Soap calculator

Lye calculator

The calculator behind The Cold Process Soap Recipe Book. It uses the same verified SAP values and the same rounding as every printed formula card, so a card and this page always agree.

Formula

Units
g
%
Oils
OilAmountWeightRemove
Alkali
%
%

The book uses lye concentration, 33% by default (Chapter 4).

Size the batch to my mold

Length × width × pour depth × 0.70 = grams of oils (× 0.40 = ounces in inches). Chapter 7.

Results

Before you weigh anything

Sodium hydroxide causes severe burns and eye damage. Wear splash goggles, gloves and long sleeves, add lye to water and never the reverse, and keep water nearby for first aid. Weigh lye to 0.1 g and check it against the card or this page before mixing. This calculator is a tool: check every figure before use. Full guidance is in Chapter 6 of the book.

Rounding follows the book: lye to 0.1 g (exact ties rounded down, which adds a hair of superfat), water from the rounded lye to 1 g, quality scores to whole numbers. SAP values and fatty acid profiles are the book's verified data (Appendix A and B).