Table of Contents
- What Is Lather In Soap-Making?
- What Affects Soap Lathering?
- What Is The Role of Fatty Acids In Soap-making?
- The Fatty Acids That Make Up Oils In Soap Making
- Best Oil For Lather In Soap-making
- How Do You Increase Lather In Soap-making?
- Conclusion
Are there different properties in oils for lathering in soap making? Yes
Certain oils are better for making bar soap than others.
Different oils have different properties that affect your soap’s hardness, moisturizing, cleansing, and lathering qualities.
Just because you love your homemade lotion made with 100% jojoba oil doesn’t mean a soap made with 100% jojoba oil will make a great soap!
The choice of oils used in soap recipes plays a significant role in determining the lather quality produced.
Let’s explore the best oils for creating that coveted lather. And how each oil’s fatty acids and how they contribute to the soap’s lathering properties.
What Is Lather In Soap-Making?
Lather is the foam or bubbles that form when you rub soap with water.
Lathering occurs due to the interaction between water, fatty acids, and surface-active agents known as surfactants.
Lathering helps to lift dirt and grease from your skin and hair.
Lather also makes the soap more enjoyable and luxurious to use.
The oils used in soap recipes directly impact the lathering ability of the soap.
Different oils contain varying proportions of fatty acids, contributing to the soap’s ability to create and sustain lather.
However, not all oils produce the same amount of lather in soap; some can even reduce the lather of other oils.
So, how do you choose the best oil for lather in soap?
What Affects Soap Lathering?
Several factors cause soap not to lather. Such as
The type and amount of oil you use, The water content of your soap(The hardness of your water)
The superfat percentage (the amount of oil that is left unsaponified in your soap)
The additives you use include the fragrance, color, herbs, etc.
Generally speaking, the more oil you use in your soap recipe, the less lather you will get because oil tends to coat the bubbles and prevent them from forming or lasting.
However, some oils are more lathering than others and can help increase the lather of your soap.
The higher the superfat percentage, the more moisturizing your soap, but the less lathering.
The reason is that The unsaponified oils coat the bubbles and reduce their formation or stability.
The more water you use in your soap recipe, the softer your soap will be and the more lather it will produce.
Too much water can slow down the curing and shrinking process of soap.
Some additives, such as sugar, honey, glycerin, or milk, can help increase the lather of your soap by attracting moisture and creating more bubbles.
Nevertheless, some additives, such as salt, clay, or herbs, can reduce the foaminess of your soap by making it heavier or bursting the bubbles.
Hard water contains minerals that can react with the soap and form scum that reduces the lather.
Soft water contains fewer minerals and allows the soap to form more bubbles. (Boil your water before using it.)
What Is The Role of Fatty Acids In Soap-making?
Let’s grasp a fundamental understanding of what fatty acids are.
They contribute to the moisture and cleaning ability of the soap.
They help stabilize formulations, ensuring the product maintains its integrity and effectiveness over time.
Fatty acids are diverse molecules with various chain lengths and structures.
The different types of fatty acids can be classified into two main categories: saturated and unsaturated.
Saturated Fatty Acids
Saturated fatty acids are hard or solid fats at moderate to cool room temperatures.
But they may be liquid or soft at room temperature in hot climates.
Unsaturated Fatty Acids
Unsaturated fatty acids, on the other hand, are found in liquid oils.
They contribute to soap’s silkiness and conditioning properties and the size and longevity of the bubbles in the lather.
The Fatty Acids That Make Up Oils In Soap Making
Myristic Acid
It has some features similar to lauric acid, often found in combination.
- Saturated fatty acids
- contribute to abundance, big fluffy lather.
- Strong cleansings (can be drying)
- Makes a rigid but highly soluble soap.
- Fast saponifications
- Unsurprisingly, some of the lauric acid oils also have myristic acids. Coconut oil, babassu oil, cow and goat milk.
Beware that most oils and fats for soapmaking are a blend of all these fatty acids.
There is only one where fatty acids dominate: castor oil.
