Very well, thank you. Trying to catch up with some stuff and never seem to do it.
de-funk de pits
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Hi Teresa! I'm happy to see you back, even if it's for just a bit
Thanks Gaisy! I looked back a few pages but didn't see that. So I over looked it or didn't read it correctly. I'm happy to know it's not one of my suppliers since I like and trust them both. Since I'm a moron and didn't see the post, do you remember what the melting point of both are? Then I'll know which one to look for. Thanks again!
Thanks Gaisy! I looked back a few pages but didn't see that. So I over looked it or didn't read it correctly. I'm happy to know it's not one of my suppliers since I like and trust them both. Since I'm a moron and didn't see the post, do you remember what the melting point of both are? Then I'll know which one to look for. Thanks again!
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Hi Krista you need to look for the 76 degree melting point one. Having said that my first purchase of babassu ever was from New Directions and it was the super hard one. Looking at New Directions just now i see that they do not say what their babassu oil melting point is. My second purchase was from Saffire Blue and this was the softer babassu oil. I think i will contact New Directions and see why they sell such a hard oil. If these sellers dont look familiar just an FYI i am from canada.
Hi Theresa nice to hear from you. I see you suffer from IBS and so do i. I dont want to step into any medical areas but mygirlfriend is a dietitian and she suggested i try the low FODMAP diet as did my family physician. It has alleviated a great deal of my symptoms. Not saying it will help you, but at least it is something you can do some research on and/or give it a try.
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So it's not just me! I just looked at several sites and none of them listed the melting point of their babassu. Apparently I got the higher melt point from the 1st vendor and the lower melt point from the 2nd. Now I know I need to find that out before I purchase. Thanks for your input Gaisy!
Good to hear from you again Teresa! We've missed you! 
IrishLass
IrishLass
I have never heard of different babassu oils which makes me wonder.... when I was making lotions for sale I would include babassu oil in my recipe and it was always semi-soft (similar to what Bramble Berry sells).
beckster51
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I have noticed the different types of babassu oil that I have received, but I just assumed that one was hydrogenated and processed, while the softer one was not. If I may ask, which suppliers do you use that sell the softer ones? It would be helpful to know. Thanks!
Dahila
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Get one from Windy Point, when you spend $125 before taxes, shipping is free, Her babassu is wonderful but pricey
The babassu I have is from Majestic Mountain Sage. It's a number of years old, but the shelf life on this stuff must be really long -- it still smells fine. It's always been a firm solid, even in the warmest days of summer. Interesting to learn there is a softer version.
Hi DeeAnna i am interested to know how you applied your babassu/mag deo because it sounds like you have the hard stuff like Krista and i had our first time. Trying to apply that stuff almost put me over the edge
Obsidian
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I was looking at babassu on amazon and the pictures show a liquid oil, does it come like that too? I was hoping to find it and the mag at the same place to save shipping.
My first rock solid oil came in a plastic container with a screw top and they were big hard chunks. My second order of the softer oil came in a big shampoo like bottle but it wasnt liquid it was a soft solid. As i didnt want to keep warming it up to get it out i cut it out of the bottle and put it in an easier to access container. That was my experience.
Hi DeeAnna i am interested to know how you applied your babassu/mag deo because it sounds like you have the hard stuff like Krista and i had our first time. Trying to apply that stuff almost put me over the edge
I think my deo would probably drive you nutty too. The stuff doesn't glide, that's for sure -- I use kind of a dabbing motion to get enough rubbed onto my skin.
I have played around with using less magnesium hydroxide to try to reduce drag and adding cetyl alcohol and conditioning emulsifier (generic BTMS) to the blend to increase the melt temp and hopefully also reduce drag. Compared to a 50:50 mix of mag hydroxide and babassu, these changes did reduce the drag a little and increased the melting temperature. The mix is still overly draggy, however, although it now doesn't get goopy at warm room temps. The recipe from the last batch I made in August, 2017:
Mg(OH)2 (magnesium hydroxide) powder 30 g
Babassu oil 55 g
Cetyl alcohol 14 g
Conditioning emulsifier 14 g
Fragrance 0.5 g
This fills one regular deodorant-type tube plus one small twist up tube (a giant version of a lip balm tube). The lower mag hydroxide content still works well to control odor.
My notes from shortly after I made it say the reduced drag might be due to simply using less mag hydroxide -- I questioned whether the cetyl alcohol and cond emulsifier really did all that much to reduce drag.
What those ingredients would do is make the mixture more water soluble so it will wash out of fabric easier. That said, I've not noticed any build up of the mag hydroxide deodorant on my clothing, whether or not I've included any emulsifier. The Tom's deodorant I have used for years does leave a yellow, stiff residue in the armpit area that doesn't wash out easily.
I bought mine from Soapers Choice and it remains solid in my house no matter how hot it gets, which is probably no higher the low 80'sF. It only melts when I put the bottle in a hot water bath for a couple of hours or so. However, it melts quickly upon contact with my skin.
However, I did run into melting in high heat even with this high-melting point babassu when I travel. So I set out on a search to solidify it more for use while traveling, which I do a lot of by car. Finding melted deo stick in ones luggage is no fun.
Looking back to pages 14 through 20 of this thread there is discussion of additives to make the deo stick more solid in hot weather as well as maintaining a glide during application. Several ideas are mentioned, including e-wax, BTMS, cetyl achol and so forth.
