SOAP MAKING and COSMETIC MAKING
Coconut oil is obtained from copra, the dried meat of coconut. Distillers separate the copra from the hull of the coconut. It is dried, crushed, and then expressed to remove the oil. This coconut becomes liquid at 76 degrees F; when cooler it is creamy solid or semi-solid. Some people might refer to coconut oil as coconut butter but both are the same thing. This oil has a thick texture with no odor and is suitable for soap as well as skin care products.
A percentage of coconut oil in cosmetics is moisturizing. However, too much coconut oil can be drying.
Its saturated nature resists rancidity and makes a very hard soap, while at the same time producing a fluffy lather.
Soap makers usually combine coconut oil with olive, palm, palm kernel, or castor oils for an all-vegetable soap. Some soap makers use between 20% - 30% of a soap batch as coconut oil.