100% Coconut Oil soap - drying?

[true blue]

I've made 100% coconut oil soap for years with no more than 8% SF, and never had a problem with it being drying to my skin. Admittedly, I do have oily skin - however my husband has dry skin, and when he uses the all-coconut, he doesn't mention that it's drying to him at all, either. I also have repeat customers for that particular soap, who won't buy any other kind.
I guess I'm wondering if all-coconut soap really deserves the 'it's too drying!' label it's been given. Most salt soaps have extremely high percentages of coconut oil and they're considered very moisturizing ... even though both coconut oil and salt are considered drying.
I realize the main point here is probably the SF % ... and I'm sure there are some people with extremely dry skin who the all coconut soap may still affect, but are they the exception rather than the rule?
Your thoughts?

 

[fuzz-juzz]

I think I'm probably an exception when I see all you guys here raving about salt bars and high CO soaps.
I tried and didn't like salt bars, they were sooo drying. Even with 20% SF.
My skin can't tolerate more than 20% CO in recipe so I keep it around that number.

 

[seven]

wow, i found this very interesting. 100% coconut with only 8% SF, on paper it's terribly drying. i can't comment much, because so far i've only made coconut soap with high SF (20 or more), but your case interests me a lot, i guess a future experiment is on agenda.

i have to admit though, i do read a lot that too much coconut is drying, therefore, when i have high % of coconut, i always counteract it with a higher SF. my skin is quite sensitive but can stand high % of coconut w/o a problem. only my oily face cannot stand saponified coconut, period.

as for salt soaps, i've no idea but to say there is just something magical when you marry coconut and salt, even my face seems to like it

 

[true blue]

Thanks for your input, fuzz ... not having dry skin, or knowing anyone who would classify theirs as 'very dry', I have a hard time judging things like this.

I know! I know! ha! That's why I'd figure I'd ask ... it's 'supposed' to be very drying! As for the coconut & salt ... it must be 'magical' because it doesn't make sense!

 

[xraygrl]

My skin is not dry, but we (my dd's and I) are sensitive to higher amounts of coconut in soap. I can only use 10%. Any higher than that and we get itchy. I generally use a 7-8% SF too. We could never use a 100% coconut oil soap, even with a 20% SF. My dd's can't use salt bars at all, and I can only use salt bars sparingly, I digress.

 

[seven]

again, it's truly fascinating to see the different types of skin. one can stand this, one can't stand that. this fact also makes soapmaking fun, as well as full of challenges for me. it makes you think, think, and think... read, read, and read... see different case studies... fun!

 

[Obsidian]

I have very dry skin and only use 20% coconut in my basic bars with a 8% SF, even then its a bit drying for me. I make a specialty bar soap for my personal use, I also use salt bars with 80% coconut oil and 20% SF that aren't drying.

 

[true blue]

xraygrl - one of my sons had a problem with itching after showering and he was saying it was the soap (yes, it was the coconut he was using at the time). The weird thing, though, was that it wasn't consistent. Sometimes it'd be worse than others (same soap). He did some research on his own and found that supposedly, hot showers can cause itching. He experimented, doesn't take as hot of showers anymore, and found his itching problem went away. I thought the whole thing a bit strange, but hey - it worked for him, and he no longer has a problem with the soap!

I'm not at all saying that's your problem ... but maybe it's possible for 'extra' heat to be the tipping point where someone might be on the edge of having a problem with it?
Edit to add: Whatever it was that he read said that hot showers are supposed to be bad because they're drying to the skin.

Obsidian - have you ever tried a formula similar to the salt bar but without the salt? Do you think the salt itself makes any difference?

 

[IrishLass]

Saponified coconut oil isn't necessarily 'drying' per se, but just very good at cleansing, which makes it perfect for those with oily-type skins.

I myself don't have an oily-type skin (it's normal to dry), but I can tolerate high amounts of saponified coconut oil and/or other of the high-cleansing oils as long as I compensate with a higher superfat. If I don't, then my skin feels like all the moisture has been sucked out of it after showering and starts screaming for the lotion.

For what its worth, I do just fine with the following high CO soaps:

-100% CO with a 20% S/F
-100% CO salt bar with 25% salt, 100% coconut milk as my liquid, and a 13% S/F
-70% CO/30% mango butter with a 15% superfat

Much depends on each individual's skin-type, and also whether or not they have an allergy or intolerance for saponified coconut oil. One size doesn't always fit all, which is why I love making my own soap and tailoring it to fit me (and also my family).


IrishLass

 

[Seawolfe]

I accidentally made an 80% CO, 80% salt soap with only 5% superfat soap, I thought it would be horribly drying, but it was actually a nice cleansing soap for grubby paws, and surprisingly non drying for me.

Edit to add: but strangely enough a 30% CO 5% SF soap is drying to me, and I like it better at 7-8% SF, so maybe the salt makes it ok.

 

[Obsidian]

Obsidian - have you ever tried a formula similar to the salt bar but without the salt? Do you think the salt itself makes any difference?

Actually, I haven't. I made my first 100% coconut oil without salt just a few days ago. I should make a batch with 80% coconut so I can compare it to my normal salt bars which I love.

 

[xraygrl]

xraygrl - one of my sons had a problem with itching after showering and he was saying it was the soap (yes, it was the coconut he was using at the time). The weird thing, though, was that it wasn't consistent. Sometimes it'd be worse than others (same soap). He did some research on his own and found that supposedly, hot showers can cause itching. He experimented, doesn't take as hot of showers anymore, and found his itching problem went away. I thought the whole thing a bit strange, but hey - it worked for him, and he no longer has a problem with the soap!

QUOTE]

Nope, we don't take hot showers, just warm. That was one of the first things I considered for me, but I knew my dd's weren't taking hot showers, just warm baths because they were still toddlers when I started making soap. It's the coconut.....probably the lauric acid in the coconut to be more specific. That's what gives coconut it's cleansing properties. I keep the coconut low=no itch. :smile:

 

[pamielynn]

Saponified coconut oil isn't necessarily 'drying' per se, but just very good at cleansing, which makes it perfect for those with oily-type skins.

IrishLass

That's what I was going to say. I don't find high CO "drying", I just feel it's very "cleansing" in the shower. Skin feels fine after, but while using, it's cleansing.

What's interesting in my own business is that my base of customers in the Northeast don't care for high CO soaps, but the base in Texas has no problem with them. (These are my two biggest concentrations of customers.)

Which proves again, that we can't please everyone and should stop trying, ha ha.

ETA: the hot shower thing: when a customer asks about dry skin, that's the first thing I tell them to stop doing, as supposedly using too much hot water for too long dries out the skin. Then I tell them to use my soap