Basic Beginner Soap Recipe
BeginnerA forgiving, easy-to-make recipe with a balanced bar. Great lather, decent hardness, and gentle on skin. The go-to for your first batch.
Load this recipe into the calculator
The calculator works out the lye and water for your batch size, lye concentration, and superfat. Those amounts are not printed here on purpose: they change with every one of those settings.
Oil blend
| Oil | Percent of oils | Type |
|---|---|---|
| Olive Oil | 40% | Soft oil |
| Coconut Oil (76°) | 25% | Hard oil |
| Palm Oil | 25% | Hard oil |
| Castor Oil | 5% | Soft oil |
| Almond Oil, Sweet | 5% | Soft oil |
| Superfat | 5% | Oil left unsaponified for mildness |
Percentages are by weight of the total oils. Each oil links to its reference page with SAP value, fatty acid profile, and substitutes.
Predicted bar properties
Predicted from the fatty acid profile of the oils, the same way the calculator scores a recipe. The right-hand figures are the usual cold process ranges; green bars fall inside them.
Reading the numbers
- •Cleansing sits at 17, inside the 12 to 22 range most makers aim for.
- •Hardness is 39, a solid bar without being brittle.
Making it
A well-rounded starter recipe. Traces at medium speed, unmold in 24-48 hours. Cure 4-6 weeks.