Choosing Shea Butter for Oil-Based Bar Soap

For making oil-based bar soap, the most suitable types of shea butter are those in solid or meltable butter form, as they contribute to the hardness and properties of the finished soap bar.

Based on the products listed and available information, the following types of shea butter are suitable for making oil-based bar soap:

• Shea Butter (Refined, Deodorised): This is a standard shea butter in butter form, commonly used in soaps.
• Shea Butter (Ultra Soft): This is also a shea butter in butter form, popularly used in soaps.
• Golden Shea Butter (Virgin, Ghana): This is an unrefined shea butter in butter form, also commonly mixed in soaps.
• Shea Butter (Melt, Liquid Form in Room Temperature): Although liquid at room temperature, it is still shea butter and is specifically noted as being easy to mix in cold-process formulas, making it suitable for soap making.
• Shea Nut Oil: While not a butter, this is a heavy oil derived from shea nuts and can be used as part of the oil blend in oil-based soap formulations.

The following types are generally not suitable for traditional oil-based bar soap:

• Shea Butter Light Oil: This is an esterified oil with a light texture, primarily recommended for cold-press cream formulations, not typical soap making.
• Shea Butter Water: This type is water-soluble and designed to be mixed in the water phase, making it unsuitable for oil-based soap.
• NanoShea™ (Liquid Shea Butter, 30%): This is a dispersion of shea butter in water, intended for water-based or liquid formulas, not oil-based soap.