# What is your best/easiest soapmaking recipe?



## pepperi27 (Aug 23, 2007)

What is your best recipe? What is the one soap recipe that you can do with your eyes shut! LOL Silly question I know but I was thinking about it as I thumbed through my recipe books. The only one I can make without looking at the ingredients is Goat's Milk oatmeal and honey rebatch because its for sensitive skin all I add is honey, and ground oatmeal. NO scents NO dyes! What about you?


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## Guest (Aug 23, 2007)

The "Bunny" Castile Soap.. 

90% Olive
10% Castor Oil 

discount heavily.. 

ready in hours..


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## Soapmaker Man (Aug 23, 2007)

A new recipe hitting the "forums" is soooo easy;

100% coconut with a 20% lye discount (superfat) and a 33% lye solution!

You gotta try this recipe.  I use coconut milk mixed with goat milk as my liquids.  Mummm, mummmm, good! 8) 

Paul.... :wink:


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## pepperi27 (Aug 23, 2007)

Sounds delicious Paul !! I love that name The Bunny LOL


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## Soapmaker Man (Aug 23, 2007)

"Bunny" is a famous soapmaker that lives in N. Florida.  She is the one that came up with that recipe and has been around for several years now!  It's "Bunny's Castile Soap."  Bunny is her screen name she uses at several forums.  
It's a great Castile recipe! :wink: 
The new recipe I'm referring to is an adaptation of the "Break The Rules" soap recipe.  I've got it curing now.

Paul.... :wink:


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## pepperi27 (Aug 23, 2007)

OOOh that sounds awesome! One day I hope to learn cp, probably when the children leave in about 15 years lol


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## CPSoaper (Aug 24, 2007)

I use to make my castile soaps with 90% oo and 10% castor but now I make them with 90% oo, 5% castor and 5% babassu.  The babassu really helps create a fluffier lather and cuts down on the "slimey" feel of the oo that some don't like.   This recipe is easy peasy and makes a wonderful soap.

When I get time, I want to try that high content coconut oil soap.   I'm curious to hear how yours turns out Paul.


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## pepperi27 (Aug 25, 2007)

cp that is so true. Even when I rebatch castille and add castor oil, it gets a little slimmy! Did I spell that right? lol


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## orangeblossom (Aug 26, 2007)

Soapmaker Man said:
			
		

> A new recipe hitting the "forums" is soooo easy;
> 
> 100% coconut with a 20% lye discount (superfat) and a 33% lye solution!
> 
> ...



In the Susan Miller Cavitch books she says that "too much" coconut oil makes a bar that is "harsh" to the skin.  But I've seen some bars that are 100% coconut oil..........have you found this to be true?  Or do you find it a nice mild soap on the skin? 

Also, I know what a 20% lye discount means, but I don't understand a "33% lye solution"  could you explain?  

Thanks!


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## Soapmaker Man (Aug 26, 2007)

orangeblossom said:
			
		

> Soapmaker Man said:
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Coconut is drying to the skin if you don't discount your lye needed to 100% saponify the CO.  Most people take a 5% lye discount, meaning using 5% LESS lye than it takes to 100% saponify the oils, leaving 5% oils let in the soap after saponification has taken place.  A lye discount is sometimes called "superfatting" your soap.  I feel "superfatting" mainly referrs, in my opinion, to adding additional oil/s to your soap at trace, after some sapionification has taken place, and not all the superfatting oil is consumed by the remaining active lye in the batter.  Taking a 20% lye discount means using 20% less lye than it takes to completely saponify the 100% coconut oil recipe, leaving more unsaponified coconut oil in the finished soap.  Coconut Oil, by itself is not drying to the skin, IE FCO, but adding lye to the cocoanut oil, that is over 30% of a given recipe, without upping the lye discount, or "supperfatting," can be drying.  I hope this makes some sense to you.

