If you look at the ingredients list on some shaving soaps, you may see 'palm free stearic' listed. Maybe contacting those soap makers and asking who their palm free stearic supplier is might give more sources.
Waxes in soap
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If you look at the ingredients list on some shaving soaps, you may see 'palm free stearic' listed. Maybe contacting those soap makers and asking who their palm free stearic supplier is might give more sources.
Coconut oil seems to be just fully hydrogenated/hardened coconut oil. Castor wax and ricebran wax are probably the same, hardened castor and ricebran oil.
I have used coconut wax. But it was not sold as wax, but as coconut oil for cakes. Used for our delfiakake (Delfia cake) and what they call Kalter Hund (cold dog) in Germany. A coconut oil to mix with chocolate, and it is rock hard because it is fully hydrogenated/hardened. It is as hard as a candle. In fact it is the only coconut oil we have in grocery stores.
I have used coconut wax. But it was not sold as wax, but as coconut oil for cakes. Used for our delfiakake (Delfia cake) and what they call Kalter Hund (cold dog) in Germany. A coconut oil to mix with chocolate, and it is rock hard because it is fully hydrogenated/hardened. It is as hard as a candle. In fact it is the only coconut oil we have in grocery stores.
penelopejane
Well-Known Member
Hydrogenation is an expensive process. They generally partially hydrogenate an oil to make it hard enough to become a wax. Generally other refined oils and waxes are added often soy wax.
Every product is different, it seems. So depending on what your requirements are research is necessary.
https://www.keapbk.com/blogs/keap/what-is-coconut-wax-vs-coconut-oil-the-difference
Yes rune if yours is the same as ours coconut oil is hard here too in winter. But it becomes soft, sometimes liquidy, on a very hot summer day in my house as we have no air conditioning.
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I was looking at the soy wax options I have locally, because a lot of people here have had good results with it. If you've not seen it and are interested, the current soy wax thread is here.
So in my search, I came across these other waxes, and was wondering if anyone knew about them and have used them in soap.
1. Carnauba wax
2. Candelila wax
Both these are in a couple of soap calcs I checked, and in non-soap products, are an alternative to beeswax, but here they also cost double, and triple, respectively.
3. Coconut wax
4. Castor wax
5. Rice bran wax
Now these three are new to me, and they're not also in the calcs so if ever, I am wondering how one would go about using them. Are they similar to coconut oil and castor oil, just in wax form? I searched and found a sap value range for castor and rice bran wax but not the coconut, and I can't seem to find anyone who has tried them in soap.
5. Palm wax
The supplier us unfortunately very vague and doesn't seem to know what it is, other than it is from palm and it's used for candles lol
I'm still searching for the right kind of soy wax, but in the mean time, I'm sticking to butters as hardeners as these new waxes aren't gonna save me much money and my logic says their conditioning factor would be less anyway.
Your thoughts?
3-5 are typically the oil mixed with partially hydrogenated soy wax. you can get fully hydrogenated castor oil which is essentially stearic acid, but it would definitely say 'fully hydrogenated'.
@penelopejane I tried to find information about the melt point of our coconut fat, but could not find it. But in the declaration, it states that it is two ingredients: Fully hardened coconut fat, soy lecithin.
It does not melt in normal room temperature. But I usually have it in the fridge, so I don't know how it will react a hot summer day. I don't think it will melt, or it would not give support for the Delfia cake. So it is supposed to be extra hard. I have a little bit left from last time, sitting in a metal bowl in the fridge. I can try to place it high up in the bathroom, which is the warmest place here. I measured once when I put my sourdough there, and it was 25 degrees celsius. I doubt it will melt, but it might get soft. I actually want to know, so I have to test and see.
Yes, I guess our coconut oil is not coconut wax, since it seems that to create coconut wax you must blend in other things to increase the melting point. But it is close to a wax, since it is fully hardened and not partially hardened. If that is an expensive process, I guess that is one reason why we can't get it for dirt cheap (about 16,40 AUD per kilo, but it is sold in 250 grams packages for 4,10 AUD). And I don't like the added soy lecithine. I understand why they add it, since it is not an oil ment for soapmaking but for cakes and confectionary. I just suspect it can speed up trace. It is an emulsifier, after all.
It does not melt in normal room temperature. But I usually have it in the fridge, so I don't know how it will react a hot summer day. I don't think it will melt, or it would not give support for the Delfia cake. So it is supposed to be extra hard. I have a little bit left from last time, sitting in a metal bowl in the fridge. I can try to place it high up in the bathroom, which is the warmest place here. I measured once when I put my sourdough there, and it was 25 degrees celsius. I doubt it will melt, but it might get soft. I actually want to know, so I have to test and see.
