What is the difference between green and yellow soap?

Soaps can come in different colors—green, yellow, or brown—but the color does not always tell the whole story. Here, we explain what the colors mean and what different soaps are actually made from.

How is soft soap made?

Soap is made by saponifying fat with potassium hydroxide and boiling it until the mixture becomes clear. Unlike bar soap, soft soap retains glycerol, giving it a softer, more pliable consistency. Soft soap can be made from both vegetable and animal fats, and the choice of fat determines the soap’s color, scent, and properties.

What is yellow soap?

1. Yellow pine soap

Traditional yellow soap is often made from pine oil, a by-product of the pulp industry. It is effective against dirt and often used for heavy-duty cleaning, for example in bathrooms or when cleaning ovens.

Important: Pine soap lacks oil-replenishing properties and is therefore not suitable for wooden surfaces.

2. Yellow linseed oil soap

Linseed oil soap is made from linseed oil and replenishes oils, making it perfect for wooden floors, furniture, and other wooden surfaces. It is slightly more expensive but very gentle on wood.

3. Västerbottenssåpa - yellow vegetable oil soap

Made from rapeseed and corn oil, giving it caring properties similar to linseed oil soap. Västerbottenssåpa is therefore both effective against dirt and gentle on wood.

What is green soap?

Genuine green soap was formerly made from hempseed oil—a by-product of rope and sack production. When hemp cultivation was banned in Sweden (1970–2005), genuine green soap also disappeared.

Today, almost all green soap is yellow pine soap that has been colored green, often scented to imitate the original. It therefore rarely has any particular caring properties, and you might as well choose a yellow soap without coloring. 

Photo: Wikipedia

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Questions and answers

1. Is there a difference between green and yellow soap?
Answer: Genuine green soap is not the same as yellow soap, but pine oil soap is often colored green. In that case, it is the same thing but with green coloring.

2. Can soaps have different properties?
Answer: Yes, they acquire different properties depending on which oil/fat they are based on.

3. Are all yellow soaps made from the same oil?
Answer: No, there are many oils that can make the soap yellow.

Order natural cleaning products here: Västerbottenssåpa