Substitutes for coconut oil in salt bar

[Traumabrew]

I have been having an issue lately with soap containing coconut oil. No matter the SF, I find them drying. I have both babassu oil and PKO flakes. Which one would be better in a salt and clay bar? Going for a 100% one oil with 20% SF. Also, going with a 1:1 ratio for oil to salt.

 

[jcandleattic]

Babassu is closer to CO than PKO is, however, I find it to be more drying than Coconut Oil in high %'s, and I've never tried a 100% PKO soap.

I've never tried a salt bar without coconut oil though either for that matter.
You will most likely not get very many bubbles/lather in a high oil soap without coconut, but for me, that wouldn't be a deal breaker.

I'm sure you will probably get better answers than this one, but I wanted to chime in with my experience with this question...

 

[Obsidian]

I don't care for babassu either but a lot of people like it better then coconut. It does make a nice lathery salt soap.

I would try small batches of both babassu and the palm kernel, see which you prefer. I suspect a high pk won't be very good.

 

[0115d8cf]

Seconding the suggestion of trying both to see what you like. I think babassu would work better, but you don't know until you try~

 

[dixiedragon]

One poster made a salt bar with 100% PKO and said it was try to wash with a piece of plastic - no bubbles. If you try this (especially with babassu as it's kind of pricey) maybe just do a 1 bar batch if your scale is good enough.

 

[Obsidian]

One poster made a salt bar with 100% PKO and said it was try to wash with a piece of plastic - no bubbles. If you try this (especially with babassu as it's kind of pricey) maybe just do a 1 bar batch if your scale is good enough.

That was me lol. I had to go back and check notes, I couldn't remember if it was 100% which it was.

A couple years back I was given a 100% babassu salt bar. I really couldn't tell it apart from a coconut salt bar. It was a bit harsher then coconut but I don't know what the SF was or how long it had been cured.

I really wish I had saved it and tested it every few months, see it it would have mellowed with a long cure like 100% coconut does.

Might have to order some babassu just to test out.

@Traumabrew you might try 80% babassu and 20% OO or your favorite liquid oil. I've found that addition of OO helps with mildness. I've also went from using 100% salt to 35%-50%, it lathers better in my hardish water that way.

 

[Traumabrew]

I got a 7.5 lb jug of babassu oil to try/experiment with. If you want a pound or 2, let me know and Ill send you some so you dont have to buy it. I probably wont use it all, so at least it wont go to waste.

 

[penelopejane]

I've made 100% OO salt soap with 50% salt, 10% SF and it was great. DH likes it. But we aren't that fussed about bubbles so not sure our opinion will help you much.

Point is: you can use any combination of oils for a salt bar.

 

[zolveria]

Co sf

I use CO in my one oil soap... with 25 % SF WHICH ACTUALLY MAKE the soap not 100 percent ... I also use ALOE Water.. this also make for moisture..
I add sea salt and sugar. or sorbital.. super hard bar.. does not last long..
but people love them.. and keep buying.

try making a 80:20 bar

 

[jcandleattic]

I use CO in my one oil soap... with 25 % SF WHICH ACTUALLY MAKE the soap not 100 percent ...

Not sure I understand this.
If the only oil you are using that 100% of the oil used is that oil - unless your superfatting with a different oil than coconut oil, this soap would be 100% coconut oil.

 

[earlene]

I think she means not 100% pure Coconut oil because she used Aloe Juice instead of water. I understand this, as I have occasionally had the thought that to say a soap is 100% Olive Oil, but then to add a colorant (for example) makes it NOT 100% Olive Oil soap even though it only has that one oil in the soap. On the one hand the soap IS made with only one oil, so it is 100% of that oil; BUT of the 100% of the bar of soap, a small percentage is something else, be it Aloe or colorant, or whatever other additive. Makes sense to me anyway.

 

[Skatergirl46]

One poster made a salt bar with 100% PKO and said it was try to wash with a piece of plastic - no bubbles. If you try this (especially with babassu as it's kind of pricey) maybe just do a 1 bar batch if your scale is good enough.

I did it once too. It wasn’t great. Recently I did some that were 60% CO and 20% PKO. That one is nice and has lots of creamy lather and bubbles. It has 50% salt (50% of oil weight). I just do 50% because it’s a bit easier to work with.