Got Coconut Milk...now what?

[rubyslippers]

My new lab colors came today so I ran out to Wally world & picked up a can of coconut milk. Got my distilled water & coconut milk chilling...tomorrow will be a soaping day. My question: how do I use the coconut milk? Do I add it to the water before adding lye or after?

 

[wookie130]

When I do milk soaps, I always do 1/2 of the liquid being milk, and the other 1/2 distilled water. I combine the correct amount in oz. in a heavy-duty ziplock freezer bag, and freeze them together. Then, when it's time to soap, I slam the bag on my counter, or on the floor to chunk it up, and then throw the frozen chunks to my pitcher. SLOOOWWWLY, I begin adding my measured lye to the frozen chunkies in the pitcher, stirring, stirring, coughing and gagging, until the lye is dissolved, and everything has liquified. Most of the time, my lye pitcher is already sitting in an ice bath in the kitchen sink to further the cooling.

Hope this helps, and good luck!!!!!!

I'm sure you'll love the Labcolors...I have half a mind to order myself some today.

 

[rubyslippers]

Thanks wookie130 - I'm going to put my liquids in a baggie & freeze them now.

 

[wookie130]

Make sure they're measured out first to meet your recipe requirements!

Good luck!

 

[rubyslippers]

Just read the ingredients on my can of coconut milk and it lists guar gum. Is this okay to use?

 

[Dixie]

You can also use it to SF with. I add 2 - 4 oz at trace (depending on batch size)

 

[honor435]

i added at trace also, it is curing, cant wait to use it!

 

[kittywings]

I add 1/2 the amount of liquid (just water) to make the lye solution and then the other half (milk) at trace. The water is usually room temp because I 1st add sugar (dissolve) and silk and then the lye. The heat of the lye (or so I've been told, maybe it's just the caustic-ness [can't think of the correct word]) helps dissolve the silk, after everything is dissolved then I put it in the freezer for a bit. Coconut milk seems to be a bit more able to hold up to the heat as opposed to the goat milk which just LOVES to discolor.

I'm currently in a debate over whether I like coconut milk or goat milk better (for what they add).