The Secret Ingredient in Your Favourite Handmade Soap: Understanding Pomace Olive Oil

By Keskinz

Have you ever wondered what gives handmade soap that wonderfully creamy lather and long-lasting quality? While many of us are familiar with extra virgin olive oil as a kitchen staple, there's another form of olive oil that plays an equally important role in skincare and soap making—pomace olive oil.

At Keskinz, we select our ingredients to create soaps that feel luxurious and perform beautifully. Today, I'd like to introduce you to this fascinating ingredient and explain why it's a favourite among soap makers.


What Exactly Is Pomace Olive Oil?

Let's start with the basics. Pomace olive oil comes from the same fruit as your favourite olive oils—all from the Olea europaea tree, the common olive tree cultivated throughout the Mediterranean region .

The story of pomace olive oil begins after higher-grade olive oils have already been produced. Once olives are pressed for extra virgin and virgin olive oils, a solid byproduct remains. 

This material—called pomace—consists of olive pulp, skins, and even fragments of the pit or stone . Around 35–40% of the total weight of processed olives is released as this solid waste .

This leftover pomace still contains a small amount of residual oil, typically around 4–15 grams per 100 grams of dry matter depending on the olive variety and extraction method used . Rather than allowing this resource to go to waste, a secondary extraction process recovers this remaining oil.

The result is pomace olive oil—an ingredient with its own unique characteristics that make it particularly valuable for certain applications.


How Is Pomace Olive Oil Obtained?

The journey from olive pomace to finished oil involves several careful steps. Understanding this process helps explain why pomace olive oil differs from the olive oil in your kitchen.

Step 1: Collection and Preparation

Fresh olive pomace is collected immediately after the initial olive oil pressing. Because this material is moist (with moisture content reaching over 60%) and contains active enzymes, it must be processed quickly to maintain quality . The pomace is typically dried to reduce its moisture content before oil extraction can begin .

Step 2: Solvent Extraction

Unlike higher grades of olive oil that can be extracted through mechanical pressing alone, the small amount of oil remaining in pomace requires a different approach. A solvent—most commonly hexane—is used to dissolve and separate the residual oil from the solid plant material .

This method efficiently recovers oil that would otherwise be lost. Research has explored alternative techniques such as microwave-assisted extraction, which can achieve good yields (up to 6.85g per 100g dry matter) in shorter processing times while helping preserve beneficial compounds like tocopherols and phenolic content .

Step 3: Refining

The oil obtained through solvent extraction undergoes refining to remove the solvent, along with any unwanted colours, flavours, or odours. This produces a clear, mild oil with a light yellow colour and very little scent .

Step 4: Quality Control

Throughout this process, producers monitor various quality parameters including free fatty acid content, peroxide values, and the presence of any compounds requiring further purification . The final refined product meets established standards for cosmetic use.

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Pomace Olive Oil in Skincare and Soap Making

This is where pomace olive oil truly shines. Its unique properties make it particularly well-suited for creating handcrafted skincare products.

What's Inside Pomace Olive Oil

Pomace olive oil contains a rich profile of fatty acids and beneficial components, as established by the International Olive Council and European Commission standards :

Component Typical Percentage Role in Skincare
Oleic Acid (C18:1) 55–83% Provides smoothing, conditioning feel
Palmitic Acid (C16:0) 7.5–25% Contributes to product stability
Linoleic Acid (C18:2) 3.5–21% Supports skin's natural barrier
Stearic Acid (C18:0) 0.5–5% Helps create firm, long-lasting bars

Beyond fatty acids, olive pomace contains valuable minor components including tocopherols (vitamin E compounds) and phenolic compounds like hydroxytyrosol, which contribute to its stability and skin-conditioning properties . Studies have shown that pomace oil contains significant levels of tocopherols—up to 278 mg/kg in some extraction methods .

Why Soap Makers Value Pomace Olive Oil

In the world of handmade soap, pomace olive oil offers several distinct advantages that have been recognised by soap makers for decades :

A Harder, Longer-Lasting Bar
Compared to pure olive oil, pomace olive oil creates a slightly harder bar of soap . This means your Keskinz soap lasts longer and doesn't turn to mush between uses.

Excellent Conditioning Properties
Pomace olive oil acts as an emollient, helping to smooth the skin while providing naturally occurring vitamin E and other beneficial compounds . The high oleic acid content (up to 83%) is particularly valued for its skin-conditioning qualities .

Creamy Lather
The fatty acid profile of pomace olive oil contributes to a rich, satisfying lather that makes every shower feel like a treat .

Versatility in Formulation
Pomace olive oil is stable and blends well with other oils, making it a reliable choice for soap makers who value consistency . It can be used at up to 100% in cold process soap formulations .