Palmitic Acid
- Common saturated fatty acids exist in many plant and animal fats.
- Contributes a moderate, stable, and creamy lather.
- Moderat cleansing
- Makes hard, long-lasting soap.
- Fast saponification.
- Palm oil( not palm kernel oil), tallow (beef fat), cocoa butter, lard (pork fat), other animal fats, emu oil, shea butter, and mango butter
Lots of butter is high in palmitic acids and has excellent cleansing and lathering properties.
Lauric Acid
- Saturated fat
- Contributes abundance and fluffy lather to soap recipes.
- Intense cleansing (can be drying and drying).
- It is hard but highly soluble.
- Fast saponification
- Coconut oil, palm kernel oil (the oil around the palm fruit), babassu oil, lauric oil, cow, goat, and human breast milk
Stearic Acid
- saturated fatty acid
- Contributes to a low, creamy lather.
- Soft cleansing (mild soap).
- Contributes to hard, long-lasting soap.
- Fast saponification.
- Kokum butter, shea butter, sal butter, cocoa butter, mango butter, and hydrogenated soy oil (soil wax)
Rinicoleic Acid:
- Unsaturated omega-9 fatty acids and hydroxy acids
- Contributes to a low and creamy lather.
- Assist lather due to solvent properties.
- Low cleansing (mild soap)
- soft, sticky soap.
- Slow saponification.
- Castor oil, 90% ricinoleic.
Oleic Acid
- Monounsaturated fatty acid
- Low lather
- Low cleansing ( mild soap)
- It can be hard (Castile) but very soluble.
- Slow saponification
- Olive oil, sweet almond oil, apricot kernel oil, canola (rapeseed) oil, macadamia nut oil, avocado oil, peanut oil, rice bran oil, neem oil, high oleic sunflower oil, and safflower oil
Linoleic Acid
- Unsaturated omega-6 acids
- slow, silky lather
- Soft soap
- Shorter shelf life
- Slow saponification and prone to DOS(dreaded orange spots), which, if used in large amounts, soap is prone to having dreaded spots.
- Sunflower oil, safflower oil, grape seed oil, cotton seed oil, soybean oil, hemp seed oil, corn oil, sesame oil, and wheat germ oil.
Linolenic
- polyunsaturated fat omega 6 and omega 3 fatty acids.
- Low, silky lather.
- Slow cleansing (mild)
- Soft soap
- Slow saponifying
- Short shelf life and prone to DOS.
- Hemp seed oil, walnut oil, linseed oil, and flaxseed oil.
Best Oil For Lather In Soap-making
Now that we know what factors influence the lather of your soap let’s look at some of the best oils for lather in soap.
Coconut Oil is one of the most popular oils for soapmaking because it produces a hard bar with abundant lather, high cleansing power, and fast saponification.
Coconut oil creates large fluffy bubbles that are very stable; It is rigid but highly soluble.
So hardness when you first make a bar of soap or even when using it doesn’t necessarily equate to longevity.
It is essential to understand the distinction between hardness and longevity).
Coconut oil is high in lauric acid. Coconut oil also has antibacterial and antifungal properties that can benefit your skin.
While coconut oil has many beneficial properties, it can also be drying to the skin and strip away the natural oils that protect the skin if used in excess.
To avoid this problem, use coconut oil at no more than 50% of your total oils and increase the superfat percentage.
You can use soap calc to calculate your oils to counteract its drying effect.
Oils with the same qualities as coconut oil, palm kernel oil (the oil around the palm fruit), not palm oil, babassu oil, lauric oil, cow, goat, and human breast milk.
Palm Oil
Palm oil (not palm kernel oil) is another standard oil for soapmaking because it produces a hard bar with a nice creamy lather and cleansing properties.
Palm oil creates tiny, dense bubbles that are very stable and long-lasting.
Palm oil also has a long shelf life. Also high in palmitic acid.
However, palm oil can also be controversial because of its environmental and social impacts.
Palm oil production is frequently associated with deforestation, habitat loss, human rights abuses, and animal cruelty.
