Coconut-free Soap

[PrairieLights]

A person has come to me for help in making coconut-free soap. She and 2 of her children are sensitive to coconut oil and gluten. I searched this forum and used the search engine - I know I have seen this topic before - but I cannot find any thread!

I've made 100% OO, 100% HO Sunflower......................... But I am interested in what others have tried, and like (or don't), singularly or in combination. I want to give her options, and thought this forum would have the quickest suggestions. Bleh. I must not be a master searcher...:???:

Thanks for pointing me in the right direction. (Because you all are awesome, so I know you will.)
:bunny:

 

[toxikon]

Babassu can easily be substituted for Coconut, they have very similar properties.

Assuming Babassu isn't an option, you can just use a higher percentage of your hard oil(s) of choice and perhaps add a bit of sugar to boost the bubbles.

Anywhere from 40-70% Palm/Tallow/Lard (or combination) and make up the rest in soft oils and 5% Castor. 1tbsp sugar PPO, dissolved in water prior to adding lye.

 

[PrairieLights]

Thank you, Toxicon. Babassu is an option, although I know money matters to her. I kind of gag at the thought of lard/tallow, so it doesn't enter my mind. I will let her know. I do love the sugar in my soaps! ;-)
Thanks again! Much appreciated!

 

[toxikon]

Thank you, Toxicon. Babassu is an option, although I know money matters to her. I kind of gag at the thought of lard/tallow, so it doesn't enter my mind. I will let her know. I do love the sugar in my soaps! ;-)
Thanks again! Much appreciated!

Lard and tallow make suuuuuch nice soap though! If you can ever get past the ick factor, I really really recommend giving them a try.

 

[bumbleklutz]

Palm kernel oil can be used in place of coconut, and it's much less expensive than babassu. Just make sure to run any formula you use through a lye calculator first as the SAP numbers for babassu or PKO are different from coconut. I agree with toxikon on adding sugar to boost the lather. Also the 5% castor oil that toxikon suggests will add stability to the lather.

 

[PrairieLights]

Hahahahaha! I KNEW there would be believers out there trying to convert my stomach! Where do I buy a small, affordable amount to try? Maybe I can talk my husband in to scooping (so I don't get dry heaves). Here in ranch country, that might be worth having tried.

We have vegans and vegetarians in the family, so it is easy to ignore the lard/tallow lovers out there, but my natural curiosity does make me wonder sometimes...
:dancingsanta:

 

[penelopejane]

A person has come to me for help in making coconut-free soap. She and 2 of her children are sensitive to coconut oil and gluten. I searched this forum and used the search engine - I know I have seen this topic before - but I cannot find any thread!
:bunny:

See this thread for Lindy's shampoo bar. Don't use it in your hair (hair has a different pH to skin) but it is great for a conditioning soap bar.

There is no need to use coconut or palm or lard in soap for a hard bar. It might need an 8 week cure time. You don't need sugar in this recipe either. I prefer 5% castor oil and substitute anything for the soybean oil.

http://www.soapmakingforum.com/showthread.php?t=30946

You can't beat 100% OO with a 1-2 year cure for a super mild hard bar of soap as long as you use real EVOO.

 

[shunt2011]

I agree with PJ. Lindy's shampoo bar makes an awesome body bar. Never used it for hair.

 

[Kittish]

Hahahahaha! I KNEW there would be believers out there trying to convert my stomach! Where do I buy a small, affordable amount to try? Maybe I can talk my husband in to scooping (so I don't get dry heaves). Here in ranch country, that might be worth having tried.

We have vegans and vegetarians in the family, so it is easy to ignore the lard/tallow lovers out there, but my natural curiosity does make me wonder sometimes...
:dancingsanta:

Your local grocery store should have 1 pound packages of lard pretty inexpensively. Tallow is a bit harder to find most places, but it's possible your grocer might carry that as well.

 

[earlene]

If you want to try lard (etc.) just to try it, then of course, go for it. But if it turns your stomach, you may not be able to get past it and for some people, with sensitive noses and stomachs, it's just may not be worth it. So keep in mind that if it's the odor that turns your stomach, you may not enjoy the experience of making soap with lard at all. I started using it in some soaps for some folks in my family and I was able to get beyond the ick factor enough to make it, but I don't really like it in soap I use, so it's still not something I go out of my way to find.

As far as where to buy it, not all grocery stores carry it. For some reason, none in my area carry it. Not even the local Walmarts. I have to go further away from home to even find it on the shelf in any grocery store. It sure seems odd, considering I live in a small rural town in the MidWest. One would think it would be a staple for cooking, but apparently it is not. But I can buy pomace OO in my town's grocery store, and that was a real surprise to me too!

Some Walmarts (not mine or any near me) carry a shortening that has tallow in it. I have never tried it in soap, but others here have done. So I have no experience with the ick factor or odor.

I suggest trying out some small batches (1 pound perhaps) of different recipes suggested above and have your friend try each of them when they are sufficiently cured and see how they work for her.

Here are some previous threads on the topic on 'recipes without CO' and you will see some recipes in the responses:

http://www.soapmakingforum.com/showthread.php?t=64622

http://www.soapmakingforum.com/showthread.php?t=63175

http://www.soapmakingforum.com/showthread.php?t=57490

http://www.soapmakingforum.com/showthread.php?t=61993

 

[dixiedragon]

I know some people have recommended babassu and palm kernel, but I've read that these are related to coconut (they're all palm trees) and so your friend may be sensitive to them as well, or develop a sensitivity.

