Jojoba Oil for Soap Making

Using jojoba oil for soap making is great for adding a stable lather and conditioning properties to your finished product. Keep in mind that jojoba oil is not actually an oil at all, but a wax found within the seeds of the jojoba plant. It will still saponify and make soap, but because of its makeup, there are special rules for using it successfully in your batch.

Let's first take a look at the fatty acid values for jojoba oil:

Here are some of the characteristics that you will see within your product when using jojoba oil for soap making:

I strongly recommend that you don't allow jojoba oil to take up more then 10% of the oils used within a recipe. Incorporating too much will create a somewhat soft bar and produce a poor lather. It's also very expensive compared to other soap making oils, so using too much is unpractical for many soap makers.

When using jojoba oil for soap making be aware that trace occurs a lot quicker so you may want to consider soaping at lower temperatures then normal to help slow it down. If you want to save some money and still experience many of the benefits from this ingredient, you can add approximately 1 tablespoon of jojoba oil per 3 pounds of oils at a light trace.

There are two main types of jojoba oil that can be used for soap making; refined jojoba oil and unrefined (golden) jojoba oil. The refined version is clear and has little to no scent. The unrefined version has a distinct scent and is golden in color. I personally buy unrefined jojoba oil because I don't want to take the risk of loosing any nutrients through the refining process. If you don't mind the smell and the golden hue, I think this is a good way to go. It's really just personal preference though and you'll surely develop your own liking.

Another nice thing about using jojoba oil for soap making is that it is a very stable ingredient. In fact, according to most jojoba oil retailers, this ingredient has a shelf life of approximately 2 – 4 years.

Probably one of the biggest draws to jojoba oil soaps and other cosmetic products made with the ingredient is what it can do for your skin. They say that it has PH levels very similar to our own natural sebum. For this reason, jojoba oil is often used in leave on applications such as lotions and lip balms. Using jojoba oil for acne afflicted skin is also very common because of its great conditioning and moisturizing properties.

Finally, be sure to buy jojoba oil from a reputable company as fakes and imitations are out their!

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