What are the Uses for Soap Noodles?

Most people have never heard of soap noodles, but they use products made from them every day. The products are the many varieties of toilet soap, laundry soap, and detergent products on the market.

Soap noodles are the fatty acids used in these products. In their raw form, they resemble short, white, or coloured noodles, hence the name. There are two forms of these products. They can be made out of animal fats or tallows, as the soap has traditionally been made. But vegetable-based soap noodles are also prevalent in the marketplace. These are made from a palm base or vegetable oil base.  

Utilising Malaysia’s Palm Oil Industry

Malaysia has thriving palm oil plantations all over the country. Thus it is the perfect environment for Oleochemical production facilities. These facilities can make the most out of the palm oil plants, using palm oil, palm stearin, and palm kernels as the base ingredients for the soap noodles they supply to home and beauty product manufacturers all over the world.

Plant fats are gaining favour around the world for use in soap manufacturing. The palms used in palm oil production are ideal for soap-making applications. They produce a lot of oil for their weight, which lowers the cost of production. They are easily grown and harvested, adding to their cost-effectiveness.

With plant-based meats creating headline news around the world and fast food chains experimenting more and more with plant-based menu items, the world is leaning toward finding alternatives in many industries for animal products and by-products. Besides the animal cruelty issue, the animal husbandry industry is responsible for a significant amount of methane gas, which contributes to climate change.

Vegetable-based fatty acids also offer a more acceptable choice than animal fats from a public relations perspective. They are a preferable alternative for vegetarians and vegans. They are also healthier. Palm oil fatty acids are rich in Omega 3 unsaturated fats, which the body needs. Plant oils are also gentle on sensitive skin and excellent moisturisers. 

Varieties of Soap Noodles

Most oleochemical manufacturers create a variety of these products that suit different soap manufacturers depending on the types of products they produce. By varying the percentage of palm oil and palm kernels before mixing the noodles with lye, the manufacturers create products that provide different whiteness, cleaning properties, hardness, and foaming ability.

They also can be different visually, which is also beneficial to the soap manufacturer. Solid noodles are usually snow white, while softer noodles can be white, yellowish, brownish, creamy, and even translucent. 

Make the Switch to Plant-based Products

KLK Oleo is one of the world’s leading oleochemical suppliers with a wide range of products that are used in the polymer, food, nutrition, lubricant, beauty, personal care, and home care industries. We have plants in Europe, North America, and Asia, with our headquarters in Malaysia. If you’re thinking of making the switch from animal-based to plant-based products in your production, contact KLK Oleo to find out more about what we can offer.