Babassu oil

[Bubli]

Is it true this oil is not drying like coconut oil in cp soap, yet similar in character?And how much do you swap with coconut oil or can you replace all of co with babasdu oil and get equal quality soap with much less drying effects on skin? I Know it's pricier but my skin is so sensitive I would REALY pay an insane price if babassu is just as bubbly, hard (or harder) AND gentler on the skin.

 

[Obsidian]

I've never heard thats its less drying, it makes soap just as cleansing as coconut oil. It is a good sub for people who are sensitive or allergic to coconut. If your soap is too drying, you need a different recipe. How much coconut do you usually use?

 

[Meganmischke]

If anything babassu is more drying and harsh than coconut oil. Babassu has a lauric of 50 co is 48. Babassu myristic 20 co is 19. So it is really very close and can but used the same as co. Just make sure to run through lye calculator.

 

[Bubli]

I have gotten the coconut oil down to 19%. My skin is just so sensitive, it's crazy. I had to get off as much chemical laden crud as possible because of my skin issues. So would you say it's equally as harsh if you were to fully swap it out? All this stuff I read on the web is so gaga over how much better it is as a replacement. Ya know how the web is though....about 99% of it is BS, you guys are the other 1% no-nonsense.Thats why I ask you all first. " Ya tell it like it is "

 

[Bubli]

If anything babassu is more drying and harsh than coconut oil. Babassu has a lauric of 50 co is 48. Babassu myristic 20 co is 19. So it is really very close and can but used the same as co. Just make sure to run through lye calculator.

Thanks. Darn it. I'm glad I asked you all. I was about to unload my wallet on the notion of a good bubbly cleaning hard oil but not drying. Oh well. You guys just saved me some money. Thanks

 

[Meganmischke]

Yes for sure I find it more drying. You might be sensitive to co. For leave on lotions and such I agree with the hype babassu is better than co imo. I might suggest pko it gives some nice bubble. Also dont be scared to try less co. Some experimenting will probably be in order to find what is best for your skin.

 

[Bubli]

If anything babassu is more drying and harsh than coconut oil. Babassu has a lauric of 50 co is 48. Babassu myristic 20 co is 19. So it is really very close and can but used the same as co. Just make sure to run through lye calculator.

Thanks. I was hoping for the claims I have read to be true. Oh well. You guys saved me some money any way?

 

[Nevada]

Palm Kernel oil (not regular Palm oil) is reasonable substitute for Coconut.

As for Babassu I bet this would make a great Bar after a good long cure of more than a year.
Olive 80%
Babassu 20%
SF 10%

 

[LunaSkye]

Thanks. Darn it. I'm glad I asked you all. I was about to unload my wallet on the notion of a good bubbly cleaning hard oil but not drying. Oh well. You guys just saved me some money. Thanks

Why not try it out anyway? If you live in the US, you could order a small amount from WPS (a 2oz bottle). It may be more drying than CO, but that does not mean that it will have the exact same effect on your skin. Besides that, I have dry, somewhat-sensitive skin and I found that a soap made with babassu was still lovely for me.

 

[Bubli]

You're scary Lunaskye! I was just looking at a small bottle and debating. I actually said myself, "I'm going to try it anyway." I think I will and do like a tiny batch. It'll eat me alive with wonder if I never give it a go!

 

[new12soap]

I disagree, I find babassu absolutely decadent in soap. Yes, it is spendy, but I see a difference just replacing half of my CO with it. PKO is also wonderful.

If you are finding your soaps are too harsh or drying for your skin, you may want to post your recipe for some suggestions, but 9 times out of 10 I will say let it cure longer, a minimum of 8 weeks. The difference in mildness between 4, 6, and 8 weeks is noticeable to me.

 

[Bubli]

Thanks new12soaps, I am going to try it.

 

[Obsidian]

I've never used babassu but I much prefer palm kernel oil over coconut. I find it less harsh then CO even at 20% but for my dry skin 15% with a 8%SF is a nice soap.

 

[Bubli]

I will definitely try that too,thanks!so you can TOTALY sub pco for co?

 

[Lion Of Judah]

Bubli , you never said how much you SF your CO soap(s). i have couple recipes with Babassu instead of CO and a touch of PKO as well . i do not feel any dryness and really like it a lot . but to be fair i do SF at 7% [just my preference]

 

[Bubli]

I sf 5% if just using water and if I'm using coconut milk also then I do 3% sf. I tried 10% once and it stayed soft way too long, being impatient doesn't help either. If you like sharing....then I'm all eye and very appreciative in advance

 

[Obsidian]

Yeap, you can sub pko at 100% for coconut. I find a 5% SF way too low for people with dry skin, I use 8% unless I'm making a batch for myself, then I use 10%. A 10% SF shouldn't affect the hardness of your bars. You should try 10% SF again but discount you water by a couple ounces and add 1 tsp salt PPO to help with hardness.

 

[Bubli]

Hmm,interesting. I'm tell'n ya, you guys are better than books! I'll give it a another try. I didn't even concider the dryness being due to possibly not enough super fat. Thank you soooo much. And I did start using salt also, amazing how it really firmed up the soap.