The present disclosure provides a soap thickener and methods of making the same. The soap thickener includes a metal soap of a carboxylic acid composition in a base oil, wherein the carboxylic acid composition includes a modified fatty acid composition prepared by performing a pericyclic reaction between an unsaturated small molecule and a fatty acid mixture. The present disclosure further provides lubricating compositions that include the soap thickener of the present disclosure and methods of preparing the same.