Yes, I guess our coconut oil is not coconut wax, since it seems that to create coconut wax you must blend in other things to increase the melting point. But it is close to a wax, since it is fully hardened and not partially hardened. If that is an expensive process, I guess that is one reason why we can't get it for dirt cheap (about 16,40 AUD per kilo, but it is sold in 250 grams packages for 4,10 AUD). And I don't like the added soy lecithine. I understand why they add it, since it is not an oil ment for soapmaking but for cakes and confectionary. I just suspect it can speed up trace. It is an emulsifier, after all.
coconut oil is sold with melting points of either 76˚ F or 93˚ F. It is in no way similar to a wax and really should not be treated or thought as one. It contains short chain saturated fatty acids and is a very effective cleaning oil. It will make a super hard bar that will lather in sea water and a water thin liquid soap. It is also dirt cheap in the USA, about $1.50/lbs.
soy lectin is sold in cosmetics for shelf life extension and moisture retention so it should be quite advantageous for your recipes.
soy lectin is sold in cosmetics for shelf life extension and moisture retention so it should be quite advantageous for your recipes.
That's the same ingredient we have here (brand name Kremelta) It is essentially a vegetable shortening used for baking. At $NZ6.99 for 500g it's more expensive than buying pure coconut oil from the soap supplier places ($NZ10 per kilo). Here's a nice recipe you can make with it at Christmas time: https://justamumnz.com/2014/12/20/white-christmas/
I had never heard of coconut wax, but here it is listed for candle making: https://eapinnovations.com/products...0&utm_source=google&utm_medium=smart_campaign
And here: https://www.etsy.com/listing/576373684/coconut-candle-wax-all-natural-wax-5?gpla=1&gao=1&
I don't intend to try either of those in soap, though. Just interesting that it exists.
And here: https://www.etsy.com/listing/576373684/coconut-candle-wax-all-natural-wax-5?gpla=1&gao=1&
I don't intend to try either of those in soap, though. Just interesting that it exists.
penelopejane
Well-Known Member
Pretty sure mine is the 76*F (24* C) coconut oil but it doesn’t start to melt in my soaping room unless it’s about 32*C inside that one room. Then it just starts to turn liquidy not fully melted.
Thank you @KiwiMoose for a wonderful recipe! I will try that when christmas arrives
There is no way I can find any coconut oil anywhere for as low as 10 NZD per kilo. I will check the price at the only store we have that somewhat can be called a soap supply store (but it really isn't).
Okey, Sunvita.no have this prices: $18,25 NZD per kilo if I buy 19 kilos. $31 NDZ per kilo if I buy 2 kilo. $44,25 NZD per kilo if I buy 2 packages of 500 grams.
So you see, we really have not anyplace here to buy anything. Everything in that shop is like crazy expensive, and the coconut was not the worst expensive compared to their other items. So the only options here are grocery stores (which really have next to nothing), ordering from abroad with limitations of customs rules, international shops or get someone to order from restaurant supply stores. Or buy a greenhouse and plant an oil palm or two.
Just out of curiosity, I googled New Zealand, and you are a country with an even smaller population than ours, I found out. And Fiordland, is the place that looks like Norway. I thought it would be just as bad or even worse than here to find supplies, regarding the low population. But no, I found several soap and candle supply stores.
I guess the new zealanders appreciate their good old bar soaps more than here. Here, commercial liquid soaps are the number 1 thing. I think we only can buy 2 bar soaps in grocery stores, Dove and Sterilan. Plus Sunlight for cleaning. Often they have zero bar soaps.
There is no way I can find any coconut oil anywhere for as low as 10 NZD per kilo. I will check the price at the only store we have that somewhat can be called a soap supply store (but it really isn't).
Okey, Sunvita.no have this prices: $18,25 NZD per kilo if I buy 19 kilos. $31 NDZ per kilo if I buy 2 kilo. $44,25 NZD per kilo if I buy 2 packages of 500 grams.
So you see, we really have not anyplace here to buy anything. Everything in that shop is like crazy expensive, and the coconut was not the worst expensive compared to their other items. So the only options here are grocery stores (which really have next to nothing), ordering from abroad with limitations of customs rules, international shops or get someone to order from restaurant supply stores. Or buy a greenhouse and plant an oil palm or two.
Just out of curiosity, I googled New Zealand, and you are a country with an even smaller population than ours, I found out. And Fiordland, is the place that looks like Norway. I thought it would be just as bad or even worse than here to find supplies, regarding the low population. But no, I found several soap and candle supply stores.
I guess the new zealanders appreciate their good old bar soaps more than here. Here, commercial liquid soaps are the number 1 thing. I think we only can buy 2 bar soaps in grocery stores, Dove and Sterilan. Plus Sunlight for cleaning. Often they have zero bar soaps.
DianaMoon
Well-Known Member
This is an old thread... hope someone answers - did anyone ever use castor wax? I'm intrigued by this. It's readily available and not expensive for a small experimental bag, but it's not on Soapcalc.
There have been mentions of it here, but the threads trail off.
Can one figure out how to use it going by the SAP value (which is 178-185 depending on the source)?
I can't find a lipid profile anywhere.
There have been mentions of it here, but the threads trail off.
Can one figure out how to use it going by the SAP value (which is 178-185 depending on the source)?
I can't find a lipid profile anywhere.
