Soap making oils

Every oil below lists a cited SAP (saponification) value and its fatty-acid profile, and each has a live lye calculator pre-loaded with that oil. Pick an oil to see how it behaves in a bar — or jump straight to the full calculator.

Common soaping oils

The everyday base and accent oils most cold-process and hot-process recipes are built from.

Apricot kernel oil
SAP 0.135 g/g NaOH
Argan oil
SAP 0.135 g/g NaOH
Avocado oil
SAP 0.133 g/g NaOH
Babassu oil
SAP 0.178 g/g NaOH
Canola oil (low-erucic)
SAP 0.133 g/g NaOH
Castor oil
SAP 0.128 g/g NaOH
Cocoa butter
SAP 0.137 g/g NaOH
Coconut oil, 76°F
SAP 0.183 g/g NaOH
Coconut oil, virgin/92°F
SAP 0.186 g/g NaOH
Corn oil
SAP 0.135 g/g NaOH
Cottonseed oil
SAP 0.137 g/g NaOH
Flaxseed / linseed oil
SAP 0.135 g/g NaOH
Grapeseed oil
SAP 0.135 g/g NaOH
Hazelnut oil
SAP 0.135 g/g NaOH
Hemp seed oil
SAP 0.137 g/g NaOH
Jojoba oil
SAP 0.066 g/g NaOH
Kokum butter
SAP 0.134 g/g NaOH
Lard (pork fat)
SAP 0.139 g/g NaOH
Macadamia nut oil
SAP 0.139 g/g NaOH
Mango butter
SAP 0.136 g/g NaOH
Olive oil
SAP 0.135 g/g NaOH
Palm kernel oil
SAP 0.178 g/g NaOH
Palm oil
SAP 0.142 g/g NaOH
Peanut oil
SAP 0.135 g/g NaOH
Rice bran oil
SAP 0.133 g/g NaOH
Safflower oil (high-linoleic)
SAP 0.135 g/g NaOH
Sesame oil
SAP 0.137 g/g NaOH
Shea butter
SAP 0.128 g/g NaOH
Soybean oil
SAP 0.136 g/g NaOH
Sunflower oil (regular/linoleic)
SAP 0.135 g/g NaOH
Sunflower oil, high-oleic
SAP 0.135 g/g NaOH
Sweet almond oil
SAP 0.136 g/g NaOH
Tallow (beef fat)
SAP 0.138 g/g NaOH
Walnut oil
SAP 0.137 g/g NaOH
Wheat germ oil
SAP 0.133 g/g NaOH

Exotic & specialty oils

Butters and specialty oils used in smaller amounts for their conditioning or luxury feel.

Baobab oil (refined) Values can vary
SAP 0.135 g/g NaOH
Camellia / tea seed oil
SAP 0.136 g/g NaOH
Cupuaçu butter, deodorized
SAP 0.135 g/g NaOH
Cupuaçu butter, refined Values can vary
SAP 0.135 g/g NaOH
Emu oil
SAP 0.138 g/g NaOH
Illipe butter
SAP 0.135 g/g NaOH
Kukui nut oil
SAP 0.135 g/g NaOH
Marula oil
SAP 0.139 g/g NaOH
Meadowfoam seed oil
SAP 0.12 g/g NaOH
Murumuru butter Values can vary
SAP 0.175 g/g NaOH
Neem oil
SAP 0.139 g/g NaOH
Pomegranate seed oil Values can vary
SAP 0.135 g/g NaOH
Sal butter
SAP 0.132 g/g NaOH
Tamanu (foraha) oil
SAP 0.139 g/g NaOH
Tucuma butter
SAP 0.17 g/g NaOH

Hardening fatty acids

Single fatty acids added in small amounts to firm up a bar; still saponified, so still in the lye math.

Stearic acid (palm-based)
SAP 0.149 g/g NaOH