Soap-Making Guides

How to Formulate a Soap Recipe

A practical framework for oil balance, lye choice, liquid, superfat, and testing.

Plain-language help for superfat, lye concentration, INS, iodine, fatty acids, and quality metrics.

Understand why each oil needs a different amount of lye and how properties affect the finished bar.

Learn what curing changes, typical time ranges, and what to record for each batch.

The three water methods explained, with conversions and what beginners should use.

The zap test, pH strips, what superfat protects you, and what to do if a batch is lye-heavy.

Which lye makes bar vs liquid soap, why SAP values differ, 90% KOH, and dual lye.

Same lye math, two methods — how they differ in cure time, look, and technique.