How to Make Soap

How to t o Make Ma ke Soap: Weight Vs. Volume Volume Measurement Share This! Share 4

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About 20 years ago, I came up with a unique metho o ma"ing soap that has bee scrutini#e by soap ma"ers all o$er the worl% I use $olume measurements instea o weighing ingreients to ma"e my soap%

The question is, can it be one so that you ha$e the proper amounts o oils, lye, an water&

Weighing Vs. Volume Measuring in Soap Making The short answer is – no!  All soap ingreients must be weighe in orer to get the right amount o lye an water that will combine with a certain amount o oil to ma"e it combine into soap% I weighe amounts are o, your soap can turn out lye'hea$y an be harsh an rying, or it can be oil'hea$y an turn out greasy an sot%

So how did I come up with my recipe  I weighe all o the ingreients as I measure them out% I i this more than 100 times to be sure there woul be no $ariations% The only thing I oun was that on certain ays, when there was more humiity, the lye woul pic" up moisture rom the air an weigh ierently ( but this can happen with both weighed AND volume measured amounts%

Ater oing this se$eral times, an then chec"ing it once a month or so )yes, I really o ma"e that much soap!*, there has still been no $ariation in amounts o$er the past 20 years% I can assure you that my recipes using olume measurements will work in soap making" #ecause they were originally weighed amounts.

The $riginal Soap %ecipe &sing Weight •

4%+ ounces oli$e oil

•

4%+ ounces coconut oil

•

4%+ ounces soybean oil

•

2% ounces lye beas-

•

%+ ounces water 

All o the ingreients are then blene an mae into soap using the stanar soap ma"ing  practice, which you can see here. /ow to a"e Soap% -)eep in min that I use lye beas, not la"es, in this original recipe% Flakes measure differently than beads.*

The Measured %ecipe &sing Volume •

 cup oli$e oil

•

 cup coconut oil

•

 cup soybean oil

•

3 cup water 

•

 cup lye

Another thing to "eep in min is that in weighing, it oesn5t matter i you ha$e soli or liqui oils, they will weigh the same% But in volume soap making, the oils must always be liquid to measure correctly. Soli oils will not measure the same as liqui oils% This recipe is mae using the same practice as abo$e%

What can go wrong in olume soap making Se$eral things can go wrong using this metho% /ere is an iea o some things that create  problems. &sing Water 'rom the Tap

This is by ar the biggest cause o problems% Always use istille, iltere, or re$erse osmosis water% istille an iltere water contains no minerals% 7ye will attac" the minerals in tap or well water, an there may not be enough remaining lye to react with the oils% This will result in a sot bar since the oil8lye ratio was thrown o% 9ain water will wor" i it hasn5t been in contact with minerals on the way to being collecte% &sing a (i))erent Type o) *ye

y $olume recipes call or lye beas, not la"es% 7ye la"es will measure ierently than lye  beas an can throw o your recipe% )I will be e:perimenting with lye la"es soon, an will post the results in an upcoming article%* +ot Measuring ,orrectly

;e sure measuring cups are on a lat surace while measuring% The prouct you are measuring must be le$el in your measuring cups% Always wor" quic"ly with lye so it oesn5t clump an throw o the measurement% in a chart o SA= $alues or most oils here% ?ou shoul stay within 10 points o the original SA= o soybean oil when substituting another oil% This is about %1@ or soium hyro:ie% The numbers will be ierent or potassium hyro:ie, which is use to ma"e liqui soap% Some good eamples  o substitutes woul be sweet almon oil )SA=%1@B*, grapesee oil )SA=%1@*, lar )SA=%1@C*, or sunlower oil )SA=%1@6*% Some poor eamples  woul be canola oil )%12@* an DoDoba oil )%066*% Eastor oil )%12B* is on the borer an woul require Dust a  bit less lye, maybe a teaspoon%

&sing $ld *ye

As lye ages, it can become less potent an not wor" as well% ;e sure to always use resh lye, an "eep it well seale to "eep moisture out%

,an I make my own recipe a"ing up your own $olume measure recipe is simple! >ollow these steps. 1% >igure out the ingreients you want to use% 2% 9un the list o ingreients through a lye calculator )li"e the one oun here*% Fnter the oils you want to use an a lye calculator will calculate the amount o lye an water neee% It will usually suggest a range% ?ou can choose the higher or lower, but I usually go right own the mile% @% Ater you ha$e your recipe set, weigh out the ingreients, then transer each one to measuring cups an recor the amount o $olume% This will be your new recipe% ?ou might want to o the same thing, weigh an then measure, se$eral times to be sure there is no $ariation in $olume% I you change an oil, then recalculate, weigh, an then measure% I "eep trac" o $ery recipe to be sure I ha$e the right amount e$ery time% I you want to stic" with the original recipe an a some aitional oil or e:tra moisture, this can be one at trace% >or this recipe, because it is a small amount, a Dust a teaspoon or so, maybe as much as a tablespoon% ore ree oil that has not been use by the lye can cause ranciity% This is a goo way to use castor oil or DoDoba oil, which as base oils, nee to be recalculate% I hope I cleared up any con)usion as to the weight s. measurement de#ate. Hae any -uestions /sk #elow! 0000000

'' =rint this Article or Sa$e it as => ''

/#out (e#ra Maslowski (e#ra is a master garener, a certiie herbalist, a natural li$ing instructor an more% She taught att an ;etsy how to ma"e soap so they ecie to bring her on as a sta writer! ebra recently starte an organic herb arm in the mountains o A an is  GJT intene to be substitute or the a$ice o your health care proessional% I you rely solely upon this a$ice you o so at your own ris"% 9ea ull isclaimer M isclosure statements here% /ome N /ealth N /ow to a"e Soap.