100% Coconut 20% SF Soap

[Ganiggle]

Thanks carebear! I'm totally going to try it! I just looove shea butter. I want to add it to all my soaps lol

 

[Bunny]

krissy, Walmart has LouAna coconut oil (I think it's about a 32oz container, or a tad less) and it's not expensive at all.... less than $3 last time I checked. It's refined coconut oil, just like the stuff that everyone else sells for soaping. I use it when I run out of my PKO.

 

[Bunny]

Speaking of PKO, you know, I'm gonna have to try an all PKO soap one day. Just a small batch, to see what it's like. Anyone done an all PKO soap yet? Didja like it??

 

[bombus]

how much do y'all pay for coconut oil? i have been buying at the store and it is expensive here. i just paid $8 for 14 oz. because i was desperate to make soap i am venturing into other oils so that i don't have to use all of my coconut oil in one batch.

I get a 50# drum for $110.00 at a restaurant supply house. It can be had cheaper,
but not without paying shipping. It is a good size. I can muscle it around in the
garage myself.

 

[jarvan]

Carebear, I ran the numbers through SC and when I did it at the standard default 5% superfat, it said for one pound to use 6.08 water and 2.534 Lye. I calculated it using 70% CO, 20% Shea, 10% Grapeseed. Default 38% water as percent of oils.Making just a one pound test.

Where I am confused is that you said:

jarvan, soapcalc doesn't take into account the superfat - its calculations are actually based on a ZERO percent superfat. so be brave and give it a try!!

When placed a 20% superfat into the little box where the 5% was, it changed my lye amount and said to use 2.134. I believe it does factor in a lye discount. Am I crazy? I seriously could be.

Well, I am going to make this batch as it's small and a tester and if indeed I am crazy and it didn't calculate like I thought, then I have a laundry soap!

 

[ChrissyB]

Jarvan, I think what Carebear is saying is that soapcalc doesn't take into account the superfat with the numbers it gives you for hardness/cleaning/conditioning. It does give you the right amounts for you lye though, if you change the superfat it will give you more or less lye depending on the numbers.

 

[Ganiggle]

Carebear, I ran the numbers through SC and when I did it at the standard default 5% superfat, it said for one pound to use 6.08 water and 2.534 Lye. I calculated it using 70% CO, 20% Shea, 10% Grapeseed. Default 38% water as percent of oils.Making just a one pound test.

Where I am confused is that you said:

jarvan, soapcalc doesn't take into account the superfat - its calculations are actually based on a ZERO percent superfat. so be brave and give it a try!!

When placed a 20% superfat into the little box where the 5% was, it changed my lye amount and said to use 2.134. I believe it does factor in a lye discount. Am I crazy? I seriously could be.

Well, I am going to make this batch as it's small and a tester and if indeed I am crazy and it didn't calculate like I thought, then I have a laundry soap!

I think what carebear meant was that it doesn't factor the superfat into the attributes of the end bar like hardness, creaminess, etc. It does discount the lye for you and tells you how much to use though, it just doesn't show how the SF will affect how the bar of soap turns out.

 

[zeoplum]

Speaking of PKO, you know, I'm gonna have to try an all PKO soap one day. Just a small batch, to see what it's like. Anyone done an all PKO soap yet? Didja like it??

Hi Bunny,

Check out the test results for the all PKO soap on this link:
http://www.zensoaps.com/singleoil.htm

I made a Bastile soap with 80% Olive and 17% PKO and 3% Castor and it came out perfect! It's probably my favorite bar out of everything I've made so far.

zeo

 

[jarvan]

Carebear, I misunderstood what you meant. Excited to make this wee batch in the a.m.

 

[carebear]

you folks were right - I meant that soapcalc won't take SF into account for soap qualities.

for those who calculate water based on amount of oils then you will see a difference in the water amount (I don't - I use lye concentration) - but for the cleansing, etc - no difference.

There IS a calculator that does take this into account, but even that one doesn't seem to have it nailed - I'd love to send her some soaps showing her that, but she's in Spain and I'm too cheap LOL! (she is a doll, by the way).

 

[jarvan]

Made my batch of 70% CO. I should have known that since everything came together to do it this morning, something might go wrong. I had my ITP swirl on and right after I poured it into the tester mould....instant leakage all over the stove! I no longer would have an ITP swirl because I had to now quickly reach for a plastic container from the cupboard near me, quickly pour it into there and the color is all glopped. Not to mention the fact that I had no plastic containers the depth or size of the mold, so now I will have shallow bars that look FUGLY! I will post a pic when done, but this is NOT how I wanted my little batch to go.

Oh, and for the record...I hate Oxides and Ultramarine powders.
Two things just joined the shopping list: a new tester mould and labcolors

Thank gosh Bon Jovi will pull me up from my soap funk tonight. :wink:

 

[carebear]

jarvan, try to make sure the soap gels. You might need to add heat (heading pad, perhaps) or you can get crumbly soap and ash (or you might not!)

 

[jarvan]

I currently have it wrapped in a bath towel. It is two layers thick. Do you think I need to put a heating pad under it in addition to the towel?

 

[gekko62]

Made my batch of 70% CO. I should have known that since everything came together to do it this morning, something might go wrong. I had my ITP swirl on and right after I poured it into the tester mould....instant leakage all over the stove! I no longer would have an ITP swirl because I had to now quickly reach for a plastic container from the cupboard near me, quickly pour it into there and the color is all glopped. Not to mention the fact that I had no plastic containers the depth or size of the mold, so now I will have shallow bars that look FUGLY! I will post a pic when done, but this is NOT how I wanted my little batch to go.

Oh, and for the record...I hate Oxides and Ultramarine powders.
Two things just joined the shopping list: a new tester mould and labcolors

Thank gosh Bon Jovi will pull me up from my soap funk tonight. :wink:

Hey Jarvan sorry to hear about your soap fiasco..Have fun at bonjovi

On the UM/oxide thing,I saw a great idea for pre-mixing. Into a small squirty-top bottle:2parts pigment/3parts glycerin/1/4part H2O...shake B4 use,store in fridge...

 

[gekko62]

I just soaped 80% CO/20% CB....from adding lye to putting to bed was 8 minutes!!!
that stuff sure can move! :shock:

 

[Guest]

If you want to add heat and have to go out or to bed etc, I have used a "magic bag" those back and neck pain bags that you heat in the microwave. Mine is as long as my 5 lb mold and wider , it works like a charm and saves electricity.

Kitn

 

[oldragbagger]

I think that zensoaps article will serve as an excellent reference when selecting oils based on stability. I am putting it in my favorite places. Thanks for sharing it.

 

[jarvan]

Thanks for the tip on the microwaveable bags. I have heating pad that I placed on low, went to take a nap and the dang thing has auto-shutoff that I can't shut off! I need something better than that. I didn't want to peek to see if it's gelling yet because the container is so thin, I don't want to leave any heat get loose.

 

[zeoplum]

I think that zensoaps article will serve as an excellent reference when selecting oils based on stability. I am putting it in my favorite places. Thanks for sharing it.

You're welcome and I agree! I'm still formulating my base recipe and I don't have any DOS prone oils in there so far. I chose PKO based on that article.

zeo

 

[Jamn!]

The health food store here has unrefined virgin coconut oil that smells so nice! Does this keep its scent?
Also the coconut oil I bought from a soap supplier had almost no scent. What is the difference between these two oils?