Coconut Milk Soap Disaster!

[Marie]

I've been a soap maker for 20 years and made my first batch of coconut milk soap today. I studied tutorials, videos and blogs prior to crafting my own. I was so excited and did all the right things. Right?! Apparently Wrong! When mixing the lye milk into oils, it all separated and more mixing didn't resolve a thing. Just wondering if any soapers out here in cyber world have experience similar, and what y'all discovered. I have no idea what I did wrong, as I've carefully gone over all the steps. I put the recipe through my lye calc and it is close to spot on. Wah!!

 

[DeeAnna]

It would be helpful if you shared your recipe and method, please. Otherwise, we're just going to be doing a lot of guessing, I'm afraid.

 

[IrishLass]

If you still have your separated batter sitting around, I would put that bad boy in a pot and HP it into submission!

Situations such as what you just experienced above is why I like to use the 'split-method' whenever making milk soaps. Less things to go wrong when lye is mixed with water instead of milk. In the split method, the lye is mixed with an equal amount of water in weight, then the remainder of your required water is added as fresh (not frozen) milk to your oils. That will make roughly a 25% to 30% milk soap, but you can make a 100% milk soap with the split method, too, by fortifying the fresh milk you are using with enough of its powdered form to make up for the difference (then add that to your melted oils/fats).


IrishLass

 

[Marie]

Thanks for responding, DeeAnna. Recipe:
thesprucecrafts.com/coconut-milk-soap-517169

I made the exact recipe.

Irish Lass, I'm going to go for plan B and will do a recipe similar to what you say in your post. I went ahead and put my disaster into a mold just to see what it will do. As I stated in my original post, I've been soaping for 20 years, and never made a CM soap, nor have I done HP. Well, some day, maybe. Thanks for the input.

 

[dixiedragon]

Any FO? If you added a coconut FO, that is probably your culprit vs the coconut milk. Also, can you tell us the type/brand of coconut milk?

 

[DeeAnna]

What Dixie said. There are many kinds of coconut milk, some with lots of sugar and water and others with a high % of fat. Also, what were your lye and oil temps? I know what the tutorial says about temps, but what were the actual temps? Even "warm to the touch" or something.

 

[Marie]

Dixie, milk brand is "A Taste of Thai"; Ingredients: coconut, water, guar gum. FO is "Crafter's Choice Coconut Orange Cardamon"; Additives: Kaolin Clay and TD. I did the recipe exactly like the internet recipe but with my additives. The recipe is made with no lye reduction because the coconut milk is the superfat. My temps were very cool at about 85 degrees.

Irish Lass, you state "fresh milk", can this apply to the canned coconut milk?
IrishLass [/QUOTE]

 

[shunt2011]

I use canned coconut milk all the time. I mix my lye with an equal amount of water and add the rest as coconut milk and blend that into the oils then add my cooled lye mixture. I only SF at 4% when using milk due to the fat in the milk.

 

[IrishLass]

Irish Lass, you state "fresh milk", can this apply to the canned coconut milk?
IrishLass

Sorry about that- by fresh, I meant fluid.


IrishLass

 

[dixiedragon]

Dixie, milk brand is "A Taste of Thai"; Ingredients: coconut, water, guar gum. FO is "Crafter's Choice Coconut Orange Cardamon"; Additives: Kaolin Clay and TD. I did the recipe exactly like the internet recipe but with my additives. The recipe is made with no lye reduction because the coconut milk is the superfat. My temps were very cool at about 85 degrees.

I've got that FO! I've never soaped it but I made some lotion with it and YUM. (smelling the jar right now.)

 

[penelopejane]

I've been a soap maker for 20 years and made my first batch of coconut milk soap today. I studied tutorials, videos and blogs prior to crafting my own. I was so excited and did all the right things. Right?! Apparently Wrong! When mixing the lye milk into oils, it all separated and more mixing didn't resolve a thing. Just wondering if any soapers out here in cyber world have experience similar, and what y'all discovered. I have no idea what I did wrong, as I've carefully gone over all the steps. I put the recipe through my lye calc and it is close to spot on. Wah!!

Use the split method as described by Irish lass in post 3.

You won’t look back. It is so easy when dealing with all milks.

