Teach Soap

I'm waiting in Virginia to drive to the airport to visit the grandkids in Colorado. As usual, my mind is full of questions. Can palm kernal flakes be used interchangeably (weight for weight) as palm kernal oil? Also, is fractionated shea butter the same as refined shea oil, as far as weight? Thanks in advance, I learn so much from all of you. Happy flying, and happy soapmaking!

Well I don't know the answer to your question but I do know where to find the answer. If you use a soap calculator, MMS and Millers soap have them, the calculator will answer your question. For any soap product calling for lye should use this so that your soap is good.

OK I went to a soap calculator and found this out for you this is just breif and demonstrates why you need to go to a proper source for information about saponification results

Palm Oil shows a hardness of 50 and a conditioning of 49

Palm Kernel oil/Flakes has a hardness of 70 and condition properties of 18

So the answer is no they can't be used to substitute for one another as their properties are not the SAME.

I hope that makes sense. What soaping books do you read?

Good luck and happy visiting with the grans!

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~bytheSEAsoap~ Mella bythesea, bythesea, bythebeautiful sea

海の皂

Mella that was so nice of you to look that up. I have never worked with any of those oilsflakes and only used butter once a few years ago. Have a wonderful visit.

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Four Seasons Fine Handcrafted Soaps
& Specialties, Inc.
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Thanks Mella and Selena, the feedback helps so much. I have Grosso's book, and Anne Watson's soapmaking. Have used the lye calculators on Brambleberry, and Majestic Mountain. Have also checked Miller's website. But I have learned so much from the trial and error stories on this forum. I've only been soaping for about 6 months. Love it, love it, love it. But I do live by one adage--the more you learn, the less you know! Still in Denver, grandkids sleeping. Thanks again.

I grew up on Alicia's book "Everything Soapmaking", I so appreciate the way it is written a to z with the right stuff to share with the reader at the very right time. It speaks to me! LOL

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~bytheSEAsoap~ Mella bythesea, bythesea, bythebeautiful sea

海の皂

That book was the first one I bought. What do your hardness values refer to? Does that mean sap. value? or INS? I tend to overthink stuff, I need to learn to keep it simple and enjoy it! Am grateful for all the help I can get. Sandy