Coconut Oil Substitute

[Starr]

I'm looking for a new oil (preferably a hard oil) to replace coconut oil in my soaps. I've got a coconut allergy in the house and whereas she seems to be okay with soaps (presumably due to saponification) it just squicks me to keep it in the house. So I want something that's got similar properties to my coconut and hopefully a comparable price (or at least not frightfully expensive).

Any suggestions?

[MissMori]

pko, palm, lard, tallow.... I would go w/ pko.

[Starr]

I LOVE my PKO and use it in a lot of stuff. PKO and Coconut are my 2 go-to hard oils. Not sure I want to try overriding my soaps with double the PKO to compensate for my Coconut. But it is a great oil. Thanks.

[LovelyLathers]

Babassu is a good sub but a bit more expensive. I use it for some of my coconut a lot.

[Lorrie]

I use PKO instead of coconut oil all the time. It seems to be less drying also.

[Scented]

Looking like I'm going to have to find a sub for it too, but not just for soap, but lip balms etc. or find room on the label that this contains tree nut oils ... fun.

[Barbara AL]

Scented I have had Babassu in lip balms it is great!!

Barbara

[Starr]

Babassu looks good on Soap Calc as a sub for coconut, it's a liquid oil though right?

[Scented]

it's alway been pretty semi-solid for me ... of course now that it's in the fridge, it's just hard.

Really Barb, you like the babassu in lip balm? Have you compared it to the coconut feel?

[Barbara AL]

I have not compared it but I love how it glides on the skin. Have you ever just put a little on the skin and it melts right away I love the feel of this stuff.

Barb

[Scented]

Yeah I have, but that dang coconut does the same thing lol. I'm wondering though, with Babbassau being from the coconut family though if the allergins carry over too. Anyone know? I don't recall it being a non-allergin but I could be wrong.

Even though I've read it's rare with the coconut oil with use for soaps etc., that rare seems to rear its head more commonly lately.

[LovelyLathers]

I use babassu in lip balms, bath & body products and soaps. I have a few customers allergic to coconut oils who have no problem with the babassu. It certainly is more moisturizing than coconut and glides nicely.

[chuck_35550]

I have a bottle right now that is hard as a brick and will have to be melted or cut out for use. Babassu and pko are the only other oils that are gonna give you bubbles.

Steve

[Scented]

Well Chuck I use babassu and coconut and palm (did away with PKO though, but may have to try a substitute of flakes for the CO) in soaps lol ... I'm not cutting them. My problem is the lip balms and consideration of replacing it in that.

I use babassu in lip balms, bath & body products and soaps. I have a few customers allergic to coconut oils who have no problem with the babassu. It certainly is more moisturizing than coconut and glides nicely.

Do you also include FCO in your balm recipe as well? I'm not opposed to trying it in lip balms, but wondering if I should be switching out the FCO as well and if so, for what. Perhaps an olive squalene (except I'm not keen on upping my costs)

Edited December 17, 2010 by Scented

[LovelyLathers]

I don't use FCO in my lip balms. I use bees wax, babassu, shea or cocoa ( I have customers who are allergic to one or the other), sunflower, safflower, a touch of castor.. If I want to play around a little some times I add rosehip or pumpkin oils, palm, Squalene (if I add it I only use a tiny bit that's all you need). I also make one with emu for a heavy duty skiers one.