About
Olive oil is the great classic of cold process soap making. Very rich in oleic acid (69%), it makes an exceptionally mild soap that suits sensitive skin. It is the oil behind Castile soap, made with 100% olive oil.
On its own it has its limits, though: the soap takes a long time to harden, lathers little and its lather is slightly slimy. It benefits greatly from a long cure (two to six months, even longer for a Castile bar). In a balanced recipe it is usually combined with a lauric oil (coconut, palm kernel, babassu) for lather and cleansing, and with a saturated butter or fat (shea, cocoa, palm, tallow) for hardness.
It traces slowly, which leaves plenty of time for colours and swirls. Olive pomace oil, which is cheaper, traces much faster.
SAP value: 190 mg KOH/g, i.e. about 129 g of sodium hydroxide for 1 kg of oil at 5% superfat.
Recommended usage rate
From 25 to 100% of the oils in the recipe.
Values
How much lye for 1 kg?
For 1,000 g of Olive Oil with 5% superfat:
These amounts apply to a soap made with this oil only. For a blend of oils, use the calculator.
Fatty acid profile
Soap qualities (oil used alone)
Values for a soap made with 100% of this oil, compared with the recommended range for a complete recipe.
Oils with a similar profile
Fats whose fatty acid composition is closest to this one: useful to find a substitute.