100% coconut oil soap

[Soapstars]

Hiya Soapers,

I usually make soap with 4 oils, 40% olive, 25% shea butter, 25% coconut and 10% castor oil. That is my standard recipe and it works well with fragrances or EO's.

However, I prefer 100% coconut oil soap (superfatted) with half coconut and half water in the recipe. I find this is the best lather and the creamiest soap. Nice hard bar too, but I don't usually add any fragrance or EO to it at all.

Can anyone advise me if it is good to add fragrances or EO's to 100% coconut oil soap as I can't see that others do this?

Thank you for your help.

 

[Cellador]

I've made a 100% coconut oil soap, with fragrance. It is not a soap that my skin tolerates well, so I doubt I'll make it again.
In any case, maybe some people prefer an unscented 100% CO bar due to allergies or sensitivities to other ingredients.
I think it's just a matter of preference.

 

[Soapstars]

I've made a 100% coconut oil soap, with fragrance. It is not a soap that my skin tolerates well, so I doubt I'll make it again.
In any case, maybe some people prefer an unscented 100% CO bar due to allergies or sensitivities to other ingredients.
I think it's just a matter of preference.

Thanks for your reply. Why do you think your skin does not tolerate 100% coconut oil soap well? Have you tried it with 30% superfat?

 

[MorpheusPA]

I find it incredibly drying even with high super fat, so I might personally be a little sensitive to coconut. However, I'm fine with it in a standard recipe at 10-20%.

Regardless, you can certainly add scent if you want to! As Cellador noted, some might be sensitive to it, but some people will be sensitive to anything. If it's just for you and you're OK with the scent, then by all means, go for it.

 

[shunt2011]

I have made and used 100% CO with 20% SF. Not a favorite at all. Also dissolves quicker. But, I love a salt bar, I don’t use 100 co though and SF 15-20%. I use FO with no issue. Also, the only allergy I’ve had in my years of selling is a coconut. Alt least that I’m aware of.

 

[Soapstars]

I find it incredibly drying even with high super fat, so I might personally be a little sensitive to coconut. However, I'm fine with it in a standard recipe at 10-20%.

Regardless, you can certainly add scent if you want to! As Cellador noted, some might be sensitive to it, but some people will be sensitive to anything. If it's just for you and you're OK with the scent, then by all means, go for it.

I am trying to develop my range of soaps for sale. I have a range of olive oil based soaps already and they are fine. But just to offer something different I want to offer coconut oil/milk soap too. Just looking for ideas really.

Thanks for help.

 

[Cellador]

Thanks for your reply. Why do you think your skin does not tolerate 100% coconut oil soap well? Have you tried it with 30% superfat?

I can tolerate higher amounts of CO, like a salt bar. But, for some reason, 100% CO bars (even with a high SF) sting body parts with more delicate skin (like armpits & face). I have no explanation for it- I don't find it drying but it definitely stings.

 

[lenarenee]

Even with a highly superfatted 100% co bar, your skin's natural oils still get stripped by the saponified co. The unsaponified oil then "replaces" your natural oils.

The skin's acid mantle is made of sweat and sebum. The pH is about 5 - hence the "acid" part of the name. It's part of the immune function as bacteria get used to the acidity of the skin, and should they get through it to the blood stream they'll have a higher alkalinity to deal with and usually are killed.

It's one of the reasons I don't use a salt bar very often. It's just my somewhat educated opinion that messing with the skin's mantle is not a good thing, so my daily soap is a 15% co, with a 3 - 5% sf.

Even too much exfoliation is a bad thing as it disturbs the stratum corneum layer (keratinized, mostly dead skin cells) which protect us from outside invasion.

 

[Obsidian]

I really like 100% coconut with 20% SF and yes, I do scent mine with FO. Really no reason not to scent it, its just like any other soap.

 

[IrishLass]

As with Obsidian, I also like 100% CO soap with a 20% superfat, and I always scent it with FOs. Although the soap does not last as long in the shower as my other formulas, it's still a favorite in my household and also amongst my family and friends.