I first tried beeswax because I had it on hand, but its just a bit draggy on the skin, although I got used to that as I wanted to use up what I had. Now I am using Cera Bellina wax with rice bran wax, although I did not mean to mix the two in the same Deo; that was a mistake on my part. I've only been using this version for a couple of weeks and it is less draggy than the beeswax was. I plan to try BTMS 50 since ordering some from SaveOnCitric, but haven't mixed it up yet.
I see DeeAnna added more info while I've been typing. I don't seem to have the same trouble with application as DeeAnna mentions. Maybe my armpits are hotter than hers and mine melts faster. I don't know. But of course, I am using a different mixture also. But even with the beeswax, I didn't need to do the dabbing motion; dragging it along my skin worked fine.
However, I did run into melting in high heat even with this high-melting point babassu when I travel. So I set out on a search to solidify it more for use while traveling, which I do a lot of by car. Finding melted deo stick in ones luggage is no fun.
Looking back to pages 14 through 20 of this thread there is discussion of additives to make the deo stick more solid in hot weather as well as maintaining a glide during application. Several ideas are mentioned, including e-wax, BTMS, cetyl achol and so forth.
I first tried beeswax because I had it on hand, but its just a bit draggy on the skin, although I got used to that as I wanted to use up what I had. Now I am using Cera Bellina wax with rice bran wax, although I did not mean to mix the two in the same Deo; that was a mistake on my part. I've only been using this version for a couple of weeks and it is less draggy than the beeswax was. I plan to try BTMS 50 since ordering some from SaveOnCitric, but haven't mixed it up yet.
I see DeeAnna added more info while I've been typing. I don't seem to have the same trouble with application as DeeAnna mentions. Maybe my armpits are hotter than hers and mine melts faster. I don't know. But of course, I am using a different mixture also. But even with the beeswax, I didn't need to do the dabbing motion; dragging it along my skin worked fine.
Hi DeeAnn and Earlene, that hard stuff is uncompromising! The best results i had with it were warming it up with a hairdryer prior to application. I even did the 60% babassu and 40% mag, and like you say it deodorizes just fine but the drag was still there. Having said that i really do like this one better for travel as it doesnt melt...at all. I had it in Aruba at +34 celsius every day and no melt. But for every day use i do prefer the softer babassu. As it is with the harder one i broke my twist tubes as it would not go up. For travel i used a toilet paper roll to mold it and used a leak proof case to carry it.
Gaisy59, I am so amazed yours was so draggy in Aruba. Without the added wax, mine melted on my armpits on contact. That was at 50/50 babassu to MgOH powder. I have never had to warm it up at all to use it, not even with the added wax.
Without the added wax, mine softened and melted enough to change the internal shape inside the deo-stick in my car truck inside my suitcase while driving in summer heat (thankfully it was in a plastic baggy, too, so no spread of product into the surrounding stuff in my suitcase). Of course, I do realize the small metal compartment of a car trunk traveling along in the hot sun does intensify the heat a lot more than inside the cabin of the car.
Without the added wax, mine softened and melted enough to change the internal shape inside the deo-stick in my car truck inside my suitcase while driving in summer heat (thankfully it was in a plastic baggy, too, so no spread of product into the surrounding stuff in my suitcase). Of course, I do realize the small metal compartment of a car trunk traveling along in the hot sun does intensify the heat a lot more than inside the cabin of the car.
My "hard" babassu doesn't melt at temps up to 85 F (30 C) -- maybe a little higher than that. But above those temps, the mixture with only babassu and mag hydroxide gets goopy, so I'm sure it wouldn't travel well in a typical deodorant tube. I'd have to put it in a screw-cap jar.
Adding the emulsifier and cetyl alcohol increased the melt temp to roughly 110-120 F (45 C). That works pretty well, although it still could melt in a super hot car. But then I'd wonder about any deodorant (or lipstick or any other salve-like product) in that kind of situation. I know Tom's deo melts at about the same temp as my emulsifier-fortified deo.
Adding the emulsifier and cetyl alcohol increased the melt temp to roughly 110-120 F (45 C). That works pretty well, although it still could melt in a super hot car. But then I'd wonder about any deodorant (or lipstick or any other salve-like product) in that kind of situation. I know Tom's deo melts at about the same temp as my emulsifier-fortified deo.
Before i buy more babassu i will contact my two suppliers to see why there was such a difference. But for sure the hard one wasnt going anywhere fast. As for additives i kinda prefer just the two ingredients...my motto is keep it as simple as possible.
BattleGnome
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Just adding to the melting point conversation. My babassu melts if I look at it, I got it from lotioncraftier. I started mixing up my own in April (I think) and the consistency stayed solid enough then but as soon as outside temps hit over 70F I needed to start adding stuff to keep it from separating due to melting point.
My current batch is:
1g steric acid
10g babassu
10g mag hydroxide
It makes a nice paste but the steric is slightly grainy. I’m thinking of adding ewax in my next batch to see if that helps any. Ideally I’d like a solid to use a tube but I’m good with what I have if I never get there.
I’ll note that I did try beeswax but it clogged my pores, don’t remember the percentage I used through
My current batch is:
1g steric acid
10g babassu
10g mag hydroxide
It makes a nice paste but the steric is slightly grainy. I’m thinking of adding ewax in my next batch to see if that helps any. Ideally I’d like a solid to use a tube but I’m good with what I have if I never get there.
I’ll note that I did try beeswax but it clogged my pores, don’t remember the percentage I used through
