CO vs. CO/PKO

[topofmurrayhill]

Assuming two recipes with similar characteristics, does anyone feel that there's an advantage to using a combination of coconut and palm kernel oils versus a larger amount of coconut oil alone?

[RobinInOR]

I started with using just coconut, since I can get it locally. But to get the lather I wanted in our hard water, I tried a combo, and it worked in my recipe better than having one or the other. I don't like high coconut, and PKO by itself made my formula too brittle.

Since I finalized my formula using both, I just keep on using both

[Morganst]

Also, I find too much CO tends to be drying on the skin. I use a combo of CO, PO & PKO (ratio of 2:1:1)

[topofmurrayhill]

Thank you both for the feedback.

Here are two recipes for example only, with qualities according to SoapCalc. Am I correct that you would consider #2 preferable to #1?

Recipe #1 - 30% Coconut, 70% Olive

Hardness 34

Cleansing 20

Condition 61

Bubbly 20

Creamy 14

Iodine 60

INS 154

Recipe #2 - 15% Coconut, 17% PKO, 68% Olive

Hardness 34

Cleansing 20

Condition 61

Bubbly 20

Creamy 14

Iodine 61

INS 144

[Meridith]

I also use a combo of PO (10%), PKO (10%) and CO (15%) in most of my recipes. I find most soaps over 15% CO to be drying - with the exception of a salt bar. I myself would prefer you #2 recipe for that reason.

[Scented]

The differences I see in my two recipes, aside from the water issues, hardness of bar. The way my recipes are they tend to lather how I want them. The pko/co recipe is probably the hardest bar I make, even with the co/lard combo and using different sap values for the coconut.

Personally on your recipe lists I don't make bars under a 38 hardness. It just takes them too long to set up for me.

[Soapmaker Man]

I'm with Scented...I keep my recipes around the 45 hardness area. I use @16 to 17% CO and 11 to 12% PKO. I also use tallow and lard in every batch with a little cocoa butter (5% or so) with my soft oils of RBO, Canola, HO sunflower and castor. My recipe using a 33% lye solution, usually come in between a 43 to 47 hardness.

Paul....

[Sara]

I like both. Too much CCO can be drying, as others have said. I found the combo to be the best on my skin, great lather, etc.

[Crafty1_AJ]

Even though I have dry skin, I can tolerate coconut up to 30% without problems. So in the interest of keeping things simple, I just use one or the other (coconut OR pko) -- and usually coconut.

I get burned out on 29 oils in a single recipe when I can get soap that's just as great with maybe 3-4 ingredients. JMO

[Carriegsxr6]

personally if I add PKO, I will use it at 10% with coconut at 20%.

If I just use coconut oil alone, I will use it at 25%.