# hmm, confused about fractionated coconut oil, what's the difference?



## Trysta

:help I just received my order of coconut oil and it's liquid. I always have used solid coconut oil in my CP soap, and now I see this is 'fractionated' coconut oil. So what is this, why is this liquid and can I use it in my soap? Will it affect the hardness of my soap, since it's liquid at room temp? I hope someone can give me some advice, because I called Rustic Esscentuals (where I ordered the stuff) and they can not tell me why it's liquid and wether I can use this stuff in soap. They actually told me I may have received the wrong stuff???


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## swgoats

I have found coconut to vary from liquid to solid quite easily. If your room temp is a little warm, it could be liquid. Mine is usually liquid in the summer and solid in the winter. Not sure about "fractionated".


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## swgoats

Here you go:
http://www.essentialwholesale.com/Fractionated-Coconut-Oil

I found the melting point of coconut is 76 F.


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## NubianSoaps.com

Your lye calculator will have a spot to click 76 degree CO....thesage.com does. Louann coconut oil is 76 degree, all the coconut oil I use is 76 degree CO. What were you using before? Vicki


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## Guest

Coconut oil is made by shredding the raw coconut and mixing with water, heating and the oil separates when cooled and becomes solid.. This is generally what your 76 degree coconut oil is..Which melts and becomes clear in warm temps but gets solid again in cool temps.. Makes a hard bar of soap
Fractionated Coc oil is clarified and refined, the long chain fatty acids have been removed leaving Medium chain triglyerides only.. It is better for lotions, massage oils than for soaps.. 
It stays liquid all the time even in cold temps.. 
It is not the same and they do not have the same sap values..
If it is labeled fractionated coconut oil and you use it as the coconut in a soap recipe, I don't think you will be happy with it.. Its great oil, I love it in leave on products but could not do without my 76 degree for my soaps.. Call them


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## Angelknitter12

Ditto Barbara. I love to use it in Lotions, buit have never used it in soaps. Fractionated oil is very different, and is a lot more expensive than Coconut oil. I don't see it working well as a "solid" in your soap.


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## Trysta

:/ I only make soap, not ready for lotion yet. I have used LuAnn, Vicki and then ordered at AromaHaven, I think after that. It was solid coconut oil, same as Luann. Yuck, wrong oil, then. The description said for soap, I should have researched it better when I ordered...


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## Guest

You can use it for soap, but you want to use it in place of another liquid oil and then if you use solid coconut oil with it, you will have a bar of soap that is a high percentage of coconut, using the two different coconut oils..
If you use it in place of solid coconut oil and then use other liquid oils you might end up with a very soft soap... 
Barb


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## Trysta

Okay, I think I understand the concept. I really do not want to have more cocnut oil in my recepies than I have now, but based on your advice to let this fractionated coconut oil replace liquid(er :biggrin) oils, I think I'll try to replace part Olive oil and part lard with this oil and then replace my original amount of solid coconut oil with cocoabutter and Shea Butter, which are harder. I'm going to see what the lye calculator says for that idea.... I'll let you know if that works (I sure hope so!) Been pretty happy with the soap I was making, but oh well, this will be a new experiment and it already is a lesson learned the hard way... Next time I'll make sure I'm ordering the right stuff! :blush


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## MF-Alpines

Marion, have you looked into Colombus Foods? I think you'll get better prices than what you are getting now.

If you want, next time I place an order and I can let you know and you can place one, too. I send DH to pick it up as he will then go and visit customers in Chicago at the same time........so essentially, free shipping! You'd just have to come here to pick it up which can't be more than an hour.


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## NubianSoaps.com

Marion, look up the paper Characteristics of oils and butters. Your confused a little on some of this. You can replace anything you wish with anything you want, but understand that shea is a hard butter as is lard, as is tallow as is coconut oil and cocoa butter. On the other hand just because crisco is hydrogenated to make it firm it is still a soft oil because it is only soybean oil. Like most other oils, sunflower, safflower, olive etc... If you start replacing oils with your lard and shea and cocoabutter...the quality of your bar goes down and you won't be happy. Vicki


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## Trysta

Thanks Vicki, will do, I will let this fractionated coconut oil sit until I have a better use for it and stick to what I know and I will read the paper you suggested. My bars of soap are just the way I like them right now, so i really don't want to tweak too much.

Cindy, thanks, that would be great! I know I pay too much still for my ingredients, but I have so little time for price/product research at the moment. I messed up with placing this order in between hastily soaping and getting ready for chores, I need to take more time, because this was a waste of money (even though I hope to be able to use the product later).

Marion


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## NubianSoaps.com

Pop it in the fridge it will be wonderful in a leave on product. Vicki


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