My coconut oil is melting in the heat!

[Wendy90292]

Hi friends!

This may or may not be a problem. My soapmaking workshop moved from my basement in Illinois to a cupboard in my new garage in California. I always had fairly dense coconut oil that required some time to melt with the harder butters, etc. that any recipe called for. Now, all my remaining coconut oil is always in a liquid state. Will that damage my cold process in any way? I mean, I still mix at 115-125 degrees anyway, but I wonder if it will go bad or whatever? When I first started soaping in 2018, a local store had these half gallon jars of pure, food grade coconut oil for just $12, so I bought eight. I've still got 2.5 jars left and I guess I could rush to use them up, but I'd rather just take my time. Will that cause my soap to be rancid or anything like that?

Thanks in advance. I love this forum!

 

[MelissaG]

I opened my palm oil today and the whole 8 lb bucket was liquid. I know the feeling.

 

[KiwiMoose]

Coconut oil is always liquid in summer temperatures, yet pretty gosh-darned hard in winter. It's absolutely not a problem. You also have the advantage of CO having a very long shelf life, so it is unlikely to go rancid. Do they have an expiry date on the jars? You can probably add a year or two to that and they will still be fine. If in doubt of shelf life, you might need to start making lots more soap, and you'll certainly get lots of encouragement around here to do just that!

 

[Zing]

I love summer when my coconut oil is liquid! It won't be a problem. I also buy in bulk and keep my overstock in the fridge. I have a basement soap shop with our old fridge.

 

[Wendy90292]

Coconut oil is always liquid in summer temperatures, yet pretty gosh-darned hard in winter. It's absolutely not a problem. You also have the advantage of CO having a very long shelf life, so it is unlikely to go rancid. Do they have an expiry date on the jars? You can probably add a year or two to that and they will still be fine. If in doubt of shelf life, you might need to start making lots more soap, and you'll certainly get lots of encouragement around here to do just that!

Hahaha! Yes, I would. I threw away a very expensive small jar I use in the kitchen last week, for the same reason. And then I thought, "I wonder if the ones in the garage..." and now I wish I hadn't thrown away the one in the kitchen!

I opened my palm oil today and the whole 8 lb bucket was liquid. I know the feeling.

Melissa, the girl from Brambleberry said to use Babassu in lieu of Palm Oil (which is allegedly damaging the food supply of the orangutans in some sad third world country*). I made my first batch with it in lieu of palm and I didn't know if it was that or the melted coconut oil, because it's a familiar recipe, but the soap is actually literally brittle. I hope it cures and is usable! Have you heard this thing too about the monkeys?

*NOT trying to be an elitist. It's past my bedtime and I'm too tired to look up where palm oil comes from!

 

[KiwiMoose]

Borneo - Malaysia

I'm surprised she said to use Babassu in lieu of Palm -it is high in auric is and more often used as a sub for coconut oil. You'll have some hard soap but very bubbly and not very long lasting.

 

[The Efficacious Gentleman]

My CO comes wrapped in 250g blocks like butter does, so when a load melted this summer it made a bit of a mess!

 

[maryloucb]

Melissa, the girl from Brambleberry said to use Babassu in lieu of Palm Oil (which is allegedly damaging the food supply of the orangutans in some sad third world country*). I made my first batch with it in lieu of palm and I didn't know if it was that or the melted coconut oil, because it's a familiar recipe, but the soap is actually literally brittle. I hope it cures and is usable! Have you heard this thing too about the monkeys?

*NOT trying to be an elitist. It's past my bedtime and I'm too tired to look up where palm oil comes from!

There are many places that are producing sustainable palm oil, but unfortunately in many places they are cutting down rainforests to create palm plantations in order to supply the growing demand for palm oil which is used in soaps, cosmetics, food and other products.

From the World Wildlife Fund:
"Grown only in the tropics, the oil palm tree produces high-quality oil used primarily for cooking in developing countries. It is also used in food products, detergents, cosmetics and, to a small extent, biofuel. Palm oil is a small ingredient in the U.S. diet, but more than half of all packaged products Americans consume contain palm oil—it’s found in lipstick, soaps, detergents and even ice cream.
Palm oil is a very productive crop. It offers a far greater yield at a lower cost of production than other vegetable oils. Global production of and demand for palm oil is increasing rapidly. Plantations are spreading across Asia, Africa and Latin America. But such expansion comes at the expense of tropical forests—which form critical habitats for many endangered species and a lifeline for some human communities.
WWF envisions a global marketplace based on socially acceptable and environment-friendly production and sourcing of palm oil. We aim to encourage increased demand for, and use of, goods produced using such practices."

Orangutans are critically endangered and live in Borneo and Sumatra. Their survival is threatened because of poaching, the illegal wildlife trade and habitat loss (due to deforestation partly caused by oil palm plantations.)

I use a combination of cocoa butter and shea butter instead of palm oil, but there are sustainable suppliers. Baraka is a good one.

