Soap cannot be made without the use of sodium hydroxide. Lye (sodium hydroxide) is mixed with fats to create soap. But, you need to know how much of each to make a really good bar. Here are a list of soap / lye calculators.

Soap Calculator by weight / percentage – enter recipes by either weight OR percent, up to 9 oils.
9 or less oils – Calculator – recipes containing 9 or fewer oils.
Up to 18 oils – Calculator – recipes containing up to 18 oils.

MMS
FNWL Creator
Soap Naturally Calculator
Brambelberry Lye Calc
North Country Mercantile Calculator
Lye Calculator
Cranberry Lane
Suds and Scents
TLC Soaps
Pine Meadows
Herbal Soaps by RJ
Soap Recipe Calculator – On a website in frames..
Rainbow Meadow Soap Calc
Soap Nuts
Soap Crafters
Snowdrift Farms

For Purchase:
SoapMaker – a downloadable program for your computer. Download a free trial. Free recipe creation and management as well as inventory control.

Learn to calculate your lye amounts by hand:
Oregon trail Soaps Files
Soap Bubbles Saponification Page
Miller Soap Worksheet

Because of these calculators, we are able to make soaps that are gentle on our skin, have creamy, bubbley lather and smell and look lovely.

See Momma Muse’s Handmade Soap Recipes

by Gary Everson

Many areas of misunderstanding exist with regard to soap making. I am often asked “do I have to use lye?” “just how dangerous is lye?” and “will soap making save me money?” “can I really make soap and sell it for a profit?” these and many more questions arrive in my inbox on a daily basis, making it clear to me the extent of misinformation that exists where soap making is concerned.

There are really only two soap making techniques, cold process and hot process. Other techniques referred to as melt and pour and rebatching, are not actually soap making at all, instead they involve melting previously made soaps back to liquid form, then adding fragrance and color, maybe some herbs and grains and then allowing to set again.

True Soap Making involves the chemical reaction which takes place when fats and/or oils are mixed with an alkali such as Sodium Hydroxide, also known as Lye, or Caustic Soda. It’s as simple as that really, but more complex than you can imagine.

Aside from the basic fact that a strong alkali in solution will cause a chemical reaction known as saponification when mixed with fats, the exact nature of the resulting soap is dependent upon the type of fat used, the amount of lye, the curing time and a host of other factors all of which combine to make soap making a truly interesting and rewarding craft. I call it a craft because it requires skill and practice, I would prefer not to recall the number of soap batches I made when I was starting out that had to be thrown into the trash. Its important to remember that sometimes it takes a few tries to get it right, but once you’ve got the process down, homemade soap making is easy and fun. It is a never-ending source of joy because there is always more to learn.

Soap making is an age-old skill that is currently undergoing a popular revival. Home or cottage level soap making is done by the “cold process”, however this method is not recommended for children because of the potential danger that lye poses. Soap making is a fascinating, enjoyable and creative hobby, but did you ever realize that it could actually become an excellent source of income. the beauty of soap making is its adaptability to village-sized enterprises, it represents a business that requires little space, with little cost and offers numerous possibilities.

Soap making is a great hobby and makes a wonderful gift because, let’s face it, everyone needs it. Homemade soap making is not at all a difficult process. The melt and pour process makes it even easier, although melt and pour is not soap making in its true sense, it is an easy and creative way to make your own soap. It is the easiest of all the methods and is by far the least time consuming.

The most popular soap making process today is the cold process method, where fats such as olive oil react with lye, it is the process that more advanced hobbyists and small business owners use. It is certainly a more complicated way of making your own soap than melt and pour, but can yield much more pleasing results. Cold process is a method of soap making which doesn’t utilize any external heat source. Sodium hydroxide, also known as lye, is used in cold process soap making. The cold process yields no waste products of any kind.

Melt and pour soap making is an easy and creative way to make your own soap. Some soap makers prefer melt and pour because the process is easy and allows the soap maker to concentrate more on the aesthetic aspects of soap making. In its simplest form, slice off what you need, melt it, and pour it into your favorite soap molds. Learning how to make melt and pour soap is the easiest soap making method that you can learn. The joy of Melt and Pour Soap Making promotes the making of soap in the home as a fun hobby and economical craft. Learn melt and pour and cold-process soap making basics then try your hand at lotion, lip balm, salt scrubs and more. Melt and pour soap base is pre-made and purchased by the block, a natural soap base is melted and poured in individual shapes. It has become very popular in recent years. Melt and pour is not actual soap making, often called glycerin soap, it can be opaque, colored or clear. Even children, when supervised, can make soap using this method. Typical un-molding time for Melt and Pour soaps is 4 hours, after which it is ready to use. Un-molding time for cold process soaps is 24 hours or more, followed by a curing period that can take as long as four weeks.

If you are careful to shop around for the best deals and buy your ingredients in bulk wherever possible, you can create batches of soap which cost between 20 and 50 cents per bar, less than commercially available soap bars with many times better quality and a lot less than the price of other handmade soaps on the market. This provides the opportunity for a reasonable profit margin should you decide to sell your products, either simply to recoup the cost of your hobby, or to fuel the beginnings of an exciting and profitable business.

Soap making is not hard to do if you are armed with just a little bit of information. It is an age-old skill that is currently undergoing a popular revival. A fun and useful hobby, soap making is a great pastime and makes a wonderful gift because, let’s face it, everyone needs it. Cold process soap making is not recommended for children because of the potential danger that lye poses. Melt and Pour soap making is the easiest of all the methods and is by far the least time consuming. Soap making is not just for your grandmother anymore; it has become a popular hobby for many creative and artistic people.