To avoid this problem, you should look for sustainable palm oil certified by organizations such as the RSPO (Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil).
Castor Oil
Castor oil is a thick, clear oil that helps increase the lather in any soap recipe.
Castor oil contributes a low, creamy lather and a low, cleansing mild soap. 90% of its fatty acids are ricinoleic acid.
Castor oil is also a humectant that attracts moisture to your skin and makes it soft and smooth.
It can act as a solvent; it increases solubility in the soap recipe, which can slightly boost lather.
However, castor oil can also be sticky and slow saponification.
To avoid this problem, use castor oil at no more than 10% of your total oils and mix it well with other oils.
Olive Oil
One of my favorite oils. Olive oil is a classic oil for soapmaking because it produces a rigid (castile soap, which is 100% olive oil), mild bar, and a gooey, soluble soap.
It doesn’t have a spectacular lather but has gentle cleansing power.
Olive oil is also very moisturizing and nourishing for your skin.
If you’ve got sensitive skin, having a lot of olive oil in your soap can be great, and my skin loves it.
High in oleic acid, many soapers love olive oil, especially when doing beautiful designs and want their soap to trace slowly and saponify slowly.
Shea Butter
Shea butter is an excellent oil for soapmaking because it produces a hard bar, contributing to a low, creamy lather and moisturizing power.
Shea butter creates low-cleansing (mild soap, makes a long-lasting soap bar, and is fast saponifying.
Shea butter is soothing and healing, especially with dry or sensitive skin. High in palmitic and stearic acids.
Oils with the same qualities as shea butter are kokum butter, sal butter, cocoa butter, mango butter, and hydrogenated soy oil (soy wax).
However, shea butter can also be expensive and prone to rancidity if used in high amounts.
You should use shea butter at no more than 15% of your total oils and store it in a cool, dark place.
How Do You Increase Lather In Soap-making?
There are several ways to increase lather in soapmaking, depending on the type of soap you are making and the available ingredients.
Here are some standard methods:
- A mixture of all the fatty acids is best.
- Big lather: lauric and myristic acids: Coconut oil, babassu oil, cow and goat milk. (Beware also that it is highly cleansing and very soluble.)
- Stable lather: palmitic, stearic, and ricinoleic; Palm oil( not palm kernel oil); tallow (beef fat); cocoa butter; lard (pork fat); other animal fats; emu oil; shea butter; and mango butter.
- Longevity and hardness: palmitic and stearic
- Mildness: oleic, linoleic, linolenic, palmitic, ricinoleic, and stearic.
- Linoleic and linolenic: shorter shelf life and possibly prone to DOS
If you are making cold or hot process soap, you can use oils known to produce more bubbles, such as coconut oil, babassu oil, or castor oil.
Coconut oil and babassu oil can be used up to 30% of your total oils, while castor oil should not exceed 5%.
You can also add sugar to your soap recipe, either in the form of granulated sugar, honey, beer, wine, or apple cider vinegar.
Sugar will increase the richness and creaminess of your lather, but it will also make your soap heat up faster and possibly cause overheating problems.
You should add 1/2 to 1 teaspoon of sugar per pound of oils in your recipe before adding the lye, at trace or as a simple syrup.
If you make melt-and-pour soap, you can add liquid glycerin, coconut oil, palm oil, or clay to your soap base.
These additives will enhance the lather and bubbles of your melt-and-pour soap but may also affect its clarity, hardness, and melting point.
You should add no more than one tablespoon of glycerin or oil per pound of soap base and no more than one teaspoon of clay per pound of soap base.
Conclusion
As you can see, many oils can help you create lather in your soap. However, there is no one best oil for lather in soap.
The best oil for lathering in soap making and what makes a good soap depends on your preference, your soap recipe, and other factors that affect the lather of your soap.
The best way to find the best oil for lathering in your soap is to experiment with different oils and combinations until you find one that suits your needs and expectations.
You can also use online soap calculators or books to help you design your soap recipe and predict its qualities.
