Palm Kernel Oil vs Coconut Oil: A Soap Maker's Guide

Palm kernel oil and coconut oil are the two most commonly used lauric-acid-dominant oils in cold-process soap making — and they are close enough in composition that soap makers regularly ask whether one can substitute for the other. The short answer is: they can be used interchangeably in many formulas, but they are not identical, and the differences matter for lather quality, bar hardness, skin feel, and SAP calculations. This guide covers those differences in the specific detail that soap makers and cosmetic formulators need. For a complete guide to palm kernel oil, see Palm Kernel Oil: The Complete Guide for Soap Makers and Formulators. For bulk and wholesale quantities, see Baraka Bulk and Wholesale.

The Shared Profile: Why They Are Often Compared

Palm kernel oil and coconut oil are both solid, white fats at room temperature. Both are dominated by lauric acid — the C12:0 saturated fatty acid that drives the hard bar, abundant lather properties that soap makers value in these oils. Both require a relatively high SAP value (significant lye per gram) compared to soft oils like olive or shea. Both can be drying at high percentages and benefit from a superfat of 5–8%.

At a formula level, both oils can be used interchangeably in a soap recipe — with the SAP value recalculated — and the finished bar will be broadly similar. This is why many soap makers use whichever is more available without strong preference. But there are real differences between them, and understanding those differences allows for more deliberate formulation decisions.

Fatty Acid Profiles: Where They Diverge

Palm kernel oil is approximately:

• Lauric acid (C12:0): approximately 48–55% — the primary fatty acid; drives bar hardness and stable lather
• Myristic acid (C14:0): approximately 14–18% — additional hardness and lather contribution
• Oleic acid (omega-9): approximately 12–16% — the primary conditioning fatty acid; notably higher than in coconut oil
• Palmitic acid (C16:0): approximately 8–10% — additional hardness
• Capric/caprylic acid (C8/C10): approximately 5–7% — bubbly lather contribution, lower than coconut oil
• SAP value: approximately 0.156 (NaOH)

Traditional coconut oil is approximately:

• Lauric acid (C12:0): approximately 47–52% — comparable to palm kernel oil in overall proportion, but see note below
• Myristic acid (C14:0): approximately 17–19% — slightly higher than palm kernel oil
• Capric/caprylic acid (C8/C10): approximately 13–15% — significantly higher than palm kernel oil; this is the key lather difference
• Oleic acid (omega-9): approximately 6–8% — significantly lower than palm kernel oil
• SAP value: approximately 0.190 (NaOH)

The two critical differences are: coconut oil has approximately twice the capric/caprylic acid content of palm kernel oil (13–15% vs 5–7%), and palm kernel oil has approximately twice the oleic acid content of coconut oil (12–16% vs 6–8%). The capric/caprylic difference explains the lather character difference. The oleic acid difference explains the skin feel difference.

SAP Values: The Number Soap Makers Need

The saponification values for these two oils are significantly different:

• Palm kernel oil SAP value: approximately 0.156 (NaOH)
• Coconut oil SAP value: approximately 0.190 (NaOH)

This is a difference of 0.034 per gram — which compounds significantly across a soap batch. A 500g oil batch with 30% of the oil as either palm kernel oil or coconut oil involves a lye difference of approximately 5 grams. At scale — a 5kg batch — this becomes approximately 50 grams of lye difference. Always recalculate lye amounts when switching between the two oils. Using coconut oil's SAP value for palm kernel oil will produce a lye-light batch; using palm kernel oil's SAP value for coconut oil will produce a lye-heavy batch.

For a complete beginner's guide to soap making with these oil types, see How Do I Make Simple DIY Shea Butter Soap?

Lather Properties: The Capric/Caprylic Difference

Coconut oil produces more abundant, faster-forming, and bubblier lather than palm kernel oil at equivalent percentages in soap — and the reason is its capric/caprylic acid content. Short-chain saturated fatty acids (C8 and C10) produce a fast-breaking, bubbly lather that is distinctive to coconut oil. Palm kernel oil, with roughly half the capric/caprylic content, produces a denser, more stable, more conditioning lather that is slightly less aggressive.

For soap makers who want the classic coconut oil lather profile — abundant, fast-forming, bubbly — coconut oil is the stronger choice. For soap makers who want a slightly more conditioning, denser-lathering bar with a gentler skin feel, palm kernel oil has the advantage. Many experienced soap makers use palm kernel oil specifically because it produces the lauric-acid lather performance they want with slightly less of the drying tendency that coconut oil at equivalent percentages can produce.

Bar Hardness and Skin Feel

Bar hardness: Both oils produce hard, durable soap bars. Coconut oil's slightly higher combined saturated fatty acid content (lauric + myristic + capric/caprylic) gives it a marginal edge on raw bar hardness — coconut oil bars tend to unmould slightly faster and feel harder at first cure. Palm kernel oil bars are hard and durable but may have a slightly softer initial feel that firms up during cure.

Skin feel: Palm kernel oil's higher oleic acid content (12–16% vs 6–8% for coconut oil) gives it a meaningfully more conditioning profile in the finished bar. Soap bars made with palm kernel oil at equivalent percentages to coconut oil are commonly described as gentler and less drying on the skin — the oleic acid fraction contributes conditioning that the short-chain fats in coconut oil do not provide at the same level.

For formulators making a bar for sensitive, dry, or mature skin, palm kernel oil's oleic acid advantage is worth considering. For formulators making a bar where maximum lather hardness and fastest lather production are the priority, coconut oil is the stronger choice.