 

[redhead1226]

If you still have your separated batter sitting around, I would put that bad boy in a pot and HP it into submission!

Situations such as what you just experienced above is why I like to use the 'split-method' whenever making milk soaps. Less things to go wrong when lye is mixed with water instead of milk. In the split method, the lye is mixed with an equal amount of water in weight, then the remainder of your required water is added as fresh (not frozen) milk to your oils. That will make roughly a 25% to 30% milk soap, but you can make a 100% milk soap with the split method, too, by fortifying the fresh milk you are using with enough of its powdered form to make up for the difference (then add that to your melted oils/fats).


IrishLass

I never thought of adding powdered to my fresh milk. Great idea! Thank you!

 

[cmzaha]

I also agree with the split method. You can also buy powdered milks including Coconut milk and SB then directly in the oils if you want more. I never mix milks with lye, for that matter the only thing I mix with lye is vinegar as water replacement

 

[Alzie]

For the split method using masterbatched lye solution, how would you calculate the amount of fluid milk to add? Could you replace the remaining water portion with milk and have good results?

 

[penelopejane]

For the split method using masterbatched lye solution, how would you calculate the amount of fluid milk to add? Could you replace the remaining water portion with milk and have good results?

That’s exactly how you do it.

Also. As well as that you can work out how much powdered milk to make the water in the lye masterbatch into full cream milk and add that amount of powdered milk to the real milk that you add to the oils.

So you end up with all milk theoretically.

 

[earlene]

Dixie, milk brand is "A Taste of Thai"; Ingredients: coconut, water, guar gum. FO is "Crafter's Choice Coconut Orange Cardamon"; Additives: Kaolin Clay and TD. I did the recipe exactly like the internet recipe but with my additives. The recipe is made with no lye reduction because the coconut milk is the superfat. My temps were very cool at about 85 degrees.

Have you ever soaped with this FO before? I am not at home, so cannot check my soaking notebook, but I used a 'something' and Cardamom a couple of years ago that smelled great but accelerated significantly. Have you checked the reviews about that Fo?

 

[Alzie]

That’s exactly how you do it.

Also. As well as that you can work out how much powdered milk to make the water in the lye masterbatch into full cream milk and add that amount of powdered milk to the real milk that you add to the oils.

So you end up with all milk theoretically.

Thank you, 'm have to try it this weekend!

 

[Marie]

DeeAnna and IrishLass, here's the update on my Coconut Milk disaster. I went ahead and poured my separated curdled SB and it saponified, looks great and has an unusual coloring on the outside of of soap (possibly due to reaction to silicon log mold). I still don't think I would use the recipe again. So, IrishLass, I found a "split method) recipe and it turned out beautiful. My FO definitely colored it brown, which sadly I didn't realize at the time that it would, so I will not repeat that mistake. Regardless, it looks shiny and beautiful, so this will probably be my go to coconut milk recipe. I'm going to try uploading photos for your viewing interest. Thank you all for your help and tips. Coconut Milk Bubblicious is the disaster soap and Coconut Milk Smoothie is the "split method".

Have you ever soaped with this FO before? I am not at home, so cannot check my soaking notebook, but I used a 'something' and Cardamom a couple of years ago that smelled great but accelerated significantly. Have you checked the reviews about that Fo?

Earlene, I've not used this FO before and checked reviews. All said it behaved well in CP soap. You can check out my post and phtos on the final results of this soap and my second batch using the "split method" recommended by several.

 

[redhead1226]

Earlene, I've not used this FO before and checked reviews. All said it behaved well in CP soap. You can check out my post and phtos on the final results of this soap and my second batch using the "split method" recommended by several.

Marie - I have always used the split method for milk soap as I find it easier and less problematic. I have never noticed a difference as to the quality. Your soap came out very nice and we have all fallen victim to the FO monster!

 

[Marie]

Have you ever soaped with this FO before? I am not at home, so cannot check my soaking notebook, but I used a 'something' and Cardamom a couple of years ago that smelled great but accelerated significantly. Have you checked the reviews about that Fo?

The Cardamom FO was not the culprit in my soap, and is a favorite of mine and my customers. It does not accelerate trace. I recommend it! http://www.wholesalesuppliesplus.com/products/Coconut-Orange-Cardamom-Fragrance-Oil.aspx