 

[cmzaha]

Melissa, the girl from Brambleberry said to use Babassu in lieu of Palm Oil (which is allegedly damaging the food supply of the orangutans in some sad third world country*). I made my first batch with it in lieu of palm and I didn't know if it was that or the melted coconut oil, because it's a familiar recipe, but the soap is actually literally brittle. I hope it cures and is usable! Have you heard this thing too about the monkeys?

*NOT trying to be an elitist. It's past my bedtime and I'm too tired to look up where palm oil comes from!

Babassu is not a replacement for Palm, it is an expensive replacement for CO. Your melted CO will last just as long as when it solidifies in the winter months. I always hated it when my 35lb buckets of CO melted in the summer, it was a mess to scoop out.

What many folks do not realize is the US is still one of the lowest uses of Palm Oil, some of the highest users are the countries that produce it and it is their main income/industry. We are simply not going to control the production, people come first. Sorry, not trying to start a big discussion here.

 

[MelissaG]

Melissa, the girl from Brambleberry said to use Babassu in lieu of Palm Oil (which is allegedly damaging the food supply of the orangutans in some sad third world country*). I made my first batch with it in lieu of palm and I didn't know if it was that or the melted coconut oil, because it's a familiar recipe, but the soap is actually literally brittle. I hope it cures and is usable! Have you heard this thing too about the monkeys?

*NOT trying to be an elitist. It's past my bedtime and I'm too tired to look up where palm oil comes from!

Babassu is very expensive. I use RSPO Palm. I have considered moving to lard but at the moment my soaps are vegan and I'm not sure if my customers would mind.

To tell you the truth, I've become overwhelmed with the "we must worry about everything" thing. The last 6 years has burned me out on it. At one point I even entered a deep depression that lasted two years. I'm now on anxiety and antidepression medication. I'm concerned with so much more than just apes in a foreign country.

I simply can't do it all and my brain needs a break. Honestly, emotionally, it's just too much. Something has to give. I try to be as good as I can but I have had to accept that I have to let some things go.

 

[Wendy90292]

Borneo - Malaysia

I'm surprised she said to use Babassu in lieu of Palm -it is high in auric is and more often used as a sub for coconut oil. You'll have some hard soap but very bubbly and not very long lasting.

Uh oh. I may have made a big mistake! I only remembered it was "the same SAP value" but it IS possible she said coconut oil, which I have in abundance.

Babassu is very expensive. I use RSPO Palm. I have considered moving to lard but at the moment my soaps are vegan and I'm not sure if my customers would mind.

To tell you the truth, I've become overwhelmed with the "we must worry about everything" thing. The last 6 years has burned me out on it. At one point I even entered a deep depression that lasted two years. I'm now on anxiety and antidepression medication. I'm concerned with so much more than just apes in a foreign country.

I simply can't do it all and my brain needs a break. Honestly, emotionally, it's just too much. Something has to give. I try to be as good as I can but I have had to accept that I have to let some things go.

Melissa, I represent authors and speakers and we had this conversation TODAY with a (major global brand) that is trying to hire one of my speakers to do a presentation for them. They said, "We think our employees are just burned out about EVERYTHING right now..." and my client replied with some ideas. Best one? Pick your battles. Like you're doing. I too am exhausted about the primates...who turn out to be in Borneo...ugh!

This image might make you smile:

Babassu is not a replacement for Palm, it is an expensive replacement for CO. Your melted CO will last just as long as when it solidifies in the winter months. I always hated it when my 35lb buckets of CO melted in the summer, it was a mess to scoop out.

What many folks do not realize is the US is still one of the lowest uses of Palm Oil, some of the highest users are the countries that produce it and it is their main income/industry. We are simply not going to control the production, people come first. Sorry, not trying to start a big discussion here.

I think this batch may not turn out so good!

There are many places that are producing sustainable palm oil, but unfortunately in many places they are cutting down rainforests to create palm plantations in order to supply the growing demand for palm oil which is used in soaps, cosmetics, food and other products.

From the World Wildlife Fund:
"Grown only in the tropics, the oil palm tree produces high-quality oil used primarily for cooking in developing countries. It is also used in food products, detergents, cosmetics and, to a small extent, biofuel. Palm oil is a small ingredient in the U.S. diet, but more than half of all packaged products Americans consume contain palm oil—it’s found in lipstick, soaps, detergents and even ice cream.
Palm oil is a very productive crop. It offers a far greater yield at a lower cost of production than other vegetable oils. Global production of and demand for palm oil is increasing rapidly. Plantations are spreading across Asia, Africa and Latin America. But such expansion comes at the expense of tropical forests—which form critical habitats for many endangered species and a lifeline for some human communities.
WWF envisions a global marketplace based on socially acceptable and environment-friendly production and sourcing of palm oil. We aim to encourage increased demand for, and use of, goods produced using such practices."

