Gelling coconut milk soap?

[Caribbeaness]

I’ve recently made a batch of coconut milk shampoo bars using the coconut milk ice cubes to make a lye solution. I wasn’t aware that the gel phase would occur if I left it where the temp was high so it gelled when I didn’t want it to. What I want to know is, will the heat produced in the gel phase cause the coconut milk to become oil, what will happen to the lye if this occurs? What will happen to to this batch of soap? Should I remake?

 

[Anstarx]

Coconut milk won't just become oil if you heat it...if you cook it too long and too high it'd be scorched milk, but still milk.
Gelling happens often in soaping. I gel my soap sometimes on purpose to avoid soda ash. If there's no crack or volcano, it will just be a normal batch of soap, nothing wrong with it.

 

[Caribbeaness]

Well ig it would be like that if you buy the coconut milk...but my coconut was picked off a tree, grated, mixed with water and squeezed. In my country, coconut milk is boiled to make oil...the first time I tried adding lye to the milk without cooling it, it separated into what I assume was oil at the bottom and husk at the top

 

[atiz]

I usually gel my coconut milk soaps too; they would usually require the freezer otherwise.
It is true that coconut milk has fat in it. Unfortunately I only use the canned version, but always trying to look for the "low fat" option and lower my superfat for it. I don't know how much oil will your fresh coconut milk have, but I also don't think that would depend on whether you gel the soap or not. You probably just ended up with a bit higher superfat than planned.

 

[shunt2011]

I gel all my coconut milk soaps with no issue. Been doing it for years and years now. Most my soaps contain Coconut Milk.

 

[Caribbeaness]

I usually gel my coconut milk soaps too; they would usually require the freezer otherwise.
It is true that coconut milk has fat in it. Unfortunately I only use the canned version, but always trying to look for the "low fat" option and lower my superfat for it. I don't know how much oil will your fresh coconut milk have, but I also don't think that would depend on whether you gel the soap or not. You probably just ended up with a bit higher superfat than planned.

Aww I didn’t want the extra super fat lol. I wanted the milk thanks

I gel all my coconut milk soaps with no issue. Been doing it for years and years now. Most my soaps contain Coconut Milk.

Well ig it’ll be fine lol bc I was mad worried

 

[chayah]

I’ve recently made a batch of coconut milk shampoo bars using the coconut milk ice cubes to make a lye solution. I wasn’t aware that the gel phase would occur if I left it where the temp was high so it gelled when I didn’t want it to. What I want to know is, will the heat produced in the gel phase cause the coconut milk to become oil, what will happen to the lye if this occurs? What will happen to to this batch of soap? Should I remake?

Do you have a recipe for the shampoo bar?

 

[KiwiMoose]

@Caribbeaness - I wouldn't use your coconut milk to make the lye solution. Because of the fat in it, the lye will start acting on it straight away and your lye solution will start saponifying. That is the separation you mentioned - the saponified fat will sit on the top, and the water will sink to the bottom. It is better to add your coconut milk using the 'split method'.

 

[Caribbeaness]

@Caribbeaness - I wouldn't use your coconut milk to make the lye solution. Because of the fat in it, the lye will start acting on it straight away and your lye solution will start saponifying. That is the separation you mentioned - the saponified fat will sit on the top, and the water will sink to the bottom. It is better to add your coconut milk using the 'split method'.

Ohhhh ok, I put the frozen milk in an ice bath and slowly added the lye and I didn’t get the separation so

Do you have a recipe for the shampoo bar?

Well, yes, but it doesn’t include the coconut milk part. I just learned how to add lye to milk and I added milk to the recipe in the place of water

 

[Caribbeaness]

Here’s what they look like. They’re quite hard and doing the zap test, it felt fine. (Whack shapes because I used a milk box and cut them up with a knife )

 

[chayah]

Ohhhh ok, I put the frozen milk in an ice bath and slowly added the lye and I didn’t get the separation so


Well, yes, but it doesn’t include the coconut milk part. I just learned how to add lye to milk and I added milk to the recipe in the place of water

Okay, but do you have a recipe for a shampoo bar?

 

[Caribbeaness]

Okay, but do you have a recipe for a shampoo bar?

https://www.thesprucecrafts.com/how-to-make-shampoo-soap-bars-516604
To make a 2-lb batch:

• 6.9 ounces coconut oil
• 5.8 ounces olive oil
• 5.8 ounces castor oil
• 2.3 ounces palm oil
• 2.3 ounces canola oil
• 3.2 ounces sodium hydroxide
• 6.4 ounces water

That’s the one I made, but I substituted palm oil because we don’t have that in my country.

 

[Wooddy]

https://www.thesprucecrafts.com/how-to-make-shampoo-soap-bars-516604
To make a 2-lb batch:

• 6.9 ounces coconut oil
• 5.8 ounces olive oil
• 5.8 ounces castor oil
• 2.3 ounces palm oil
• 2.3 ounces canola oil
• 3.2 ounces sodium hydroxide
• 6.4 ounces water

That’s the one I made, but I substituted palm oil because we don’t have that in my country.

What did you substitute the palm oil for.

 

[Caribbeaness]

What did you substitute the palm oil for.

Crab wood oil