| Oils/Fats | Bar Quality | Properties | Recommended Amount |
| Almond Oil, Sweet | Soft bar. Stable medium lather. Mild cleansing. | Recommended for dry, irritated skin. | 15-20% |
| Apricot Kernel Oil | Soft bar. Medium lather. Mild cleansing. | Emollient properties. | 15% |
| Argan Oil | | Soothes problematic skin (?), great for shampoo bars. | 10% |
| Avocado Oil | Soft bar. Medium lather. Mild cleansing. | Recommended for dry and sensitive skin. High in vitamin E. | 15-20% |
| Babassu oil | Hard bar. Large bubbles. High cleansing. | Milder than coconut oil. | 15-30% |
| Castor Oil | Soft bar. Stable lather. High cleansing. | Drying if used in high amounts. | 10% (higher amounts in shampoo bars) |
| Cocoa Butter | Hard-to-brittle bar. Creamy lather. Long lasting bar. Strong scent. | | 15% (can use more, but may cause cracking) |
| Coconut Oil | Hard bar. Abundant lather. Large bubbles. High cleansing. | Saponified coconut oil is drying. Unsaponified coconut oil softens the skin. Experiment with a 100% coconut oil soap with a 20% superfat. Add after saponification in hot process. | 30% (higher than that can be drying, so be sure to superfat) |
| Grapeseed Oil | Soft bar. Medium lather. Mild cleansing. Shorter shelf life. | Recommended for acne soaps. | 8-12% |
| Hazelnut oil | Soft bar. Medium lather. Mild cleansing. | | 5-8% |
| Hemp (Seed) Oil | Soft bar. Medium silky lather. Mild cleansing | Emollient properties. Keep oil refrigerated. | 15% |
| Jojoba Oil | Stabilizes and suspends lather if used in small amounts; it can kill lather when used in high amounts. Extends shelf life of soap. | Conditions skin & hair, excellent for shampoo bars. | 5-10% |
| Tallow (Deer) | Hard bar. Mild stabilizing creamy lather. White. | Rich in palmitate. In modern times, tallow became replaced with palm oil. | 25-50% |
| Lard | Hard bar. Mild stabilizing creamy lather. White. | 100% lard soap with no superfat makes great laundry soap. | 25-50% |
| Mango Butter | | Emollient properties. | 5-10% |
| Meadowfoam Oil | Creamy leather. Increases shelf life of soap. | Conditions skin. | 10% |
| Neem Oil | Strong scent. | Skin healing (?). Antiseptic, repels fleas and ticks – good for pet soaps and traveler soaps. | 5-10% |
| Olive Oil | Starts out soft, but cures hard. Creamy lather. Small bubbles. | The low cleansing properties of olive oil make it very mild. Soap for sensitive skin, elder skin or baby skin should include high amounts of olive (60%). Castile soap is made with 100% olive oil. | 100% |
| Palm Kernel Oil | Hard bar. Large bubbles. White. | Similar to coconut oil, but less drying. | 15-30% |
| Palm Oil | Hard, long lasting. Mild stable lather. | Used instead of lard or tallow. | 25-50% |
| Peach Kernel Oil | | Excellent for skin (?). | 15% |
| Rice Bran Oil | Soft bar, medium lather, mild cleansing. Gives soap a sheen making it look less dull. | Similar to olive oil. | 5-12% |
| Safflower oil | Soft bar, medium lather, mild cleansing. | Similar to olive oil (?). | 5-12% |
| Shea Butter | Medium hard long-lasting bar. Mild creamy lather. | Emollient properties. | 15% |
| Shea butter | Medium hard long-lasting bar. Mild creamy lather. | Similar to cocoa butter | 5-20% |
| Soybean oil | Soft bar, medium lather, mild cleansing. | Similar to olive oil (?). | 5-12% |
| Sunflower Oil | Soft bar with silky lather, mild cleansing. Slows down time to reach trace. | Emollient properties. | 15-20% |
