% of Babassu in place of coconut & Palm K?

[PurpleHippie]

My skin is very sensitive to coconut oil and to a lesser degree palm kernnal. I am considering using Babassu in place of coconut oil or possibly both the coconut and palm kernal. Are there any problems with using Babassu at 40-45%? The price of Babassu isn't a problem because I am making the soap strickly for my use. I only make very small batches.

[Birdie]

$0-45% shouldn't be a problem if you are using a "soft" oil like RBO or soy but I don't think you will need that much. It doesn't take as much babassu as it does cocnut or PKO.

[topofmurrayhill]

Of those three, PKO is the most gentle. Babassu is about the same as coconut as far as that goes. You can use it at whatever percentage you might use CO, but I don't think babassu is the answer.

The problem sometimes is that people focus too much on individual oils instead of the overall recipe. The real secret when it comes to formulation is to understand how the balance of different fatty acids affects the properties of the soap. You can design a recipe with 15% CO that's drying and another with 30% that's very gentle.

What I would suggest for your problem is to use PKO and try designing a harder recipe with a higher proportion of palmitic and stearic oils in it. Keep the very soft oils to a minimim so it doesn't have too much linoleic. Mushy recipes really magnify the less desirable effects of coconut oil.

[PurpleHippie]

Thanks everyone for the help. I had read on other message boards that babassu was suggested in place of coconut oil for those that have sensitivity to it. That is why I thought I would give it a try. However, after learning that it really is very similar to CO using a high % might cause the same sensitivity.

Top your explaination was very helpful. In the past I had experimented with several recipes using 20 -30% CO. The soap caused my skin to itch. I kept experimenting with the CO % and the soap recipes with no higher than 12% CO did not cause the itching. At least that is what I thought. After reading your explaination it may have actually been the CO and the balance of the other fatty oils used. I no longer have that recipe so I am starting from scratch again. Thanks for your help!

[cdesousa5]

What I would suggest for your problem is to use PKO and try designing a harder recipe with a higher proportion of palmitic and stearic oils in it. Keep the very soft oils to a minimim so it doesn't have too much linoleic. Mushy recipes really magnify the less desirable effects of coconut oil.

Could you give specific #'s? How much is too much linoleic? I've heard if palmitic is too high it is drying.

Thanks

[chuck_35550]

What is the best balance of saturated to unsaturated?

[mwolbers]

I use all 3 oils, in my soaps. It adds up to about 35% of the total oils. However, I also use a high superfat. Between 10 and 15%. It works wonders on my DH and DD's sensitive skins

[Carrie]

I have been using all three also and I superfat at about 11%. I get lots of bubbles, lots of stable lather and a long lasting bar that isn't drying.