Ingredients
Below are the most common ingredients that I use in my handmade products.
Apricot Kernel Oil
This lightweight oil is high in linoleic and oleic acids. It’s conditioning and easily absorbed into the skin. It produces small bubbles.
Argan Oil
It feels silky and moisturizing, and it’s packed with vitamins E and A.
Avocado Oil
It’s rich in vitamins A, B, D, and E. The high levels of fatty acids make it great for lotion, body butter, and conditioner as well.
Babassu Oil
Babassu comes from a native Brazilian palm tree and can be used in place of coconut or palm in cold process soap. It adds the same firming and cleansing properties and has a lighter feel on the skin and absorbs quickly.
Beeswax (White & Yellow)
Yellow beeswax is refined and not bleached, while white beeswax is refined and bleached naturally by exposing it in thin layers to air, sunlight, and moisture.
Canola Oil
Canola oil produces a balanced bar with creamy lather. It’s also a great substitute for olive oil.
Carrot Seed Oil
This oil has a silky texture that’s hard to beat. It’s lightweight and absorbs quickly, and it’s especially suited for those with sensitive skin.
Castor Oil
This thick liquid is extracted from the castor bean plant. It draws moisture to the skin and creates amazing lather in soap. There is no other oil like it as a substitute.
Cocoa Butter / Deodorized Cocoa Butter
This butter is solid and hard at room temperature. It adds a luxurious and moisturizing feeling to cold process soap. Natural cocoa butter smells like chocolate!
Coconut Oil
This is one of the most common raw materials used in soapmaking. Coconut oil is super cleansing and produces large bubbles in cold process. It’s so cleansing... that it can be drying, so you need the perfect balance if you have sensitive or dry skin.
Grapeseed Oil
This oil leaves your skin feeling silky smooth. It has a lightweight and thin texture, and it’s high in lineoleic acid and antioxidants.
Hemp Seed Oil
Hemp seed oil is an amazing source of fatty acids. They help keep the skin hydrated all day long. It also creates excellent lather.
Jojoba Oil
Jojoba is actually a liquid wax that contributes to a very stable and long-lasting bar of soap.
Kokum Butter
Great in handmade soap and body butter. It has a lightweight and moisturizing consistency that absorbs quickly and makes a hard bar of soap.
Kukui Nut Oil
Kukui (koo-koo-ee) is a luxurious oil is comes from Hawaii. It has a lightweight and silky consistency that absorbs quickly into the skin.
Mango Butter
This butter is extracted from the fruit kernels of the mango tree. It’s solid at room temperature but melts on contact with the skin.
Meadowfoam Oil
This oil has a moisturizing and conditioning feel that’s similar to jojoba oil. It contributes to a creamy and silky lather in soap. This earth-friendly oil was originally developed as an alternative to sperm whale oil.
Moringa Seed Oil
Very moisturizing on the skin. It has a lightweight and non-greasy consistency.
Neem Oil
There’s a reason neem has been used on the skin for centuries. People love it because it’s incredibly moisturizing and full of antioxidants.
Oat Oil
This luxurious oil absorbs quickly and leaves your skin feeling hydrated all day long. It’s lightweight and non-greasy and rich in fatty acids, antioxidants, and vitamin E.
Olive Oil (Pomace & Pure)
This is a staple in cold process recipes. It’s a thick oil that moisturizes the skin and creates creamy lather.
*Extra Virgin olive oil is produced from the fruit of the olive (pressed). Pomace, on the other hand, is produced from the remains of that already spun pulp, that is left over after that Extra Virgin is produced.
Palm Oil
Palm oil adds a unique feeling to cold process soap. It helps harden the bars and it creates lather when paired with coconut oil.
Red Palm Oil
Same as palm oil, and also adds a beautiful orange color.
Rice Bran Oil
It’s rich in vitamin E and antioxidants and it has a thick and moisturizing consistency that’s similar to olive oil.
Rosehip Seed Oil
Those with dry or mature skin will love rosehip seed oil. It’s rich in vitamins A and C, and it feels hydrating on the skin. It has a lightweight and non-greasy consistency.
Safflower Oil
This mild and skin-loving oil is similar to canola or sunflower oil.
Shea Butter
Shea feels luxurious and moisturizing on the skin. It helps harden cold process soap.
Sunflower Oil
Sunflower oil is rich in essential fatty acids and vitamin E, making it it one of the more cost-effective oils. It produces a lather that is incredibly conditioning on the skin.
Sweet Almond Oil
It’s full of fatty acids and it has a lightweight and moisturizing consistency.
Tamanu Oil
Tamanu oil has a lightweight and moisturizing consistency that absorbs quickly into the skin. It’s also packed with essential fatty acids.
Wheat Germ Oil
When it comes to skincare, wheat germ oil has a lot to offer. It’s jam-packed with nutrients like vitamins A, B, D, and E. Even though the oil is fairly heavy, it has a light and almost powdery feeling on the skin.