Maximum Coconut Oil Amount?

[Dean]

Hello,

I’m finding my 30% CO soap drying. What is the maximum percentage of CO that u found to be tolerable?

 

[The Efficacious Gentleman]

It can also depend on the other ingredients - tallow, for example, adds also to cleansing slightly.

But I go for about 15 to 20%. I don't use butters or other ingredients which can lower the lather, though

 

[DeeAnna]

I agree with Effy -- it's all about context. There's no correct answer to your question. A soap made with 30% coconut oil is probably going to be too drying for me too, but it might be fine for other people. The performance depends as much on the superfat and other ingredients as well as the % of coconut oil.

 

[dixiedragon]

My standard recipe has 20%. But I make a salt bar that is 95% coconut, 5% castor with a 20% superfat.

 

[Obsidian]

I like 15% in my standard bath soap

 

[penelopejane]

I can’t go over 10% without it drying my skin.

 

[earlene]

I agree with the above, and have been considering the 17% CO in the soap I have been using the last couple of days. My hands aren't liking it. I am not quite sure I used so much in that soap, but next time I make that formula I will be dropping the CO down more.

 

[DeeAnna]

I'd say most of my recipes are 10% to 15% coconut or other high lauric-myristic fat. But actually it's less about the % of coconut for me and more about the lauric + myristic acid content. Other fats like tallow also provide lauric and myristic acids, so I use a bit less coconut if I also use tallow, for example. It's more accurate to say I shoot for 10% to 15% combined lauric + myristic.

 

[Kamahido]

20% for me max.

 

[cmzaha]

I also go for the 10-15% lauric /myristic acids. I use a lot of tallow so I have to watch how much CO and PKO I use. I happen to like the combination of CO/PKO at 50/50

 

[BattleGnome]

In a general bar I use 10-15% but my salt bars are 100% with a very high SF. I’m thinking of adjusting my salt bars due to solubility issues but that has nothing to do with your question

 

[Dean]

I'd say most of my recipes are 10% to 15% coconut or other high lauric-myristic fat. But actually it's less about the % of coconut for me and more about the lauric + myristic acid content. Other fats like tallow also provide lauric and myristic acids, so I use a bit less coconut if I also use tallow, for example. It's more accurate to say I shoot for 10% to 15% combined lauric + myristic.

Good point on the acids. I go animal and palm free so my only source of cleansing acids is CO. Thx for bringing the dicussion bk to the all important chemistry.

 

[IrishLass]

So much depends on a person's skin-type, the other fats used in the soap formula, the overall superfat, and even the quality of ones bath water (i.e., soft or hard), etc...

My max is 100% CO with a 20% superfat. I call it my "Super-Sudsy" soap. It's a favorite amongst my family.

My salt bars contain 100% CO with a 13% superfat (I also use full-fat coconut milk as my liquid in this formula, which adds an extra cushion of fat, which pushes the overall superfat up to about 20% or so)

In my all-veggie soap formula, I use 28% coconut oil with a 6% superfat (19% total combined lauric/myristic).

In my tallow/lard formula I use 31.5% with an 8% superfat (21% total combined lauric/myristic).


IrishLass

 

[DeeAnna]

I was thinking specifically of you, Irish Lass, when I said it's all about context.

 

[cjisler]

I'd say most of my recipes are 10% to 15% coconut or other high lauric-myristic fat. But actually it's less about the % of coconut for me and more about the lauric + myristic acid content. Other fats like tallow also provide lauric and myristic acids, so I use a bit less coconut if I also use tallow, for example. It's more accurate to say I shoot for 10% to 15% combined lauric + myristic.

Yes. My dry, old-lady skin likes less than 12% lauric and myristic combo.
Carol

 

[Dean]

Yes. My dry, old-lady skin likes less than 12% lauric and myristic combo.
Carol

Good to know since I want to make soap thats suits most skin types.

 

[Lin19687]

Old hands too and I am usually dry anyway Plus I can't use lotion much

I did a high Lard 50% , PKO, palm and Castor and it is still drying. Young soap, but still. I wonder if a 50% OO and only 15% pko would help better.. Le Sigh

 

[shunt2011]

Old hands too and I am usually dry anyway Plus I can't use lotion much

I did a high Lard 50% , PKO, palm and Castor and it is still drying. Young soap, but still. I wonder if a 50% OO and only 15% pko would help better.. Le Sigh

I'm one who finds high OO soaps drying, making my skin feel tight. I never go abovt 15-20% OO in a recipe. I'm actually switching over to HO Sunflower and Rice Bran. Just finished up the end of my olive oil stash.

 

[jcandleattic]

I use 25% in my main recipe, but it's a balanced recipe and in a fully cured bar, most soapers I know, if I don't tell them how much CO is in the bar, are shocked when I tell them after they have used it.
As DeeAnna and IrishLass have pointed out, it's all in context and the oils used in combination of the whole recipe that determines the feel of the bar, IMO.

I'm one who finds high OO soaps drying, making my skin feel tight. I never go about 15-20% OO in a recipe. I actually switching over to HO Sunflower and Rice Bran. Just finished up the end of my olive oil stash.

If I use even just 10% OO in combination with a dropped 10% amount of Coconut Oil in my main recipe, my skin feels like I am using sand paper it's so stripping. The same recipe without OO but upping the CO the same amount and it's a nice conditioning bar.

 

[Dean]

I use 25% in my main recipe, but it's a balanced recipe and in a fully cured bar, most soapers I know, if I don't tell them how much CO is in the bar, are shocked when I tell them after they have used it.
As DeeAnna and IrishLass have pointed out, it's all in context and the oils used in combination of the whole recipe that determines the feel of the bar, IMO.


If I use even just 10% OO in combination with a dropped 10% amount of Coconut Oil in my main recipe, my skin feels like I am using sand paper it's so stripping. The same recipe without OO but upping the CO the same amount and it's a nice conditioning bar.

I wonder why. OO doesn't have any lauric or myristic.