Health Spa Weblog

Sounds like stearic acid used as one of the ingredients in the soap. There’s
a little stearic acid in most oils, generally more so in oils which are
solid at room temperature. Palm oil is a common source for stearic acid (aka
palm stearic, vegetable stearic), but not the only source. It’s used as a
hardener in candles and soap, a thickener in lotions, etc. It’s listed in
the MMS lye calculator. I haven’t tackled liquid soaps yet, but I’d guess it
just makes it thicker.
HTH,
Traci