My suggestion would be:
Castor 5%
Sunflower 10-15%
Olive 10-15%
Lard (remainder)

 

[MorpheusPA]

Or just keep it simple; 100% lard, or tallow, or palm. They're entirely capable of carrying a bar of soap all on their own, I've found (although my clear favorite is tallow in that sense).

Add a teaspoon of honey per pound of oils to boost the lather a bit, maybe substitute some of the oil for olive or something else if you want, use 5% castor...the possibilities from even pretty simple soaps are great!

My current favorite bar (shh, don't tell anybody!) is:

90% tallow
5% castor
5% coconut

You could easily use 95% tallow or 95% palm or 95% lard instead and just cut the coconut!

 

[PrairieLights]

I know some people have recommended babassu and palm kernel, but I've read that these are related to coconut (they're all palm trees) and so your friend may be sensitive to them as well, or develop a sensitivity.

My suggestion would be:
Castor 5%
Sunflower 10-15%
Olive 10-15%
Lard (remainder)

I have heard that somewhere as well. Unfortunately, she probably would not know if they were allergic until after they used it, and that would be an uncomfortable lesson. Thank you for this recipe. I think I will use this one first for her.):bunny:

 

[PrairieLights]

Thank you ALL for your replies! I so very much appreciate you all!!! <3

Guess what? I went for it. I found someone on Etsy who sells grass fed organic tallow and I got a pound to try! I will try hard to not envision what it is that I am actually using... and if it makes my stomach turn a bit, I will have my husband make the soap. He hunts. It won't bother him.

(I am not a vegan or vegetarian, but raw meat really grosses me out. Am I alone on that?) Now to see how I feel about the soap. Theoretically it is perfect in this rural farm and ranch area, and we are trying to allow the landscape to inspire us, so... here goes...

 

[toxikon]

Thank you ALL for your replies! I so very much appreciate you all!!! <3

Guess what? I went for it. I found someone on Etsy who sells grass fed organic tallow and I got a pound to try! I will try hard to not envision what it is that I am actually using... and if it makes my stomach turn a bit, I will have my husband make the soap. He hunts. It won't bother him.

(I am not a vegan or vegetarian, but raw meat really grosses me out. Am I alone on that?) Now to see how I feel about the soap. Theoretically it is perfect in this rural farm and ranch area, and we are trying to allow the landscape to inspire us, so... here goes...

I really really like tallow in my soap. I hope you like it too!

I find that compared to lard, it is very low-odor. I don't notice any beefy scent whatsoever (I ordered mine from Soapers Choice). It makes a nice long-lasting bar.

A simple recipe of 60% tallow, 35% olive/HO-sunflower/HO-safflower/avocado, 5% castor would be nice, methinks.

 

[MorpheusPA]

Tallow's awesome. I find that lard can smell a bit piggy, like a side of pork.

Tallow, to my nose, is scentless in terms of anything extra like that. It just has the kind of oily odor you'd expect from a fat. Even overheating a bit, tallow doesn't take on any obnoxious scents.

If you find you like it, Soaper's Choice has 7 pound jugs of tallow pretty cheap. Or your local grocery store might have rendered tallow for baking, as animal shortening (I use the Valu Time brand, 97% tallow, 3% partially hydrogenated soybean oil).

 

[PrairieLights]

Following up, in case someone else finds this funny like I do, and needs a giggle.

We got the tallow. It looked sort of like coconut oil, so my gag reflex didn't even stir. I almost told my husband he didn't need to make it - I would - but he was more excited than I was, so I took "soux chef" position. I opened it for him as he prepped the scale. Unfortunately, I am a very curious person. I had to sniff. *gag* Oh my gosh - it smelled like old beef fat someone left in the pan! Not strongly, but distinct! I gagged and quickly handed off the bag to my husband, who laughed at my reaction and subsequent pulling of my shirt over my nose. BUT... he is curious too. As he weighed the tallow into the pitcher, he took a whiff, ...and then promptly stepped back as far as his arms could reach while still weighing the tallow!!! He was still laughing at me, but now he was also laughing at how ridiculous we two meat-eaters must have looked. We could almost hear the vegans and vegetarians in our family lecturing us! My husband could not wait to start texting the family to tell them we just made cow fat soap and ask who wanted to try it once it was done curing. Hahaha! I don't think the vegetarian or vegan even responded, but he did get a few "ewwww... I will pass". I think 2 of ours sons are on board though. I won't try to explain much to our 4-year-old animal-loving granddaughter though. She might cry.
Liposuction. That's what I think I will use to explain it. We did a service to the fat cows and gave them liposuction. Yeah, that's it.

Husband's mother? Well you probably know us moms. She is first in line to try it. She said she will expect a cow soap 4 weeks from Christmas Eve!

Thank you for the encouragement, SMF friends. It is a fun and funny memory now. If we do like it, we will be making it again. I mean, HE will be making it again. And I will be passing a bar on for our coconut-free friend to try too. Happy Holidays, all, and a blessed 2018!
:happynewyear:

 

[Zany_in_CO]

Following up, in case someone else finds this funny like I do, and needs a giggle.

Oh, that's funny, Lisa! Thanks for sharing! Happy New Year and many blessings to you and yours too!