About
Shea butter, extracted from the nuts of the West African shea tree, combines two main fatty acids: oleic acid (48%) for mildness and stearic acid (40%) for hardness and a creamy, stable lather. It gives the soap a silky feel and a firm bar.
It is also known for its high share of unsaponifiables, components that do not react with lye and stay in the finished soap. That is why many soap makers also use it to superfat.
It is generally used at 5 to 20% of the oils. Beyond that, it can speed up trace and make the soap brittle. Because it is rich in stearic acid, melt it completely before mixing it with the liquid oils, otherwise small grains may appear in the soap.
SAP value: 179 mg KOH/g, i.e. about 122 g of sodium hydroxide for 1 kg at 5% superfat.
Recommended usage rate
From 5 to 20% of the oils in the recipe.
Values
How much lye for 1 kg?
For 1,000 g of Shea Butter 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.