Coconut Milk Mystery

[Chach]

Hello. Made a batch of soap w coconut milk about 6 months ago. Best soap I ever made. It featured coconut milk & shea butter. I used the recipe below, which offered no direx for adding the coconut milk except "When making soap with milk, mix it with the water and continue cold process naturally." Now, I do not recall HOW I added the milk to the batch when I made it (did not make notes... dumb move) but I do know I did NOT freeze or refrigerate any of the milk, as directed on some sites. I think I added the milk at trace? I don't think I added the milk to the water/lye step...or did I??? Given this recipe and given these recollections, how would you add the milk (no freezing)? I want to make this soap again in the same way... THANK YOU SOAPERS!

4.8 oz shea butter; 6.35 coconut oil; 12.7 olive oil; 3.175 oz Castor oil; 4.8 oz Palm; 3.42 oz coconut milk; 7.05 oz water; 4.34 oz lye.

 

[violets2217]

If you’re using part water/ part milk, you can stick blender the milk with the melted oils for a bit then add your lye water solution and blend gently. That’s what I do when I don’t use all milk for water replacement.

ETA: A Shea Butter and coconut milk was the first soap I made and is still my favorite!

 

[Chach]

Hi violets2217. Hey thank you for the input. Would you please clarify what you mean by "If you’re using part water/ part milk, "...Do you mean I should make the lye solution with water only (as traditional) then add the coconut milk to the melted oils, then add the lye solution as usual and go on from there?

 

[amd]

Your water amount is greater than the lye amount, so it would be safe to dissolve lye only in the water. Add the coconut milk to the fully melted oils (I blitz with the stickblender to give the milk a chance to mix thoroughly with the oils at this point, but it's not needed), then add your lye solution.

As long as your additional liquid (milk, beer, etc) is not needed to dissolve the lye, you can add it to your oils for any recipe. This is what violets2217 means by "part water/part milk". For example, my beer soaps use 450g lye so I dissolve my lye with 460g water and then add the remainder of my liquid as beer to the oils. If I wanted to use less water than lye, then I would need to add part of my beer to dissolve the lye. Lye needs a 1:1 ratio to dissolve completely. So if you are only using a liquid-other-than-water, you would need to use that to dissolve your lye.

 

[Chach]

O my gosh thank you so much for the help. This forum is amazing. Thank you.

 

[violets2217]

Lye needs a 1:1 ratio to dissolve completely. So if you are only using a liquid-other-than-water, you would need to use that to dissolve your lye.

I did not know this... Learned something new today!!!

Thank You @amd for clarifying... Water replacement always confused me...so never sure how to explain it myself. I usually just replace water with full amount- so if my recipe calls for 10oz water - I use 10 oz of a milk or aloe, tea etc.. and mix with lye. I think one time I didn't realize I didn't have enough coconut milk as I thought so I used what I had and the remainder water amount with distilled water to dissolve the lye. So for example if like above my recipe calls for 10 oz water & I have 4 oz coconut milk ( stick blended in oils first) then I'll mix lye with 6 oz distilled water.

 

[KiwiMoose]

I'll try to explain this as best I can...

I regularly make coconut milk soap, and what I do is calculate the coconut milk as being 'half fat and half water'. For example for 1000g oils I use 150g coconut milk. I calculate (ie guesstimate) that will be 75 g water and 75g fat. I therefore reduce the water amount in my lye solution by 75g to account for the water in the coconut milk ( if you do this make sure you have at least as much water as lye - preferable more. Lye needs at least the equivalent of water to dissolve.
I add the coconut milk to my oils.
Given that the soap will have an extra 75g of fat in it, I therefore decrease my superfat in the soap calculator from 5% to 3% to account for that.

These calculations are by no means scientific - just a layperson's reckonings.

 

[Kiti Williams]

I'll try to explain this as best I can...

