[Black n Proud]

Hey everyone,

Does anyone know what is the molarity of the lye used in soap making? I can't find it anywhere, I'm interested in making up my own lye solution from sodium hydroxide pellets, please help me if you can. Thanks :)

[kp2171]

My suggestion is to pull up a recipe from the internet or a soapmaking source and follow it directly.

One great all-around resource is The Soapmakers Companion. Perhaps more detail than someone who is just "dabbling" might need, but there are issues related to the use of lye (or a sodium hydroxide solution) in soapmaking. One is that the amount of hydroxide needed is dependent on the oil used. For example, 1 gram of olive oil needs 135.2 milligrams NaOH, whereas the same amount of shea butter needs 128.3 milligrams lye. And you need the hydroxide solution and the oils regulated for temp properly. And... some recipes apply a "discount" of lye, leaving a little oil not saponified. This can be good, since the oils are good for the skin and you don't want excess lye in your soap, but also it can affect shelf life of the soap, as some may become rancid in time.

And on top of it all, much of the time you are using more than one oil, so you need to balance the amount needed by the ratios of oils by using a SAP chart. Different oils have different properties.. such as coconut oil absorbs well into the skin, whereas vegetable shortening can give the soap body, and olive oil hardens quickly while rich in minerals and vitamins. Combining oils gives a nice range of properties.

Sound complicated? Well, melt and pour glycerin certainly is easier. But if you are wanting to try out some recipes...

Here is a few resources to get you started. There are others... just Yahoo or Google "cold process soap recipe"

Find a resource and read up on the basics before you mess with soapmaking with lye.

Make Cold Process Soap

Soapnuts-Cold Process Soap Recipes Page One

I already mentioned the soapmaker's companion. Another book I have is Making Soaps and Scents... much smaller, and really nicely done. Simple and it has a great range of ideas.

I am not affiliated with these sites, nor can I be responsible for mistakes made in suggested recipes.

Likewise, a trip to any major chain bookstore will likely have resources for soapmaking, sometimes tied with candles. We have a candle business, and don't make soap yet. I've done cold process one time and saw it was going to take time away from researching the candle work I needed to do. Probably will mess with it again later in the year after other work is completed.

Good luck.