# Coconut Oil



## eam (Aug 22, 2010)

I'm a new soapmaker; I've made two batches, both basically the same except one has lavendar flowers in it. They're 50% lard (home rendered) and 50% olive oil. I've used a soap recipe calculator (I think from Mueller Lane Farm) to calculate lye/water. I'm happy with the way they've turned out except for the lathering. So, I've gotten some coconut oil (at $10/lb at my local natural food store!). I have 4 oz to work with. How do I figure out how much olive oil and lard I can use to maximize my coconut oil investment but still get some lather to my soap? 

Once I figure this out and come up with something I'm happy with I'll look for a cheaper source of coconut oil - probably Columbia Foods...

Let me know if you need more info, or if my question isn't clear. Thanks!
Elizabeth


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## Guest (Oct 23, 2010)

Wow, that is some expensive coconut oil... Make your coconut oil about 25 percent of the total recipe and you will be much happier with lather.... then put your rendered lard and oolive oil in it.. to get your 100 percent recipe... 
Walmart sells it much cheaper in two pd jars...


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## eam (Aug 22, 2010)

Thanks - I'll give 25% a shot. I was hoping for less but I don't want to skimp and end up with something I'm not happy with. On the other hand 4 oz of coconut oil at 25% only gives me 16 oz total for a batch, so 6 oz of lard and 6 oz of olive oil. Oh well, this is an experimental batch anyway.

Oh, and no Walmart within a couple of hours of me. (That's actually one of the things I love about living where I do....)

Thanks again.
Elizabeth


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## SimplyE (Jan 15, 2010)

When you change your recipe, you need to adjust your lye ratio with a lye calculator. A calculator will also give you a general guide to what qualities your soap will have...generally speaking...take it with a grain of salt. The more you make, the more you will know what to look for in the qualities these calculators give.

http://www.soapcalc.net/calc/SoapCalcWP.asp


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## NubianSoaps.com (Oct 26, 2007)

I think thesage.com is the easiest when your new. Also just 10% coconut oil with lard and olive (and don't pay more for olive if you have sunflower or salflower available for less money, not a nickles worth of difference in the soap, will give you lather.


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## Tallabred (Jun 12, 2008)

I mostly use 10% coconut oil.


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## MF-Alpines (Mar 29, 2010)

Vicki McGaugh Tx Nubians said:


> I think thesage.com is the easiest when your new.


Absolutely!!


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## eam (Aug 22, 2010)

Thanks everyone. I like the idea of 10% coconut to strecth it as far as I can if it will give me the lather I want. I can get olive oil for about 7 or 8 cents an ounce - so pretty cheaply - but I'll check out sunflower or safflower oils and compare. We have what we call 'the dented can store', a store that sells surplus, expired, dented, damaged, etc. goods for pretty cheap. IF they carry the other oils, they'll be reasonably priced. But I can always get oo cheaply there.

This is the lye calculator/recipe creator I've been using.

[http://millersoap.com/worksheet.html

I find it to be very clear and easy to use.

Thanks for all the help!
Elizabeth


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## hsmomof4 (Oct 31, 2008)

Even with paying shipping, it might be less expensive to get coconut oil online than to pay $10/lb for it locally. That's really very expensive.


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