Expert: Terry Knorr - 7/5/2006

Question
What is the secret to making agood lathering soap?

Answer
Hi Deanna!

The secret to a good-lathering soap is in the fats/oils that you use.  I assume that by "good lathering" you mean a fluffy lather.  That being the case, you would want to use fats/oils that are high in the following fatty acids: lauric, myristic, and ricinolec.

A detailed explanation would be much too long for this forum, but there is an excellent book on the market which not only goes into the chemistry behind this, but also gives you a fatty acid breakdown for various fats and oils.  This book is the Soapmaker's Companion by Susan Miller Cavitch.  It is published by Storey Publishing.  This is, by far, the best book I've found on the subject!

I hope you find this information helpful.  If I can be of any further help, please feel free to contact me again.

Have a great day!
Terry