Copyright © 2007 Gary Everson

About the author:
Want to learn All About Soap Making, but haven’t a clue where to start? Gary Everson’s FREE course will show you how, from the basic techniques with a detailed explanation of theraputic soaps, to cold process and melt and pour recipes, followed by comprehensive safety and legal information and finishing by turning it all into a business, with an extra bonus at the end.

Olive Oil is a fruit oil obtained from the olive (Olea europaea), a traditional tree crop of the Mediterranean Basin. It is used in cooking, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, and soaps, and as a fuel for traditional oil lamps.

Olive oil is a healthful oil because of its high content of monounsaturated fat (mainly oleic acid) and polyphenols. It is also rich in anti-oxidants helping to fight free radicals which cause damage to cells. Olive oil in body care products provides nourishment to the skin, hair and nails.

Olea Europaea (Olive) Oil
Sodium Olivate (Olive Oil Soap)
- A moisturizing oil used in soaps – castile soaps are generally 100% olive oil, but there is no requirement as to what percentage must be used. Olive oil mimics the body’s own natural oils to attract and retain precious moisture to your skin. It softens skin while attracting moisture to your skin. Makes for a mild soap which keeps your skin soft, supple and younger looking.

A soap made with a high percentage of olive oil produces a gentle soap, suitable for young children, or people with sensitive skin.

Olive oil helps relieve itching, stings and bites and may also help in the healing process of burns.

Olive Oil Definitions

* Extra-virgin olive oil (sometimes called EVOO) comes from the first pressing of the olives, contains no more than 0.8% acidity, and is judged to have a superior taste. There can be no refined oil in extra-virgin olive oil.
* Virgin olive oil has an acidity less than 2%, and judged to have a good taste. There can be no refined oil in virgin olive oil.
* Olive oil is a blend of virgin oil and refined oil, containing at most 1% acidity. It commonly lacks a strong flavor.
* Olive-pomace oil is a blend of refined pomace olive oil and possibly some virgin oil. It is fit for consumption, but it may not be called olive oil. Olive-pomace oil is rarely found in a grocery store; it is often used for certain kinds of cooking in restaurants.
* Lampante oil is olive oil not used for consumption; lampante comes from olive oil’s ancient use as fuel in oil-burning lamps. Lampante oil is mostly used in the industrial market.

Olive oil is a heavy oil and ranges in color from pale yellow to dark green.

Rice Bran Soap Recipe

- A nourishing oil and a powerful skin protectant, high in gamma-oryzanol as well as anti-oxidants, which will protect and replenish the skin. RBO is rich in phytosterols, helping to help reduce inflammation and soothe discomfort. It also contains the highest quantity of vitamin E in liquid form. Beneficial to mature, sensitive and delicate skin.

Rice Bran Oil is becoming more popular in bath and body care items due to it’s lower price, but similar properties to Olive Oil. Rice Bran has a very silky smooth feel to it’s lather in soap.

60% Rice Bran Oil
20% Palm Kernel Oil
10% Coconut Oil
10% Palm Oil

5% Sodium Hydroxide

1 Pound Soap Recipe:

9.6 oz Rice Bran Oil
3.2 oz Palm Kernel Oil
1.6 oz Coconut Oil
1.6 oz Palm Oil

2.19 oz Sodium Hydroxide

To figure water, a safe range would be to multiply the lye amount by 2.2. I usually use a range somewhere between 1.7 and 2.0 for figuring my liquid requirements. For new recipes, I recommend 2.2.

Note:
Momma Muse recommends always running your recipe through a soap calculator to ensure you are using safe amounts of lye. See a list of online lye calculators.

For properties on other oils and additives to use in your soap making recipes, see
Ingredient and Oil Properties for Soap, Lotion, Serums, Bath and Body

Notes:
- Be sure to use a soap calculator specifically used to calculator amounts, particularly making sure you have the correct amount of sodium hydroxide.
- If you need to make substitutions within your recipe, be sure to recalculate, as the lye amount may change.
- Remember your safety and for those around your soap making area. Label items appropriately, wear appropriate safety gear.

Momma Muse, and Judi Cox, is in no way held liable for your soap making adventures or misadventures. Though we are happy to share your experiences, should you wish. :)

Creamy Olive Oil Soap

80% Olive Oil
20% Palm Kernel Oil

5% Sodium Hydroxide

1 Pound Recipe:

12.8 oz Olive Oil
3.2 Palm Kernel Oil

2.18 Sodium Hydroxide

To figure water, a safe range would be to multiply the lye amount by 2.2. I usually use a range somewhere between 1.7 and 2.0 for figuring my liquid requirements. For new recipes, I recommend 2.2.

Note:
Momma Muse recommends always running your recipe through a soap calculator to ensure you are using safe amounts of lye. See a list of online lye calculators.

For properties on other oils to use in your soap making recipes, see
Ingredient and Oil Properties for Soap, Lotion, Serums, Bath and Body

Notes:
- Be sure to use a soap calculator specifically used to calculator amounts, particularly making sure you have the correct amount of sodium hydroxide.
- If you need to make substitutions within your recipe, be sure to recalculate, as the lye amount may change.
- Remember your safety and for those around your soap making area. Label items appropriately, wear appropriate safety gear.

Momma Muse, and Judi Cox, is in no way held liable for your soap making adventures or misadventures. Though we are happy to share your experiences, should you wish. :)