Coconut milk soap

[naturesphilosophy]

Does anyone have experience with this? I'd really like to try a batch and haven't found a lot of info on it. Some people said they put the milk in with the lye, some say it's better to add right after you mix your lye and oils. Also, how much would be good to use on a 7lb recipe?

Any info would be helpful. Thanks.

 

[holly99]

If I were doing it, I would use the half and half method. I would find the proper liquid amount for your entire batch.

For example, and I'm just using a random number here:

Entire liquid needed: 20 oz

Mix your lye with: 10 oz distilled water

Add at trace: 10 oz coconut milk

Bring back to a light trace and pour into mold.

 

[naturesphilosophy]

That's kind of what I was thinking, but I didn't know if there would be a possibility of having too much coconut milk in the bar, resulting in either too hard or too soft...I guess I'll just have to experiment.

Any way to save it if there is too much coconut milk added?

 

[holly99]

Since you could make your soap with the full amount being coconut milk, I don't think you're going to have any troubles with it having too much coconut milk. You're using a liquid regardless. It will up your superfat so take that into consideration. Whether your soap is harder or softer will depend more on the oils you use.

 

[naturesphilosophy]

Since you could make your soap with the full amount being coconut milk, I don't think you're going to have any troubles with it having too much coconut milk. You're using a liquid regardless. It will up your superfat so take that into consideration. Whether your soap is harder or softer will depend more on the oils you use.

Ok, so here is the recipe I'd like to use it with.

39oz olive oil
24oz coconut oil
18oz palm oil
26oz water
12oz lye

If I replaced half the water with coconut milk, do you think I'd need to revamp the entire recipe to avoid having too much superfat?

 

[holly99]

If I figured your recipe correctly, you are using a recipe with 0% superfat.

I would recommend running your recipe through the lye calculator (SoapCalc is the one I like) and input your superfat to at least 5%. You will see the lye drop from 12 to around 11.3.

ETA: You don't have any room for error with a 0% superfat. Plus, adding the superfat will feel lots better!

If I were doing this recipe, I'd superfat at 5% with the coconut milk added. I usually superfat at 7% but my recipes with milks I reduce to 5%. You soap is going to be bubble-challenged and will be more creamy. If you want more bubbles with the milk, I would recommend fiddling with your numbers to add in 5%-10% castor and make sure you dilute some sugar into your water before adding lye. I use 1 TBSP ppo of sugar. You may already be doing this though.

 

[IrishLass]

You can do as much as 100% coconut milk (your entire liquid amount) if you want. I do 100% quite regularly. And since I hate dissolving my lye in anything but water 8) , I do my 100% CM soaps in such a way that my milk and raw, naked lye never meet one on one.

The way I avoid dissolving my lye in any of my milk is that I split my liquid amount into 50% water and 50% canned coconut milk. I mix the lye with the water amount and set it aside. I then mix as much coconut milk powder into my canned liquid coconut milk to make a 100% concentrated milk solution for my entire batch.

Or sometimes I use 100% water and split it 50/50, mixing half with the lye, and the other half with enough coconut milk powder to make a 100% CM concentration for the entire liquid amount for my batch. Whichever way I do it, I then I stickblend the CM portion into my oils just before or right after adding the lye water. It works great with no hassles.

I find that when I use 100% CM (I always use full fat CM, not the low fat or reduced fat version of CM), my bubbly lather decreases significantly at my usual 5% superfat, so I've taken to decreasing my superfat level to 3% in my 100% CM soaps. Yes, 3%. It sounds daring, I know, but through much testing I've found that this remedies the bubble deflation in my 100% CM soap without affecting anything else, and no- my soaps have never ended up drying or lye heavy doing it this way. The extra fat amount in the milk prevents that from happening.

When I do 50% CM, I do a 4% superfat to offset bubble deflation.

And when I do 30% CM, I do my regular 5% superfat. The CM amount of 30% at my regular superfat does not harm my bubblage enough to warrant decreasing my superfat level.

IrishLass

 

[naturesphilosophy]

Thanks so much IrishLass. I hadn't thought about using CM powder instead of canned. After reading any reviews, I was concerned with adding the milk and lye directly.

That makes a lot of sense. Since I'm still new, I'm going to stick with your 30% suggestion til I'm comfortable lowering my superfat.

Thanks again!

 

[holly99]

Well I see I didn't calculate your recipe correctly! I reversed the palm and coconut on soap calc. Sorry about that!

I do the superfats the same as IrishLass except for my 50/50 which I go ahead and do 5% on. I haven't found it to hurt the lather with the recipe I am using. But if I do a 100% milk soap, I do it the same way IrishLass mentioned with the liquid milk and the powder, and I do knock my superfat down to 3%. Works great.

 

[naturesphilosophy]

Well I see I didn't calculate your recipe correctly! I reversed the palm and coconut on soap calc. Sorry about that!

