Teach Soap

On my last purchase of bulk oils I bought some palm kernel oil, as I had seen it listed in various recipes. However, now as I look around, I notice that most CP recipes don't use Palm Kernel Oil. Any particular reason why? I know it is not interchangeable with Palm Oil, but what is the main difference between these two oils in CP soap?
I think I remember reading that palm kernel oil can accelerate trace, correct?

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Carrie
Wife to my Best Friend and Homeschool mom to 7 beautiful gifts

Google properties of each oil ( as used in soapmaking)and you will see how they differ and what each lends to a batch of soap. I use both in my basic recipe.

Palm kernel oil is another choice as a hard oil, either instead of or with coconut oil. As a fatty acid it does lack the linoleic acid that coconut has (this brings conditioning to the bar). But coconut oil only as 1-2% of this acid. Coconut has a lower iodine level (<10 compared to 37) which should give a harder bar. I am always a little concerned about using palm and palm kernel together incase I would measure one in place of the other. To throw another oil into the mix and that is babassu, very similar to palm kernel with an iodine level of 10-20. It is slightly expensive, but I do not make alot of soap.

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Susie
Sometimes A Mistake is so much fun, You just have to do it again!

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Thank you for the info. Now off to formulate a recipe or two to use up the palm kernel oil I have on hand....

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Carrie
Wife to my Best Friend and Homeschool mom to 7 beautiful gifts

I just ordered some palm kernel flakes and I'm researching recipes now!

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