it's been asked alot before: coconut oil %
- Thread starter cnm
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You are going to get as many opinions as people who answer. I use no more than 20% CO, but I use a lot of lard, so I don't need the hardness, and I don't like high CO soap on my skin. I see a lot of 100% CO bars with 20% SF.
There's really no right answer. It all depends on the person using the soap and what skin-type they have. If you can tolerate it, you can use as much as 100% coconut if you desire..
One of the soaps I like to make uses 100% coconut oil with a 20% superfat. And in my salt soap formula, I like to use 100% coconut oil as well along with 100% coconut milk as my liquid, 25% salt ppo and a 13% superfat. In my other batches, I use anywhere from 28% to 31%, depending on the formula.
Some people are sensitive to high amounts of coconut oil and don't like to go much over 20% in a recipe, while others can go much higher. The only way to find out your own tolerance level is to experiment.
IrishLass
One of the soaps I like to make uses 100% coconut oil with a 20% superfat. And in my salt soap formula, I like to use 100% coconut oil as well along with 100% coconut milk as my liquid, 25% salt ppo and a 13% superfat. In my other batches, I use anywhere from 28% to 31%, depending on the formula.
Some people are sensitive to high amounts of coconut oil and don't like to go much over 20% in a recipe, while others can go much higher. The only way to find out your own tolerance level is to experiment.
IrishLass
snappyllama
Supporting Member
It is to combat the drying effects of CO.
Obsidian
Well-Known Member
Because coconut oil soap is very cleansing, it removes a lot of your natural skin oils which can leave you dry. Having a high superfat helps counter act the drying affect.
What they said^^^^^^. 
IrishLass
IrishLass
MorpheusPA
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There's no such thing as too much coconut. :razz:
That having been said, for most recipes, I keep coconut at 10-15% maximum as I'd have to superfat at higher levels than I want to otherwise. There are exceptions.
Mathematically? Here's the rule I use. Take your percentage of coconut oil. Divide by five. If the answer is less than five, set it to five. That is your minimum superfat percentage.
I make a gardener's soap with 40% CO that I superfat at 1%--and test carefully for zap on each bar. But that's an exception to the rule.
That having been said, for most recipes, I keep coconut at 10-15% maximum as I'd have to superfat at higher levels than I want to otherwise. There are exceptions.
Mathematically? Here's the rule I use. Take your percentage of coconut oil. Divide by five. If the answer is less than five, set it to five. That is your minimum superfat percentage.
I make a gardener's soap with 40% CO that I superfat at 1%--and test carefully for zap on each bar. But that's an exception to the rule.
As stated there is no right answer. I generally stick to 15-22% except with my salt bars and 100% CO which I SF 20% unless using milk then lower it a bit. I superfat my regular recipes around 7-9%
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I use as high as 30% coconut oil with no problem but some people find that drying.
