Made Lotion - Have Questions??

[dibbles]

Hiya Dixie, I agree, but I wanted a definitive answer -- I mean, why would a manufacturer called it "liquid coconut"??? Evidently, it's a recent phenomenon. Here's a link about "liquid coconut" showing up on health food shelves:
https://healthimpactnews.com/2013/i...liquid-in-your-refrigerator-real-coconut-oil/

Thanks for the link. It would appear that liquid coconut and fractionated coconut are the same. The controversy is in labeling it for cooking as 'liquid' coconut oil, since it is different from coconut oil in terms of cooking. I know a lot of people who wouldn't understand that liquid coconut oil and solid coconut oil are not the same. Especially when the ingredients list for both just say 'coconut oil'.

 

[DeeAnna]

Could it be that nasty word "fractionated?" Perhaps they wanted to find a name that was more "natural" than that?

 

[dibbles]

Could be. Probably because of the recent trendiness of coconut oil, and all of its uses, they want as little differentiation as possible. I want a product different from virgin coconut oil for my purposes. Most people want it for cooking, and looking at the ingredients could easily assume the liquid and solid coconut oil are the same thing.

 

[SudsandLather]

What about making lotion bar? It's more of a beeswax solid lotion that melts a little on your skin when you use it. This could be a good 'light' lotion that is also made without water so there is no worry about it going bad so quickly. It's pretty travel friendly too so can handle some travel as long as it's not left in a hot car.
Anyone have some fantastic lotion bar recipes they are willing to share?

 

[DeeAnna]

SaL -- The original topic here is to discuss how to formulate a light lotion, not about lotion bars. If you want to talk about lotion bar recipes, I'd suggest starting a fresh thread with your question and a good title -- I bet you'll get some excellent replies.

To be honest, I've not yet found a lotion bar that is as light and refreshing as a water-based lotion. I think both products have a role, but one isn't the equivalent of the other.

 

[Zany_in_CO]

Thanks for the link. It would appear that liquid coconut and fractionated coconut are the same. The controversy is in labeling it for cooking as 'liquid' coconut oil, since it is different from coconut oil in terms of cooking. I know a lot of people who wouldn't understand that liquid coconut oil and solid coconut oil are not the same. Especially when the ingredients list for both just say 'coconut oil'.

Exactly. I did another google and came up with this...

How do you fractionate coconut oil?
Fractionated coconut oil, also called “liquid coconut oil,” fit our requirements. Basically, it is a form of the oil that has had the long-chain fatty acids removed via hydrolysis and steam distillation. Just this one change makes the oil liquid at room temperature, and extends the product's shelf life.

How do you get liquid coconut oil?
Being a saturated fatty acid, and comprising about 50% of coconut oil, once it is removed you are left with a liquid oil with a much lower melting point. So if you see this product online or in a store, just be aware that it is a highly refined product, and that it is missing coconut oil's star component: lauric acid.

Somebody smarter than me, needs to explain the difference...

​

 

[DeeAnna]

They're the same thing, despite the different name and despite the bad science being presented.

Coconut oil is NOT fractionated by "....hydrolysis and steam distillation...." Someone is badly confusing the production of fatty acids with the fractionation of a triglyceride (a fat).

The way a triglyceride is fractionated (separated) is to simply cool the fat very slowly. Eventually the fat molecules that contain mostly longer chain fatty acids will freeze (turn into a solid form). The fat molecules with mostly shorter fatty acids will still be liquid. If you have ever melted a fat that is normally solid around room temp and left it on the counter to cool slowly, you'll see this process in action. When the fat reaches a low enough temperature, you will find particles of solid fat floating in a bath of liquid.

If you were cooling palm, tallow or lard and filtered out the solid particles ... voila ... you have what is sometimes called olein (the liquid fat molecules that contain mostly oleic acid) and stearin (solid fat molecules made mostly from palmitic and stearic acids).

Coconut oil doesn't have much oleic acid and stearic acid, so the names olein and stearin make no sense. The liquid portion of coconut oil is called fractionated coconut oil or medium-chain triglycerides (MCT). MCT is fat molecules that contain mostly capric and caprylic acids. I'm not sure what the solid part of the coconut oil is called -- this portion contains fat molecules that are mostly myristic and lauric acids.