Salt bar?

[IrishLass]

Can I ask a question? I thought coconut oil was drying. I had read somewhere that using over 30-40% coconut oil wasn't a good idea because of the drying. Was that wrong?

It really all depends on your formula, as Soapbuddy explained with the example of 100% CO soap with a 20% superfat. The high superfat offsets the drying effects of CO, and I completely agree with her that it makes a fabulous bar of soap. Not drying to me in the least.

In a salt bar with 100% CO, I've found that the high salt amount helps to offset the drying effects of the CO, even if the superfat is as low as 8% (based on my own experiments).

Also, it's always good to take into consideration how different skin-types can play into the results. What is drying to one person might not be drying to another. People with very oily skin tend to like higher cleansing bars of soap, while people with drier skin-types do not. My own skin tends toward the drier side, but I do quite well with 100% CO soaps as long as they are highly superfatted and/or have salt in them.

HTH!
IrishLass

 

[glenolam]

I, too, am interested in making a salt bar, but the recipes I've seen call for Castor oil. At the moment I have a TON of coconut oil on hand so I'd like to use it up...what's your recipe (if you don't mind my asking)?

Hmmm... now you've got me curious- where did you get your salt bar recipes? I ask because I've never seen a salt bar recipe that called for castor oil as opposed to coconut oil?

Sorry - let me clarify....I meant to say that I've seen recipes that call for a small amount of Castor Oil - like 5% - in addition to coconut oil. Not 100% castor oil.

 

[IrishLass]

Sorry - let me clarify....I meant to say that I've seen recipes that call for a small amount of Castor Oil - like 5% - in addition to coconut oil. Not 100% castor oil.

Ah, that makes more sense. Thanks for clarifying.

IrishLass

 

[SmellyKat]

Can I ask a question? I thought coconut oil was drying. I had read somewhere that using over 30-40% coconut oil wasn't a good idea because of the drying. Was that wrong?

It really all depends on your formula, as Soapbuddy explained with the example of 100% CO soap with a 20% superfat. The high superfat offsets the drying effects of CO, and I completely agree with her that it makes a fabulous bar of soap. Not drying to me in the least.

In a salt bar with 100% CO, I've found that the high salt amount helps to offset the drying effects of the CO, even if the superfat is as low as 8% (based on my own experiments).

Also, it's always good to take into consideration how different skin-types can play into the results. What is drying to one person might not be drying to another. People with very oily skin tend to like higher cleansing bars of soap, while people with drier skin-types do not. My own skin tends toward the drier side, but I do quite well with 100% CO soaps as long as they are highly superfatted and/or have salt in them.

HTH!
IrishLass

I have a 3 lb loaf mold. I want to make a batch of saltbar soap this weekend.

I would like to SF at 18%. How do I calculate the salt and liquid? I want to use the coconut milk as my liquid.
I don't know how to enter this in the soapcalc.

 

[dubnica]

You just substitute some of the water with coconut milk and the salt % is up to you. People use 20-100% of salt PPO.
As far as superfat- just change the default on soapcalc from 5% to 18% and it will calculate the lye and water for you.
Good luck.