Baobab oil (refined) in soap making
Published by The Soap Brain Team
Values can vary for this oil. The numbers below range quite a bit from one supplier or batch to the next, so we can't pin them to one exact figure. Treat them as a solid starting point — check your supplier's spec sheet, and make a small test batch before a big one.
Baobab oil (refined) is a conditioning soap-making oil rich in oleic acid (36%). A gram of it turns to soap with about 0.135 g of NaOH (lye). It makes a mild, gentle bar and pairs well with a harder, cleansing oil. Most soapers use it at 5–15% of their oils.
Fatty-acid profile
Baobab oil (refined) is a gentle, conditioning oil, mostly unsaturated fatty acids that leave a mild, moisturising bar with a softer, lower lather. It pairs naturally with a harder, more cleansing oil to firm the bar up and add bubbles. Because its polyunsaturated (linoleic/linolenic) share is on the higher side, watch the total across the whole recipe and consider a modest antioxidant to guard against rancidity and DOS.
Baobab oil (refined) is about 24% saturated fat and 70% unsaturated — that unsaturated majority is what makes it conditioning and slower to trace, but softer on its own.
| Fatty acid | Share | What it does in soap |
|---|---|---|
| Oleic acid | 36% | a monounsaturated fatty acid that makes a gentle, conditioning, moisturising bar with a slick, lower lather and a slower trace |
| Linoleic acid | 34% | a polyunsaturated fatty acid that is very conditioning but oxidises readily — a driver of DOS (dreaded orange spots) at high levels |
| Palmitic acid | 24% | a saturated fatty acid that builds a hard, long-lasting bar with a stable, creamy lather |
Baobab oil (refined) in the bar
Baobab oil (refined) gives a mild, low, slick lather on its own. Blended with a bubbly, cleansing oil it contributes body and mildness while the partner oil supplies the bubbles.
Baobab oil (refined) traces at a fairly typical pace; how fast the whole batch moves will depend mostly on the other oils, your temperatures and any fragrance you add.
In a blend Baobab oil (refined) is the conditioning, skin-feel component and can often make up the bulk of the oils. Add a firmer, more cleansing oil — coconut, palm or a hard butter — to bring hardness and bubbles the finished bar would otherwise miss.
Closest substitutes for Baobab oil (refined)
Out of Baobab oil (refined)? These oils behave most like it in a bar — ranked by how close their hardness, cleansing and conditioning profile and lye (SAP) requirement are. The numbers are predicted properties for a 100% single-oil bar, not a safety guide; always recalculate the lye when you swap an oil.
| Oil | Hardness | Cleansing | Conditioning | SAP (NaOH) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Baobab oil (refined) (this oil) | 24 | 0 | 70 | 0.135 |
| Cottonseed oil | 26 | 1 | 69 | 0.137 |
| Rice bran oil | 23 | 0 | 75 | 0.133 |
| Tamanu (foraha) oil | 30 | 0 | 68 | 0.139 |
| Marula oil | 22 | 0 | 76 | 0.139 |
Using Baobab oil (refined) in a recipe
One gram of Baobab oil (refined) needs about 0.135 g of NaOH (sodium hydroxide) to turn fully to soap, within a documented range of 0.123–0.143 g/g across sources. The calculator below uses this value; always confirm the lye weight before you mix.
Its iodine value is about 88 — a moderate value, a good all-round balance of hardness and conditioning. Iodine value is only a rough guide, not a hard rule, but it gives you a feel for how a bar built around this oil will wear.
Most soapers use Baobab oil (refined) at roughly 5–15% of their oils.
Maker's note: Balanced, barrier-repair conditioning oil. Unrefined baobab varies a lot batch to batch, so if you're using unrefined, confirm the SAP with your supplier.
Calculate lye for Baobab oil (refined)
The calculator below is pre-loaded with Baobab oil (refined). Enter your weights, add other oils, and it works out the exact NaOH (lye) weight, water and quality numbers. Always weigh lye, oils and water — never measure by volume, wear gloves and eye protection, and add lye to water (never the reverse).
Loading the calculator…
Where these numbers come from
Every figure on this page is backed by at least two independent references, listed below — so you can check our work instead of taking our word for it.
- From Nature With Love — Saponification Chart — SAP range
- Ofori, Bart-Plange, Addo & Dzisi (2023) — Impact of oil extraction techniques on the physicochemical properties of Adansonia digitata seed, Int. J. Food Science 2023:6233461 — refined-extraction baobab: SAP 175.2 (mechanical) / 179.9 (Soxhlet) mg KOH/g and iodine 85.89–88.45 g/100 g — corroborates the stored iodine 88 and the low end of the SAP range (reports no fatty-acid profile)
- Elewa Beauty — marula/baobab oils — conditioning character: rich in omega-3/6/9 (qualitative — no numeric profile on this page)
- Msalilwa et al. (2020) — Physicochemical properties and fatty-acid composition of baobab (Adansonia digitata) crude seed oil, Journal of Lipids — iodine value 87.2–90.7 g/100 g across three regions (corroborates the stored 88); saponification 210.8–219.9 mg KOH/g for CRUDE oil — the high end of baobab's documented SAP variance
SAP data last updated · 51 oils covered.
Baobab oil (refined) soap FAQ
- Can you make soap with 100% Baobab oil (refined)?
- It is not recommended. Baobab oil (refined) shows its best in a blend, usually up to about 15% of the oils. On its own the bar would be unbalanced — too soft or low-lathering for everyday use.
- What superfat should I use with Baobab oil (refined)?
- A 5% superfat is a safe, common starting point for recipes using Baobab oil (refined); adjust to taste once you know how the finished bar feels. Never drop to 0% or below without a deliberate reason — the calculator will ask you to confirm it.
- Does Baobab oil (refined) speed up or slow down trace?
- Baobab oil (refined) traces at a fairly typical pace; how fast the whole batch moves will depend mostly on the other oils, your temperatures and any fragrance you add.