoa tree. It makes a creamy, hard, conditioning bar with stable lather. It is quick to trace. It smells like chocolate. It should not be more than 15% of total oils.

Coconut Oil

Coconut oil is extracted from dried coconut meat. The oil is resistant to rancidity. It makes a creamy, fluffy, bubbly lather. It should not be more than 25% of the total oils or the resulting soap will be too drying. It makes a hard, cleansing bar. It is quick to trace.

Emu Oil

Emu oil, made from the fat of the emu bird, has anti-inflammatory properties. It helps thicken thin, aging skin. Used in soap at 10-20%, emu oil will make a hard bar with stable moisturizing lather.

Jojoba Oil

Jojoba oil is actually a liquid wax, not an oil. It is extracted from the seeds of the jojoba plant. It resists rancidity. It makes a conditioning bar with stable lather. It will accelerate trace. Use it at a rate of approximately 2 ounces per pound of soap. It a great superfatting ingredient which adds a touch of luxury to soaps.