I regularly make coconut milk soap, and what I do is calculate the coconut milk as being 'half fat and half water'. For example for 1000g oils I use 150g coconut milk. I calculate (ie guesstimate) that will be 75 g water and 75g fat. I therefore reduce the water amount in my lye solution by 75g to account for the water in the coconut milk ( if you do this make sure you have at least as much water as lye - preferable more. Lye needs at least the equivalent of water to dissolve.
I add the coconut milk to my oils.
Given that the soap will have an extra 75g of fat in it, I therefore decrease my superfat in the soap calculator from 5% to 3% to account for that.

These calculations are by no means scientific - just a layperson's reckonings.

OK, a question on this. You are saying that you add water and milk up to the amount needed to dissolve the lye, does using more water keep the soap from tracing as fast? I get super trace, almost SOS when I use certain FO. I am wondering if extra water would inhibit this.

 

[amd]

does using more water keep the soap from tracing as fast? I get super trace, almost SOS when I use certain FO. I am wondering if extra water would inhibit this.

It can help, but often times lye concentrations less than 30% (meaning more water) will cause the soap to warp as it cures/ages. Adding more water isn't necessarily the best action for using an accelerating FO. Some FO's may not be suitable for CP and cause instant acceleration, SOS, or seizing. If the FO is suitable for CP, then you may need to consider when you add the FO, if your batter is at trace or emulsion, or the design you intend to do with it. I have one FO that accelerates very quickly, so I emulsify the soap by hand only using the stickblender to blend in the colors and FO and pouring very quickly. ETA: there is a lye concentration limit as well, typically lower than 25% will affect how your soap setsup, even preventing it from setting up.

@KiwiMoose you may find this of interest from DeeAnna Nutrition labels | Soapy Stuff I've never worried it as I soap at 3%SF anyways, so I haven't done the calculations myself.

 

[bookworm]

Hi everyone,
what an informative question and answer this has been. Thank you so much for your input, I’ve learnt a lot. @Chach, you have my curiosity piqued, I definitely want to make this recipe. I’ve made only 5 batches so far and am just waiting to make another.
What essential oil or FO did you use?
Thank you all

 

[Kiti Williams]

It can help, but often times lye concentrations less than 30% (meaning more water) will cause the soap to warp as it cures/ages. Adding more water isn't necessarily the best action for using an accelerating FO. Some FO's may not be suitable for CP and cause instant acceleration, SOS, or seizing. If the FO is suitable for CP, then you may need to consider when you add the FO, if your batter is at trace or emulsion, or the design you intend to do with it. I have one FO that accelerates very quickly, so I emulsify the soap by hand only using the stickblender to blend in the colors and FO and pouring very quickly. ETA: there is a lye concentration limit as well, typically lower than 25% will affect how your soap setsup, even preventing it from setting up.

@KiwiMoose you may find this of interest from DeeAnna Nutrition labels | Soapy Stuff I've never worried it as I soap at 3%SF anyways, so I haven't done the calculations myself.

Thank you for you information!

 

[Babyshoes]

This sounds like a nice addition, I'm tempted to try it some time. Does the coconut milk add moisturising qualities to the soap? Is any of the coconut scent left?

 

[KiwiMoose]

This sounds like a nice addition, I'm tempted to try it some time. Does the coconut milk add moisturising qualities to the soap? Is any of the coconut scent left?

No and no
It increases your superfat somewhat, so there's that I guess. And the sugar in your coconut milk helps with bubbles.

 

[FeraPoint]

Wow, that's so strange

 

[Harikharek]

I just wanted to say since you didn't freeze or refrigerate the coconut milk, it's essential to keep the temperature of the lye/water mixture low to prevent the milk from scorching. Try adding the coconut milk at trace again, but if you're worried about the milk scorching, you could also try adding it to the water/lye mixture and stirring well to ensure it's fully incorporated. Also, use quality coconut milk from known brands like naturally food.
It's always a good idea to take notes when making soap so you can replicate successful batches.

 

[CreativeWeirdo]

I just wanted to say since you didn't freeze or refrigerate the coconut milk, it's essential to keep the temperature of the lye/water mixture low to prevent the milk from scorching.

Or you could use Coconut Milk Powder (Powdered Coconut Milk). Make a 50/50 lye-water solution and use the rest of the water measurement to rehydrate the Coconut Milk Powder and use it as a regular additive.