When I created a soap in February that did not contain coconut oil (click here for original post), Eleanor commented that she’d appreciate an update on how the bar lathers.
Wetting the No Coconut Oil Soap.
Now that the soap has been on the curing rack for a good 11 weeks, I’d say it’s ready to test. The cure card tells me it is pretty much done losing water. (I must have ignored my “note to self” to test this soap in April.)
I made this recipe because a friend told me she is allergic to coconut oil, and so many soaps depend on coconut oil for lathering capability.
Here’s the recipe I used:
6 oz Hydrogenated Soy
5 oz Palm Kernel Oil
4 oz Olive Oil
1 oz Lanolin
The Hydrogenated Soy is the foundation oil to create a hard bar. It’s not terribly expensive, and best of all, it works!
Palm Kernel Oil is like Coconut Oil as a contributor of large bubbles in the soap lather. It also helps harden the bar. I use it in just about every soap recipe I make.
Olive Oil is the boss of small, dense lather. But at higher usage rates, Olive Oil creates a softer bar. I definitely see that in this bar, but the other choices help in this area.
Lanolin is a great luxury oil, providing a boost for your skin. Unfortunately, lanolin does prevent formation of lather. (It’s also an ideal addition to leave-on products!)
I’m glad to see some nice bubbles as I lather up with a bar. It’s not as heavy a lather as I get with many other recipes, but it should satisfy people who believe that no lather = no cleaning power.
 I saw a good combination of small and large bubbles. The soap feels really nice! |
 You could probably get more lather with a coconut oil soap, but I am pleased with how this turned out. |
The scent is Bella, which is a very light floral. It comes across beautifully in the dry soap and a bit stronger when the soap gets wet.
I hope this recipe is helpful if you want to try a soap without coconut oil! Do you make soap without coconut oil? What oils are your favorites for providing good lathering soap?
I’ve never used palm kernal oil in a soap. Does it have a similar fatty acid profile to coconut? What about similar usage guidelines?
Hi Rachel. Palm Kernel Oil has a Saponification Value of 237, while Coconut Oil’s is 258. Given that saponification values are averages, that’s not too far apart, though Palm Kernel Oil does require less lye. The two can be used together or as substitutes for each other. I almost always include Palm Kernel Oil in my soap recipes because it does such a good job hardening the bar and provides lots of lather. You’ll see it used frequently in luxury soaps, probably because of the lathering capability.
As for fatty acid profiles, Palm Kernel Oil is lower in caproic, capric, and caprylic acids and significantly higher in oleic acid. All the others fatty acids are present in similar amounts in both oils.
Hope this helps you, and I encourage you to try some Palm Kernel Oil in your soap and even leave-on products. It’s marvelous in lotion bars!
Hi Denise!
Wow! You remembered! 🙂 Thank you for this post!
Those are decent bubbles. I bet they would fluff up even more with a bath scrubby.
I like the silky feel hydrogenated soybean oil gives soap. I’ve heard that rice bran oil gives nice lather/bubbles (not on the level of coconut oil, of course). The scent you used, Bella, sounds nice. I’ll have to try it.
Thanks again and have a great day!
Eleanor
HA! It took me a bit longer than I’d anticipated, but at last I did it. It’s a very silky feeling soap. I have used rice bran oil in soaps before with good results. Thanks for reading!
Thank you for sharing. Making soap right now and I just ran out of coconut oil and freaked out. I’m glad I found your article now I will go ahead and start my soap making.
Rachel