Coconut is one of the most popular choices in soap making, because it has far-reaching benefits, being a moisturizing agent and making the soap making process easier and faster. I am assuming here that you already have a basic understanding of the soap making process, so make sure to read up about that as well if necessary.
How to Make Coconut Soap - Discover the Wonders of Homemade Coconut Soap
So why is coconut so widespread? Coconut oil is included in almost all soap recipes because it has a strong bubbly lather even in hard water, it is well-moisturizing, reaches trace faster, and creates a hard, white bar. It is also anti-inflammatory and the resulting soap can be used to combat skin problems such as acne, psoriasis, eczema and so on.
When shopping, make sure you pick the one that says 76 degree coconut oil. This is the one most commonly used for soap making and what the instructions here will apply to. 92 degree oil is used for soap making as well and it makes a harder, less lathering bar.
Recipes
Because it's such a common ingredient, you will find it in almost all recipes. You can also create your own recipes using a lye calculator online.
These are things you need to pay attention to when using coconut oil:
1. If the recipe involves more than 30% of the oil, the soap might have a stronger drying effect on your skin than usual
2. But if you're feeling adventurous and want to try making 100% coconut oil soap, then you need to superfat the lye at around 15-20%.
Here's a balanced soap recipe using coconut oil:
8oz olive oil
8oz coconut oil
8oz rendered tallow
3.49oz pure lye
9 fluid oz water
And in case you want to try 100% coconut oil soap:
16oz coconut oil
2.5 oz lye (superfat at 15%)
5oz water
The rest of the process works like making any type of soap - but the first recipe is a good one to start learning and practicing with.
Keep in mind that lye is a strong caustic and can burn your skin. Make sure you wear the proper protection equipment at all times when working with lye, and take the time to read up on the safety procedures. This is the hardest part of learning how to make coconut soap, the rest is quite easy.
You've now learned how to make coconut soap. In the beginning, this time, but if you want to find out how I discovered a professional video tutorial for learning how to make soap in almost half the time, then check out my site: Easy soap making.
-Bradley Edwards
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