Comparison Table

When to Use Palm Kernel Oil

• When you want a gentler, more conditioning lauric-acid bar — the oleic acid fraction provides conditioning that coconut oil at equivalent percentages does not match
• When your customers or recipients have dry or sensitive skin and find coconut oil-heavy bars drying
• When you want stable, dense lather rather than fast, bubbly lather
• In the traditional West African soap formula alongside red palm oil
• In cosmetic formulations (body butter, lip balm, solid lotion bar) where coconut oil's higher capric/caprylic content produces a slightly more residual feel than desired

When to Use Coconut Oil

• When maximum, fast-forming lather is the primary formulation goal
• When a faster-unmoulding bar is needed — coconut oil bars unmould sooner in cold-process soap
• When the capric/caprylic lather character is specifically desired — bubbly, fast-breaking, classic coconut oil lather
• As a pre-wash hair penetrating treatment — coconut oil's lauric acid penetrates the hair shaft more readily than most oils
• In formulations where the bar hardness needs to be maximised — coconut oil provides marginally harder initial bars

For a detailed comparison with cocoa butter, see Cocoa Butter vs Coconut Oil: Benefits and Uses Compared. For the red palm oil comparison, see Red Palm Oil vs Coconut Oil.

Combining Both Oils in a Formula

Many soap makers use both palm kernel oil and coconut oil in the same formula — typically at lower individual percentages than either would be used alone. A formula with 15–20% palm kernel oil and 15–20% coconut oil achieves a combined lauric-acid contribution of 30–40% while getting the lather character of coconut oil and the conditioning character of palm kernel oil in the same bar. Each oil's SAP value must be calculated separately in the lye calculator.

This combination approach also reduces the potential drying effect of using either lauric-acid oil at full percentage. At 30–35% of a single lauric-acid oil, the drying potential is highest. Splitting the lauric-acid contribution between two oils at lower individual percentages produces a similar lather and hardness profile with a gentler skin feel.

Sourcing and Availability

Both Baraka's palm kernel oil and traditional coconut oil are sourced through cooperative relationships in West Africa, traditionally processed without chemical solvents or industrial refinement. Chain-of-custody documentation is available on request for both. For the full sourcing story, see Baraka's Social and Environmental Impact Report. For bulk and wholesale quantities for soap making or cosmetic formulation, see Baraka Bulk and Wholesale. Browse the complete DIY Ingredients Collection and Butters Collection. For the complete DIY guide to each oil, see Palm Kernel Oil – Ultimate DIY Guide and Recipes and Coconut Oil – Ultimate DIY Guide and Recipes.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I substitute palm kernel oil for coconut oil in soap?

Yes — palm kernel oil and coconut oil are functionally similar enough that either can be used in most cold-process soap formulas. The critical requirement is to recalculate the lye amount using the correct SAP value for whichever oil you are using — 0.156 for palm kernel oil, 0.190 for coconut oil. Using the wrong SAP value will produce a lye-heavy or lye-light batch. The finished bar will be similar but not identical: palm kernel oil produces denser, more conditioning lather; coconut oil produces more abundant, bubbly lather.

What is the SAP value of palm kernel oil vs coconut oil?

Palm kernel oil: approximately 0.156 (NaOH). Coconut oil: approximately 0.190 (NaOH). This is a difference of 0.034 per gram — significant at batch scale. Always use the oil-specific SAP value in your lye calculator rather than using a generic lauric acid oil value for both.

Which oil produces more lather in soap?

Coconut oil produces more abundant, faster-forming, and bubblier lather than palm kernel oil at equivalent percentages, due to its significantly higher capric/caprylic acid content (13–15% vs 5–7% in palm kernel oil). Palm kernel oil produces denser, more stable, conditioning lather. For maximum lather volume and speed, coconut oil is the stronger choice.

Is palm kernel oil more conditioning than coconut oil in soap?

Yes — palm kernel oil's higher oleic acid content (12–16% vs 6–8% in coconut oil) produces a more conditioning bar at equivalent usage percentages. Soap makers often choose palm kernel oil specifically for this reason when making bars for sensitive or dry skin. The difference is noticeable but not dramatic at standard usage rates of 20–35%.

What percentage of palm kernel oil or coconut oil should I use in cold-process soap?

Both oils are typically used at 20–35% in cold-process soap. Below 20%, the contribution to lather and hardness is limited. Above 40–45%, the high lauric acid content can make the finished bar drying. A superfat of 5–8% is standard for both oils to offset the drying potential. When combining both in the same formula, 15–20% of each achieves the combined lauric-acid contribution of 30–40% with a gentler skin feel.

Can I use palm kernel oil and coconut oil together in soap?

Yes — combining both is a common formulation approach. Using 15–20% of each achieves the combined lauric-acid lather and hardness contribution while getting the lather character of coconut oil and the conditioning character of palm kernel oil in the same bar. Calculate each oil's lye contribution separately using its specific SAP value.

How does palm kernel oil compare to coconut oil in cosmetic formulations beyond soap?

In body butters, lip balms, and solid lotion bars, both oils contribute hardness and raise the melting point of the formulation. Palm kernel oil's higher oleic content makes it slightly more conditioning in leave-on formulations. Coconut oil's capric/caprylic content can feel slightly more residual on some skin types. Both are white and produce no colour in formulations.

About the Author

Wayne Dunn is the founder of Baraka Impact and a former Professor of Practice in Sustainability at McGill University. He holds an M.Sc. in Management from Stanford and has spent over 15 years working directly with cooperative relationships in West Africa to source traditionally made butters, oils, and soaps — including both palm kernel oil and traditional coconut oil. He shares DIY skincare recipes and ingredient guides designed to be made at home with real ingredients — and sourced with full transparency about where they come from.