Why We’re Nuts About Coconut Oil
A key ingredient for making soap is the fatty acids that come from oils and butters. While goat milk contains fat, it’s not enough for saponification—the chemical reaction between an acid and a base that results in soap. To make our soap, we add selected, natural fats in the form of pure oils and butters. By carefully combining these fats, we make soap that includes the best qualities of its ingredients.
One of our favorite soap-making fats is coconut oil. Coconut oil has many attributes that make it an ideal ingredient in the best soaps. For one thing, coconut oil adds hardness to soap. This means the bar lasts a long time and doesn’t dent or break into pieces when you drop it.
Coconut oil also generates a rich, full and soft lather in soap, has terrific cleansing properties and isan excellent skin moisturizer.In fact, coconut oil is quickly and easily absorbed deeply into the skin, which means it does not leave the skin feeling oily.Paradoxically,too much coconut oil can actually dry skin. This is why we combine coconut oil with other oils—like olive oil, castor oil, and shea butter—to contribute a perfectly balanced amount of moisturizing power that doesn’t dry your skin.
Like other oils, coconut oil contains a roster of fatty acids and nutrients that feed, heal, and protect skin. Coconut oil is particularly high in lauric acid, which comprises nearly 50% of its fatty acid total. Lauric acid has natural antibacterial, antifungal and antimicrobial properties. Studies have shown that lauric acid kills viruses, fungi, yeast, and bacteria, including strains that cause skin infections (like acne) and athlete’s foot.
Coconut oil’s fatty acids also support healthy skin by helping to reduce swelling and pain that arise from skin disorders like eczema and psoriasis. Coconut oil also contains vitamin E and selenium, both of which are known antioxidants that help prevent and repair skin cell damage that results in wrinkles and aging skin.
And, of course, coconut oil is safe to eat and smells great, too. It’s no wonder that we include expeller-pressed, food grade coconut oil as an essential ingredient in our goat milk soap.