Orangutans are critically endangered and live in Borneo and Sumatra. Their survival is threatened because of poaching, the illegal wildlife trade and habitat loss (due to deforestation partly caused by oil palm plantations.)

I use a combination of cocoa butter and shea butter instead of palm oil, but there are sustainable suppliers. Baraka is a good one.

Can you give me the percentages, please? To replace, for example, 8 oz of Palm, what would you recommend, Mary?

My CO comes wrapped in 250g blocks like butter does, so when a load melted this summer it made a bit of a mess!

Oh NOOOOOOO! What a mess!

 

[AliOop]

I simply can't do it all and my brain needs a break. Honestly, emotionally, it's just too much. Something has to give. I try to be as good as I can but I have had to accept that I have to let some things go.

I applaud that and believe it is a very healthy way to look at life.

 

[maryloucb]

Can you give me the percentages, please? To replace, for example, 8 oz of Palm, what would you recommend, Mary?

There are multiple threads about palm substitutes. I took this info from IrishLass:

"While fiddling around on SoapCalc one day a few years ago, I was able to come up with a unique combination of specific veggie butters and oils whose combined fatty acid profile was so close to palm oil's fatty acid profile that it could in theory be used as a substitute:
Shea butter 45.5% / Cocoa Butter 43% / Sunflower Oil 10% / Coconut Oil 1.5%
So, let's say you wanted to make 2 lbs of the Basic Trinity soap that Zany listed at the very top of her list, but would like to substitute the unique butter/oil combo for the palm:
First, type the Basic Trinity recipe into SoapCalc and set the oil weight box for 2 lbs. Hit calculate and then view print. Your oil amounts should look like this on page 2:
Olive oil................... 11.20 oz/317.51 g
Coconut Oil............. 8 oz/226.8 g
Palm oil................... 12.8 oz/362.87 g
Copy those amounts down somewhere.
Next, hit the reset/clear button on the first page and change the oil weight box to 12.8 oz or 362.87 g (the palm oil amount), then go to the 'recipe oil list' part of the page, click on the % circle, then type in these oils and %'s:
Shea butter 45.5%
Cocoa Butter 43%
Sunflower Oil 10%
Coconut Oil 1.5%
Hit calculate and view/print recipe. On page 2 it should give you these amounts:
5.82 oz/165.11 g Shea Butter
5.50 oz/156.04 g Cocoa butter
1.28 oz/36.29 g Sunflower oil
.19 oz/5.44 g Coconut oil
That's how much of each butter/oil to use for the combo to be able to sub for the palm amount."

 

[paradisi]

There are many places that are producing sustainable palm oil, but unfortunately in many places they are cutting down rainforests to create palm plantations in order to supply the growing demand for palm oil which is used in soaps, cosmetics, food and other products.

From the World Wildlife Fund:
"Grown only in the tropics, the oil palm tree produces high-quality oil used primarily for cooking in developing countries. It is also used in food products, detergents, cosmetics and, to a small extent, biofuel. Palm oil is a small ingredient in the U.S. diet, but more than half of all packaged products Americans consume contain palm oil—it’s found in lipstick, soaps, detergents and even ice cream.
Palm oil is a very productive crop. It offers a far greater yield at a lower cost of production than other vegetable oils. Global production of and demand for palm oil is increasing rapidly. Plantations are spreading across Asia, Africa and Latin America. But such expansion comes at the expense of tropical forests—which form critical habitats for many endangered species and a lifeline for some human communities.
WWF envisions a global marketplace based on socially acceptable and environment-friendly production and sourcing of palm oil. We aim to encourage increased demand for, and use of, goods produced using such practices."

Orangutans are critically endangered and live in Borneo and Sumatra. Their survival is threatened because of poaching, the illegal wildlife trade and habitat loss (due to deforestation partly caused by oil palm plantations.)

I use a combination of cocoa butter and shea butter instead of palm oil, but there are sustainable suppliers. Baraka is a good one.

In the recent years, beef production and soybean oil production have far surpassed palm oil production for forest cutting. Palm has been leveling off but the other two are exploding & soy requires a lot more acreage to produce the same amount of oil.

So if you want to save the rainforest by not using something, beef (or tallow) or soybean oil or wax would come higher on the list.

And that's a big oops from BB.

 

[KiwiMoose]

In the recent years, beef production and soybean oil production have far surpassed palm oil production for forest cutting. Palm has been leveling off but the other two are exploding & soy requires a lot more acreage to produce the same amount of oil.

So if you want to save the rainforest by not using something, beef (or tallow) or soybean oil or wax would come higher on the list.

And that's a big oops from BB.

I found this link and I hope this information is still current: 10 Years Ago the Amazon Was Being Bulldozed for Soy — Then Everything Changed
I had no idea about the Amazon being cleared for soy - we hear more about the palm over here because we are in the region I guess.