Olive Oil Soap Ingredients
Olive oil soap as a commercial commodity first emerged in Castile, Spain, as early as the 1500s, though castile soap may have originated in Venice, Greece and Marseille in southern France. Then as now, the main ingredient in good olive oil soaps is olive oil, and the purest varieties contain very little else. Yet even enthusiasts differ about just what makes good olive oil soap-including the best types of oil to use-and whether other ingredients should be added. Does this Spark an idea?
Olive Oil
The fundamentals of soap making have not changed much over the centuries. Vegetable oil or animal fat is combined with alkali and the chemical reaction generates glycerin and soap. Olive oil is the primary ingredient and sometimes the only oil in olive oil soap. Chemically quite similar to the natural oils in human skin, olive oil is soothing, moisturizing and safe even for sensitive skin. It can also "carry" the sweet or spicy fragrances of flowers and herbs as a massage oil or natural perfume. Modern soap makers differ over the quality-or qualities-of olive oil that are most important in good soap. Much handmade, high-priced, all-natural soap is made from cold-pressed 100 percent extra virgin olive oil, or oil from the first pressing, the highest quality for cooking and dietary consumption. Yet some soap makers say that Grade A (second pressing) natural oils actually make better soap, because fewer oil molecules are lost through saponification-the chemical reaction central to soap making-and more intact olive oil is available to moisturize your skin.
Other Oils
Purists contend that true olive oil soap must contain only olive oil, but many people dislike the slimy feel of such purity. Other mild vegetable oils, especially coconut and palm oils, are often combined with olive oil to produce a cleaner "soapy" feel. Soap rich in olive oil might contain 80 percent olive oil and 20 percent coconut oil (or 10 percent each of palm and coconut oil). Even 60/20/20 makes an excellent and very rich soap.
Fragrance & Color
Good olive oil soap doesn't need added fragrance or color, but many people enjoy these additives. The best fragrances come from all natural essential oils, and there are a vast number available, from bergamot and clary sage to lavender and rosewood. Natural colorants might include green-colored botanicals such as burdock, comfrey and dandelion leaf. French green clay is another popular natural color additive, along with various dried or fresh herbs.
Preservatives
Many olive oil soaps carry no preservatives. For those that do, safe, natural preservatives to look for include carrot root oil, grapefruit seed extract and tocopherols.
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