Essential Living Unrefined Mango Butter 16 oz Jar 100% Natural for Soap Making Review (2026)

What this butter is

This Essential Living product is a 16 oz jar of unrefined mango butter, marketed by the brand as 100 percent natural and intended for raw and organic formulation work including lip balms, body lotion, body butter, body scrub, and soap making. Mango butter is pressed from the kernels of the mango fruit and is naturally solid at room temperature, similar in general use to shea or cocoa butter, though it is generally considered firmer than shea and lighter in scent than cocoa butter. Being unrefined means the butter has not gone through the deodorizing and bleaching steps that some commercial butters use, so it retains more of its natural color and characteristics.

Why makers use mango butter in soap

Mango butter is prized in soap and body care recipes for adding hardness to a finished bar while also contributing a moisturizing, slightly silky feel that many makers describe as less greasy than some other tropical butters. In cold process soap, a modest percentage of mango butter is often used to firm up a bar's final texture, while in body care products like lotion bars or balms it can serve as the primary structural fat. Because it is solid but not brittle, it blends well with liquid oils without needing much additional hardening ingredient in a typical formulation.

Jar packaging in practice

Shipping this butter in a 16 oz jar rather than a bag keeps the product contained and easy to reseal tightly between uses, which helps limit exposure to air and contamination compared with an open bag that needs to be resealed with a clip or rubber band each time. The trade off is that scooping solid butter out of a jar, especially in cooler weather when the butter is firmer, takes a bit more effort than simply breaking a chunk off an unpackaged block, and makers working with cold hands or a dull scoop may want to soften the jar slightly in a warm room before use.

Storage and shelf life considerations

Like most soap-making butters, mango butter benefits from being stored in a cool, dry place away from direct sunlight, which helps preserve its texture and slows any gradual oxidation over time. The resealable jar format helps with this compared with an open bag, since it limits how much air reaches the butter between soap sessions. As with any natural fat used in soap and skincare, makers should use their senses, checking for any off smell or texture change, as their main guide to freshness rather than relying on a specific expiration timeline not stated on the product itself.

Bottom line

This 16 oz jar is a sensible size for a regular hobbyist or small-batch maker who wants a hard, moisturizing natural butter for soap or body care without buying a bulk block they might not use before it degrades. The unrefined nature and jar packaging both suit makers who want a natural-label ingredient and prefer the convenience of a resealable container over a bag. Those chasing the lowest cost per ounce for large production runs may find a bulk block more economical, but for typical hobby-scale batches this size and format work well, and the resealable jar helps the remaining butter stay fresh across multiple soap sessions spread over several weeks.

Frequently asked questions