Coconut Milk v Coconut Water

[MellonFriend]

I'm going to be making a coconut scented shaving bar (I just use a very bubbly recipe of mine, it's not a real shaving bar recipe) and I have it in mind to use some sort of coconut product as my liquid. I read that coconut milk gives some silkiness and extra fat plus a sugar boost, whereas the coconut water is sugary only. Does the water have better lather boost than the milk? Which do you prefer, coconut milk or coconut water for your liquid and why?

 

[MellonFriend]

Wow, I asked the one question no one seems to have an opinion on. Maybe there's no one out there who has used both? If you use just one of them, I'd be happy to hear your opinion even so.

 

[KiwiMoose]

I love my coconut milk soaps. I lower the superfat to 2% to counteract the extra fat from the milk. It's a lovely creamy lather.
ETA - I've never used coconut water

 

[dmcgee5034]

I used coconut milk once, instead of goat milk. I found it to be pretty similar to my goat milk soaps aka Really nice. I use a 3% SF like I go for GM soap.

 

[dibbles]

I've used coconut water. It was quite awhile ago, but IIRC it was similar to using aloe juice for a lather boost. I can't remember if it was a full water replacement or not. I agree with dmcgee5034 and KiwiMoose that using coconut milk is more like using goat milk.

 

[MellonFriend]

Thanks everyone for your responses so far.

I use goat milk in nearly all my soaps so I'm used to the qualities it adds. Sounds like I need to decide if I want to achieve similar qualities with the coconut milk or if I want to go out on more of a limb with the coconut water.

 

[dibbles]

@MellonFriend, you could probably use both

 

[KiwiMoose]

@MellonFriend, you could probably use both

Totally! Isn't it funny how we automatically go to 'one or the other'? Yes! Use both @MellonFriend !

 

[MellonFriend]

@MellonFriend, you could probably use both

Totally! Isn't it funny how we automatically go to 'one or the other'? Yes! Use both @MellonFriend !

I never even thought of that! I guess, I could! Especially since I'm thinking about doing a design which would require two separate batches. I could do coconut milk for the "meat" of the coconut and coconut water for the "shell".

 

[Shelley D]

I was actually wondering about this myself and how it would compliment coconut oil in soap, but I only use CO at 20% or less so it hasn't been high on my experimental list ~ but I have been curious and would love to hear about your experience

 

[TheGecko]

I'm going to be making a coconut scented shaving bar (I just use a very bubbly recipe of mine, it's not a real shaving bar recipe) and I have it in mind to use some sort of coconut product as my liquid. I read that coconut milk gives some silkiness and extra fat plus a sugar boost, whereas the coconut water is sugary only. Does the water have better lather boost than the milk? Which do you prefer, coconut milk or coconut water for your liquid and why?

I've made a 100% Coconut Soap: Coconut Oil, Coconut Milk, Coconut FO. Even with a 20% SuperFat, I found it a bit drying, but it was fun to make here and there, but not a huge seller.

Coconut Milk will be higher in fat, but not necessarily in sugar content unless you are using Coconut Water to make the Coconut Milk. My suggestions is simply to try both and see which one YOU like better.

 

[Savage Daughter]

I would use both. Coconut sugar is also very nice in soap - and food FYI

I personally prefer coconut milk soaps over goats milk soaps. I make both & funnily find goats milk to be very drying....exactly the opposite of what I have heard is other people's experience with goats milk. Even my unscented goats milk bars - which are already superfatted before using the goats milk - dry my hands out, which has never been an issue for me before, go figger I have never been a hand cream user, but after goats milk soap, my hands feel & look absolutely PARCHED. Even more so in the fall / winter.

I also prefer the lather from coconut milk soaps vs goats milk, hands down.

I don't decrease my 5% superfat when using goats or coconut milk in soap.