I still don't understand Cococnut Oil

BlueSky · Nov 1, 2009

I use CO in my soaps and I love it. I also understand that it should be limited because it is drying to the skin.

However, if you make a 100% CO soap, and you SF @ 20%, supposedly the soap won't be drying. That doesn't make any sense to me...if CO dries your skin, and you are superfatting with CO, it will dry your skin.

Now I am reading that you can use CO in lotions. This also doesn't make any sense to me. Why would you make a lotion with an oil that dries your skin?

Confused.

Deda · Nov 1, 2009

Coconut oil is an oil. Oil won't dry your skin. Soap made with coconut oil and a low superfat can be drying to your skin. The high, 20% superfat, means that there is 20% unsapped oil in the soap.

IrishLass · Nov 1, 2009

Coconut oil is actually very moisturizing oil in its unsaponified form, but it's molecular structure is completely changed when it is saponified. Unlike coconut oil in its regular state, the saponified form of coconut oil, sodium cocoate, is a very different animal. Instead of remaining a wonderful moisturizer, it turns into a highly effective cleanser, hence the drying factor. When soaps made with CO are highly superfatted, though, it leaves a good enough portion of unsaponified CO in your soap to counteract the drying effects of the CO that has been saponified.

IrishLass