I do the superfats the same as IrishLass except for my 50/50 which I go ahead and do 5% on. I haven't found it to hurt the lather with the recipe I am using. But if I do a 100% milk soap, I do it the same way IrishLass mentioned with the liquid milk and the powder, and I do knock my superfat down to 3%. Works great.

That's ok I actually didn't realize that reply was there til you said something. And yes, I'll be adding sugar to the recipe as well to aid in the lather.

I guess I'll just have to see what I like better with the superfatting, but I appreciate all the insight!

 

[rubyslippers]

I often add coconut milk to my soaps. I freeze coconut milk in ice cube trays and drop a couple of cubes into my water (whatever the cubes weight is counted as part of the water weight) and then add lye and stir until the cubes are completely dissolved.

I've not been able to find pure coconut milk without any additives until last weekend and I ran across some 100% coconut cream at a local Asian market and have made 2 batches of soap with it using the above method and I have never had soap trace so quickly! Soap is still curing so I'm waiting to see how it turns out.

 

[naturesphilosophy]

I often add coconut milk to my soaps. I freeze coconut milk in ice cube trays and drop a couple of cubes into my water (whatever the cubes weight is counted as part of the water weight) and then add lye and stir until the cubes are completely dissolved.

I've not been able to find pure coconut milk without any additives until last weekend and I ran across some 100% coconut cream at a local Asian market and have made 2 batches of soap with it using the above method and I have never had soap trace so quickly! Soap is still curing so I'm waiting to see how it turns out.

I'd love to hear how that works for you!

 

[April]

I used powdered coconut milk and put it in a trace. I know this doesn't help you, but I thought I would mention it.

Take care,

April

 

[naturesphilosophy]

After looking into the powdered coconut milk, I realized they all have casein as an ingredient. I'm trying to stick with only vegan soaps for the time being because a.) I used to be vegan, and b.) my SO still is and many of my friends...so I guess I won't be doing 100% CM soaps unless I mix it with the lye...

That's ok, though. I'll see how I like 30-50%.

 

[April]

Oh, no. I am vegatarian. I'll have to check to see if this is in the ingredients. I didn't even think to check this. Makes me mad. I am not a seller, but I still should have checked.

 

[naturesphilosophy]

Oh, no. I am vegatarian. I'll have to check to see if this is in the ingredients. I didn't even think to check this. Makes me mad. I am not a seller, but I still should have checked.

Apparently it's there to bind it, otherwise they can't make it a powder. I tried searching for a vegan brand, but found nothing. I'm still vegetarian, but have steered away from veganism during my pregnancy, but I'd rather stick with the vegan stuff if possible.

 

[April]

I just checked the box and it has sodium caseinate. Even though I am an ovo-lacto vegetarian (although I consume very little dairy and eggs) and could use the sodium caseinate, I am also trying to stay as vegan as possible in my soapmaking. I made a batch with honey once though.

I truly appreciate your drawing my attention to this. This one escaped me completely.

Best regards,


April

 

[SOI Natural]

You can do as much as 100% coconut milk (your entire liquid amount) if you want. I do 100% quite regularly. And since I hate dissolving my lye in anything but water 8) , I do my 100% CM soaps in such a way that my milk and raw, naked lye never meet one on one.

The way I avoid dissolving my lye in any of my milk is that I split my liquid amount into 50% water and 50% canned coconut milk. I mix the lye with the water amount and set it aside. I then mix as much coconut milk powder into my canned liquid coconut milk to make a 100% concentrated milk solution for my entire batch.

Or sometimes I use 100% water and split it 50/50, mixing half with the lye, and the other half with enough coconut milk powder to make a 100% CM concentration for the entire liquid amount for my batch. Whichever way I do it, I then I stickblend the CM portion into my oils just before or right after adding the lye water. It works great with no hassles.

I find that when I use 100% CM (I always use full fat CM, not the low fat or reduced fat version of CM), my bubbly lather decreases significantly at my usual 5% superfat, so I've taken to decreasing my superfat level to 3% in my 100% CM soaps. Yes, 3%. It sounds daring, I know, but through much testing I've found that this remedies the bubble deflation in my 100% CM soap without affecting anything else, and no- my soaps have never ended up drying or lye heavy doing it this way. The extra fat amount in the milk prevents that from happening.

When I do 50% CM, I do a 4% superfat to offset bubble deflation.

And when I do 30% CM, I do my regular 5% superfat. The CM amount of 30% at my regular superfat does not harm my bubblage enough to warrant decreasing my superfat level.

IrishLass

How much CM powder do you use per oz of water for a 100% CM liquid?

 

[Hazel]

This is a very interesting thread. I've an old can of coconut milk that I've been thinking about trying in soap.

Thanks everyone - this really helps!

 

[IrishLass]

How much CM powder do you use per oz of water for a 100% CM liquid?

The amount to use may differ between brands of CM powder (you'll need to check the package), but the one I use calls for 1 1/2 teaspoons powder per ounce of water.

IrishLass