Let’s talk lather, when people shop for soap, one of the first things they think about is lather. Some folks want big foamy bubbles. Others love that creamy, lotion-like glide. But here’s the truth: lather isn’t just for looks or feel. It actually plays a real role in how soap cleans.
There’s a lot of misinformation out there, so let’s break it down—no fluff, no filler. Just what actually produces lather in a handmade bar of soap, why it matters, and how I craft my bars to give you the kind of lather that works with your skin.
☁️ Bubbly vs. Creamy Lather: What’s the Difference?
Not all lather is the same. In fact, there are two basic types:
- Bubbly Suds: Think big, light, airy bubbles that rinse off quickly. It’s what you get when a bar is heavy on coconut oil or has added sugars.
- Creamy Suds: Dense, rich, and almost lotion-like. It clings to your skin, feels luxurious, and gives a longer glide as you wash.
Some soaps lean bubbly, some creamy—and some strike a balanced middle ground. The magic is in how you build the formula.
🔬 What Actually Makes Soap Lather?
Let’s clear something up: lather doesn’t come from trendy butters or exotic oils—it comes from specific ingredients that interact with water and air in just the right way. The key to a great foam
is balancing oils that cleanse with those that condition, and I’ve built my recipes to do just that—depending on what your skin needs.
🥥 Coconut Oil
Coconut oil is the backbone of lather in most of my soaps. It’s the heavy lifter when it comes to bubbly lather and deep cleansing. But it’s also very high in cleansing power, so I use it carefully—just enough to create great lather without over-drying the skin.
🌴 Palm Oil (Used in Low-Oleic Soaps)
In my Low-Oleic formulas—designed specifically for oily skin—I substitute some palm oil to maintain a strong, stable lather without increasing oleic acid levels. Palm oil helps harden the bar and adds a creamier soapsuds, which balances the high-cleansing edge of coconut oil. This swap keeps the soap effective for oily skin types without tipping the balance toward irritation.
🌱 Castor Oil
Used sparingly, castor oil gives the lather a longer life and adds a bit of creaminess. It helps hold the bubbles together and improves the feel of the soap, especially in bars where I want both bubbly and creamy textures to come through. Like all things in soapmaking, it’s all about ratio—too much, and the bar can feel sticky.
🍺 Sugars = Natural Lather Boosters
Sugars are a surprisingly effective ingredient when it comes to boosting lather in soap. They work by feeding the lather structure—helping to create more bubbles and stabilize them longer. But not all sugars are added just for that reason.
Take beer, for instance: while the natural sugars do enhance lather, the real reason I include beer in some of my formulas is for the anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties of the hops and yeast. These additions offer skin-calming benefits and make beer soaps a unique and beneficial experience beyond their bubbly texture.
Goat’s milk is another example. While it adds some sugar content that can enhance lather slightly, its value lies in its richness—loaded with vitamins, lactic acid, and moisturizing fats, goat’s milk helps soothe and nourish the skin, especially for sensitive skin types.
Then there are soaps where I add cane sugar or brown sugar directly to the mix. Contrary to popular belief, the sugars usually dissolve during the soapmaking process, so they don’t act as physical exfoliants. However, they contribute to natural chemical exfoliation through the production of glycolic acid, a gentle alpha hydroxy acid (AHA) that helps loosen and remove dead skin cells over time. So, while sugars absolutely help with lather, their benefits run deeper—supporting the skin’s renewal process while enhancing the overall performance of the soap.
🧪 The Real Role of Lather
Here’s what most people don’t know: lather isn’t what cleans your skin. The soap itself does that by breaking the surface tension between your skin and the dirt or oils on it.
The lather’s job? To trap that dirt in suspension—essentially holding it in place so it can be rinsed away with water. Without lather, soap would still clean, but it wouldn’t carry the grime off nearly as well.
So no, the bubbles don’t just look good—they’re working.
🧼 Ratios Matter: How I Craft for Skin Types
Every formula I create is carefully crafted to match the needs of different skin types. It’s not just about adding oils—it’s about getting the right balance.
The combination of coconut or palm oil with castor oil is what makes the soap lather beautifully. The key is finding the right ratio—too much castor oil can make your soap sticky, and too little can result in weak lather. I typically focus more on coconut oil for a bubbly, deep clean, unless I’m aiming for something gentler, in which case I adjust the balance.
Each formula is tested and refined to ensure it creates the perfect lather for your skin type, whether you’re looking for a rich, bubbly clean or a smoother, gentler wash.
🧼 Try It for Yourself: Examples from My Line
Want to feel the difference in your hands?
- Big Bubbly Lather: Try Forest Mist or Cinnamon Irish Cream. Both are low-oleic, coconut-forward formulas that lather fast and rinse clean.
- Creamy & Conditioning: My Dragon’s Blood Goat’s Milk or Rose Garden soaps give a luxurious, dense lather that clings a bit longer on the skin.
- Balanced Everyday Use: Scottish Haar and Solstice Fire offer a great middle ground—enough bubbles to feel satisfying, enough creaminess to keep skin comfortable.
🧽 Wrap-Up: Now You Know the Sudsy Truth
Lather isn’t just about how your soap looks—it’s about how it works. From the oils and sugars in the recipe to the way your skin type interacts with those ingredients, it all matters.
Next time you pick up a bar and notice how it lathers, you’ll know exactly why it behaves the way it does—and what that means for your skin.
And in every bar I make? That balance is there on purpose.