Coconut oil

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Sima

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Hey everyone, I have some expired coconut oils that I forgot about, I have 76, 92, and fractionated. Can I sub the last two with 76 for personal soapmaking?
Thanks.
 
When it comes to subbing, there are two things to consider - saponification value and oil profile.

If I recall, 76 and 92 are the same for both of these, but fractionated is different. It would not be a straight sub at all with the last one and you'll be best off looking at the recipe in a calculator again with the fractionated if you want to use it
 
When it comes to subbing, there are two things to consider - saponification value and oil profile.

If I recall, 76 and 92 are the same for both of these, but fractionated is different. It would not be a straight sub at all with the last one and you'll be best off looking at the recipe in a calculator again with the fractionated if you want to use it
You are right, I looked them up, I think I'll use the fractionated in the recipe with one of the other 2.
Thank you.
 
CO76 and CO92 are fully interchangeable. If you put fractionated coconut/MCT oil (the stuff that's always liquid) in a recipe but treat it as an unfractionated CO in the soap calculator, you will have a bit more of superfat (underestimated SAP).
Be aware though that it is not clear (at least to me) how fractionated CO behaves as a soap ingredient, i. e. behaves after saponification.

What is known to work well is using it as a post-cook superfat addition in hot-process soap (it also acts as a solvent/anchor for fragrances), or in any type of stay-on products.
 
I would add to trust your nose and eyes. If these oils don’t look or smell bad, they are probably fine. CO is incredibly shelf stable and rarely goes bad, in my experience. When I first started soaping, I used a years-old jar of CO76 to make my first batches. They were all fine. :)

FKO can be nice in leave-on products, too, where it is also very stable. It actually works better for my skin than CO76 or 92, both of which leave me feeling dry and greasy at the same time. I don’t use much at a time, so I usually have a bottle that is a few years old. Again, it has always been just fine, with no rancidity whatsoever. I do store mine inside a closed cabinet but it is not temperature-controlled. :)
 
I would add to trust your nose and eyes. If these oils don’t look or smell bad, they are probably fine. CO is incredibly shelf stable and rarely goes bad, in my experience. When I first started soaping, I used a years-old jar of CO76 to make my first batches. They were all fine. :)

FKO can be nice in leave-on products, too, where it is also very stable. It actually works better for my skin than CO76 or 92, both of which leave me feeling dry and greasy at the same time. I don’t use much at a time, so I usually have a bottle that is a few years old. Again, it has always been just fine, with no rancidity whatsoever. I do store mine inside a closed cabinet but it is not temperature-controlled. :)
I believe what you are saying is right, even though they are old and expired but have no smell.
Thank you for the reply.

CO76 and CO92 are fully interchangeable. If you put fractionated coconut/MCT oil (the stuff that's always liquid) in a recipe but treat it as an unfractionated CO in the soap calculator, you will have a bit more of superfat (underestimated SAP).
Be aware though that it is not clear (at least to me) how fractionated CO behaves as a soap ingredient, i. e. behaves after saponification.

What is known to work well is using it as a post-cook superfat addition in hot-process soap (it also acts as a solvent/anchor for fragrances), or in any type of stay-on products.
Thank you for the info!
 
Last edited:
What is known to work well is using it as a post-cook superfat addition in hot-process soap (it also acts as a solvent/anchor for fragrances), or in any type of stay-on products.
:thumbs: :thumbs:

I tried FCO -- Fractionated Coconut Oil (aka medium chain triglycerides, INCI: caprylic/capric triglycerides) at 5% at the end of cook and it indeed provides a lovely SF for HP soap. I've also used it as a "carrier oil" for EO/FO blends like Ginger Essence with Orange EO and Ginger FO that I made and sold for years. Lovely.

When I saw FCO when it was first added to SoapCalc I was shocked because it had a history of being one of those oils NOT recommended for soaping, even though, according to SoapCalc, it makes "hard" soap with good lather. I'm hear to tell ya, NOT SO.

I made a 100% batch for liquid laundry soap. I've never been as disappointed as I was with that batch. My thinking was, if nothing else, I could use it to wash clothes. The cleansing value and lather was minimal... even when I added it 50/50 to 100% CO 76 I had on hand. It is still sitting in the laundry room, catching dust. :mad:

On the other hand, FCO is one of my all time favorite oils for lotion and creams. It has a long (indefinite?) shelf life and feels similar to meadowfoam in terms of a silky feel. You can use just a little in a formula to feel a difference.

2¢ Worth.gif
WORTH. :)
 
:thumbs: :thumbs:

I tried FCO -- Fractionated Coconut Oil (aka medium-chain triglycerides, INCI: caprylic/capric triglycerides) at 5% at the end of cook and it indeed provides a lovely SF for HP soap. I've also used it as a "carrier oil" for EO/FO blends like Ginger Essence with Orange EO and Ginger FO that I made and sold for years. Lovely.

When I saw FCO when it was first added to SoapCalc I was shocked because it had a history of being one of those oils NOT recommended for soaping, even though, according to SoapCalc, it makes "hard" soap with good lather. I'm here to tell ya, NOT SO.

I made a 100% batch of liquid laundry soap. I've never been as disappointed as I was with that batch. My thinking was, if nothing else, I could use it to wash clothes. The cleansing value and lather were minimal... even when I added it 50/50 to 100% CO 76 I had on hand. It is still sitting in the laundry room, catching dust. :mad:

On the other hand, FCO is one of my all-time favorite oils for lotion and creams. It has a long (indefinite?) shelf life and feels similar to meadowfoam in terms of a silky feel. You can use just a little in a formula to feel a difference.

View attachment 64429WORTH. :)
I have several failing batches around, I'll be definitely using FCO to rebatch.
Your reply makes it very clear to me. Thank you for sharing!
 

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