IrishLass

 

[Soapstars]

Thanks everyone for your opinions. I will steam ahead with some lovely fragranced coconut oil soap, with plenty of coconut milk. I just love it! I find its creamier and a better lather than my olive oil base soap recipe.

 

[penelopejane]

I really like 100% coconut with 20% SF and yes, I do scent mine with FO. Really no reason not to scent it, its just like any other soap.

What scents do you find stick in salt bars?
And at what rate do you use them?

 

[Soapstars]

Well I have never actually made one. For essential oils I find that rosemary, lavender and lemongrass stick ok in cold process soaps though.

 

[Obsidian]

Well, for salt bars I actually have trouble getting scent to stick since I cure them for 6-12 months. Cucumber wasabi cilantro from NG is a good sticker, so is DB I get at a local shop. I found a really old bar scented with china rian that still smells but I don't remember where I got it. I was using .50 oz PPO but have been using 1 oz PPO lately.

For my 100% coconut without salt, I find any FO that is a good sticker, works for them.

 

[Seawolfe]

I scent my 80% CO salt bars with a minty herbaceous mix of EOs at about 1.1% and Im using up bars over a year old that are still well scented.

 

[dixiedragon]

I make a salt bar that is 95% coconut, 5% castor and 20% superfat. Because coconut has a low melt temp (72F) I soap this very cool - at about 80 or so degrees. My lye is room temp when I add it. After I add my lye water, salt and fragrance, I put the pot back on the stove on low heat and stick blend to bring it to trace.

 

[Adi5]

I have prepared 100% coconut oil with rosemary oil. The soap is awesome. I too am partial to 100% coconut oil soap. The soap lathers a lot and cleans well. However, even after superfatting it does dry the skin. I added 2 ml of rosemary oil to about 400 grams of soap and the soap smells mild but very good.

 

[Soapstars]

I have prepared 100% coconut oil with rosemary oil. The soap is awesome. I too am partial to 100% coconut oil soap. The soap lathers a lot and cleans well. However, even after superfatting it does dry the skin. I added 2 ml of rosemary oil to about 400 grams of soap and the soap smells mild but very good.

Thanks for that, it does sound good and I will try that next.

 

[Dahila]

Even with a highly superfatted 100% co bar, your skin's natural oils still get stripped by the saponified co. The unsaponified oil then "replaces" your natural oils.

The skin's acid mantle is made of sweat and sebum. The pH is about 5 - hence the "acid" part of the name. It's part of the immune function as bacteria get used to the acidity of the skin, and should they get through it to the blood stream they'll have a higher alkalinity to deal with and usually are killed.

It's one of the reasons I don't use a salt bar very often. It's just my somewhat educated opinion that messing with the skin's mantle is not a good thing, so my daily soap is a 15% co, with a 3 - 5% sf.

Even too much exfoliation is a bad thing as it disturbs the stratum corneum layer (keratinized, mostly dead skin cells) which protect us from outside invasion.

thank you for this post

 

[penelopejane]

Even with a highly superfatted 100% co bar, your skin's natural oils still get stripped by the saponified co. The unsaponified oil then "replaces" your natural oils.

The skin's acid mantle is made of sweat and sebum. The pH is about 5 - hence the "acid" part of the name. It's part of the immune function as bacteria get used to the acidity of the skin, and should they get through it to the blood stream they'll have a higher alkalinity to deal with and usually are killed.

It's one of the reasons I don't use a salt bar very often. It's just my somewhat educated opinion that messing with the skin's mantle is not a good thing, so my daily soap is a 15% co, with a 3 - 5% sf.

Even too much exfoliation is a bad thing as it disturbs the stratum corneum layer (keratinized, mostly dead skin cells) which protect us from outside invasion.

lenarenee,
What you are saying here is that the high CO soaps are stripping for the skin's mantle not the high salt bars. Is that right?

You can make a salt bar with no CO. That wouldn't necessarily be stripping for the skin would it?