A Note on Quality and Safety

The pomace olive oil used in cosmetics and soap making today meets rigorous quality standards. Reputable suppliers provide refined oil that has been properly processed and tested. Quality parameters for refined olive-pomace oil include free fatty acid levels below 0.33 g/100g, peroxide values around 5 milliequivalents of active oxygen per kilogram, and saponification values of approximately 188 mg KOH/g .

For external use in skincare products, pomace olive oil has a long history of safe use in soap making . Its unique properties have made it a trusted ingredient for generations of soap makers—and for good reason.

The Keskinz Approach

At Keskinz, Pomace olive oil appeals to us for several reasons:

Quality You Can Trust
We source our ingredients from suppliers who prioritise quality and consistency. Every batch of oil meets our standards before it ever touches our soap pot.

Beautiful Results
The soaps we create with pomace olive oil perform beautifully—they lather well, feel gentle on skin, and last a long time. These are the qualities our customers appreciate most.

Respectful Use of Resources
Using pomace olive oil makes sense from a sustainability perspective. It utilises material that might otherwise go to waste, giving it new purpose in products designed for self-care and daily enjoyment .

How to Identify Pomace Olive Oil in Products

If you're reading ingredient labels (and we hope you do!), pomace olive oil appears under its INCI name: Olea Europaea Husk Oil . Some products may list it simply as Olea Europaea (Olive) Fruit Oil, though reputable sellers provide clear, specific ingredient information .

At Keskinz, we believe in transparency. Our ingredient lists are always accurate and complete, so you know exactly what you're putting on your skin.

Why This Matters for Your Skincare Routine

Choosing products matters more than you might think. The oils in your soap don't just wash away—they interact with your skin during those few minutes each day when you're cleansing.

Pomace olive oil's natural components work together to:

· Create a pleasant texture that spreads easily across skin
· Provide a smooth, non-greasy after-feel
· Support the skin's natural moisture barrier
· Deliver naturally occurring vitamin E and beneficial compounds

These aren't medical claims—they're simply observations about how thoughtfully formulated products can enhance your daily routine.

Explore Our Collection

At Keskinz, we handcraft each batch of soap with care, using pomace olive oil and other quality ingredients. The result is a collection of soaps that feel luxurious, perform beautifully, and make everyday moments feel a little more special.

Whether you're drawn to soft florals, bright citrus, or warm earthy scents, there's a Keskinz soap waiting to become part of your routine.

👉 Shop Handcrafted Soaps

👉 View Our Full Collection

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Have questions about our ingredients or which soap might be right for you? We'd love to hear from you—contact us here.

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Keskinz is a small-batch maker in the UK, creating handcrafted soaps and shower steamers with care, consistency and attention to detail. Every piece is thoughtfully made to bring a touch of simple, elegant luxury to everyday moments.


📚 Sources and Further Reading

1. Microwave-assisted solvent extraction of oil from wet olive pomace - LWT - Food Science and Technology, 2017. Details on extraction methods, yields (4–15g/100g dry matter), and tocopherol content (278.07 mg/kg oil).
2. Composition and characteristics of crude olive pomace oil - Nature Scientific Reports, 2024. Quality parameters including fatty acid profile (oleic acid 65.90%), peroxide value (5 meq/kg), and free fatty acids (0.33g/100g).
3. Pomace Olive Oil - The Soap Kitchen UK. Industry source on soap making applications, conditioning properties, and INCI naming.
4. Olive-Pomace Oil product information - Knowde. INCI name confirmation: Olea Europaea (Olive) Fruit Oil / Olea Europaea Husk Oil.
5. Influence of operation variables on quality parameters of olive husk oil - Journal of the American Oil Chemists' Society, 2003. Supercritical CO2 extraction methods and quality analysis.
6. Allowable fatty acid ranges for olive-pomace oil - International Olive Council and European Commission standards. Official ranges: oleic acid 55–83%, palmitic acid 7.5–25%, linoleic acid 3.5–21%.
7. Olive Oil - Pomace product specifications - Bramble Berry. Soap making usage instructions (up to 100% in cold process), shelf life (2 years), and physical properties.
8. Exploring Olive Pomace for Skincare Applications: A Review - MDPI Cosmetics, 2023. Comprehensive review of olive pomace composition (35–40% of olive weight), bioactive compounds (hydroxytyrosol, tocopherols, squalene), and skincare applications.
9. Recovery of Residual Oil from Olive Cake - ScienceDirect. Historical context of oil recovery methods, traditional soap making applications, and processing requirements.
10. Chemical Characterization of Olive Pomace in Jordan - Bulgarian Journal of Agricultural Science, 2017. Fatty acid analysis confirming oleic acid as predominant component (59.03–63.81%) and potential for cosmetic applications.