The lye to water ratio of the lye solution is roughly 1 part lye to 2.3 parts water. This is equivalent to roughly 30% lye and 70% water.
How do you calculate lye and water for soap making?
- (Amount of Fat) × (Saponification Value of the Fat) = (Amount of Lye)
- (Amount of Lye) ÷ 0.3 = (Total Weight of Lye Water Solution)
- (Total Weight of Lye Water Solution) − (Amount of Lye) = (Amount of Water)
What is lye concentration in soap making?
Lye concentration is the grams (or ounces) of alkali contained in 100 grams (or ounces) of lye solution. … In other words, the water weighs 100 – 33 = 67 grams. Lye concentration of 25% means there are 25 grams of alkali in 100 grams of lye solution. The water in this solution weighs 100 – 25 = 75 grams.
What is a good lye concentration in cold process soap?
We don’t recommend more than 15% because it can speed up trace too much. Also, the lye may not fully dissolve. That can create lye pockets in the final bars that irritate or burn the skin. Start somewhere between 1-15%.
How do you make lye solution for soap?
- Weigh the Water. To begin, put on your safety goggles and rubber gloves, and make sure your work space has good ventilation. …
- Weigh the Lye. Place the mason jar on the scale, and zero out the weight. …
- Add the Lye to the Water. …
- Stir the Lye and Water Mixture. …
- Set the Lye Solution in a Safe Place to Cool.
What happens if you put too much lye in soap?
When soap is made with too much lye, it is called “lye-heavy.” This means there is extra, free floating lye that was not made into soap during the saponification process. Lye heavy soap can be irritating when applied to the skin and should not be used or sold. Lye heavy soap is often crumbly or dry feeling.
What is the best lye concentration in liquid soap making?
Most recipes and tutorials here on Modern Soapmaking use a 33% lye solution, as it’s typically a manageable water discount during the soapmaking process, but also hardens up a little quicker to get the soap out of the mold! A strong water discount is typically referred to as a 40% lye solution.
How do you make soap for beginners?
- Mix water and lye, set aside to cool.
- Melt oils, set aside to cool.
- Blend lye water and oils to form a soap “batter”
- Pour into mold and let harden for a day.
- Turn out of mold, cut into bars and let cure for 2-3 weeks.
How do you calculate soap ingredients?
- Calculate the volume of the mold in cubic inches.
- Multiply the volume of the mold by 0.4 to find the total amount of oils in the recipe. …
- Enter that amount of oils into an online lye calculator to get the final recipe quantities.
How do you make homemade soap without lye?
The main way that you can make soap without handling lye is by using melt-and-pour soap. It’s already been through saponification (oils reacting with lye) and is safe to use and handle straight out of the package. All you do with it is melt it, add your scent, color, and other additives, then pour it into molds.
How do you make homemade lye?
To make lye in the kitchen, boil the ashes from a hardwood fire (soft woods are too resinous to mix with fat) in a little soft water, rain water is best, for about half an hour. Allow the ashes to settle to the bottom of the pan and then skim the liquid lye off the top.
What can I mix with lye?
Use an Appropriate Mixing Container: It’s important to mix your lye solution in a durable and safe container. The container should be a sturdy, heat-resistant plastic or glass. I don’t recommend mixing lye solution in a metal container. This is because the lye solution gets incredibly hot.
What can I substitute for lye water?
It can be replaced by a homemade version made from two extremely common ingredients – baking soda and water. There are two approaches to making alkaline solution at home: one that uses baking soda and one that uses baked baking soda. However, baked baking soda is recommended for both mooncake and ramen making.