A 33% lye solution is by weight 2 parts water to 1 part lye.  That is a 33% lye solution.

Paul.... :wink:


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## orangeblossom (Aug 26, 2007)

I think I understand.  Yes, it does make sense.  (I'm not a computer linguist quite yet.........what is IE FCO?)

I was looking for a really white bar so make snowflake soap......I assume a 100% coconut oil soap would make a pretty white bar!  

Thanks!  (you are so knowledgeable!)


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## Guest (Aug 26, 2007)

orangeblossom said:
			
		

> I think I understand.  Yes, it does make sense.  (I'm not a computer linguist quite yet.........what is IE FCO?)
> 
> I was looking for a really white bar so make snowflake soap......I assume a 100% coconut oil soap would make a pretty white bar!
> 
> Thanks!  (you are so knowledgeable!)



I.E. (etc referring to) FCO 
Fract Coconut Oil.


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## Soapmaker Man (Aug 26, 2007)

smellitlikeitis said:
			
		

> orangeblossom said:
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Yea, what S. said!   
Note: Quit using acronyms, Paul. :roll: 

Paul.... :wink:


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## dantango (Aug 27, 2007)

Speaking of acronyms, what are 'TD' and 'GM?'  Those terms were used in another post re: making soap white.


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## Soapmaker Man (Aug 27, 2007)

dantango said:
			
		

> Speaking of acronyms, what are 'TD' and 'GM?'  Those terms were used in another post re: making soap white.



"TD" is Titanium Dioxide. It is a completely safe, most popular, whitening agent.  It is even used in candy!

"GM"  is Goat Milk. I use farm fresh Goat Milk.

Paul.... :wink:


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## orangeblossom (Aug 27, 2007)

Alright!


I'm totally going to try this!


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## orangeblossom (Aug 27, 2007)

Okay, one more question.  So do I figure out how much lye, by doing a 20% discount.......let's say for one pound of coconut oil I use 2.346 oz. of lye (according to soapcalc)  so then do I use 4.692 oz of water to make a 33% solution?


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## Soapmaker Man (Aug 27, 2007)

orangeblossom said:
			
		

> Okay, one more question.  So do I figure out how much lye, by doing a 20% discount.......let's say for one pound of coconut oil I use 2.346 oz. of lye (according to soapcalc)  so then do I use 4.692 oz of water to make a 33% solution?






Here is the recipe using Soap Calc. for 100% Coconut Soap using a 33% lye solution and taking a 20% lye discount.  You would use exactly;

Coconut oil---------------- 16 ounces
Lye-------------------------- 2.346 ounces
Water----------------------- 4.762

I just ran the recipe using 1 pound of coconut oil, 20% lye discount, and a 33% lye solution, and came up with these exact amounts for a 1 pound recipe.  Hope this helps!  It is the most bubbly, lathering soap I have used and not drying even to the face!

Paul... :wink:


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## CPSoaper (Aug 27, 2007)

Soapmaker Man said:
			
		

> dantango said:
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You lucky soaper you!! I have a friend that raises goats so I can usually get it from her fresh from the goat herself that same day. But this past year, she had decided to sell off all her goats and focus on her alpacas so she didn't let them breed. No baby goats, no delicious fresh goats milk.  :cry:  Darn it. But I'm in like flynn next spring since she realized it would be a major PITB to change her farm classification and decided she did not want to hassle with it.  So for the time being, it is the "fresh" from the grocers cooler gm for me.  Still can't beat a gm soap no matter where you get the gm but fresh sure makes an even bigger difference.   :wink:


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## Soapmaker Man (Aug 27, 2007)

I agree!  The farmer I buy mine from, sells me the 3 to 4 day old stock for cheap!  It is as good as day 1, but he discounts it for me!  My good luck!  Sometimes, he even trades me soap for a half gallon of GM.  WalMart sells the "fresh" Meyenberg GM in the cooler here, but, your right, it is not as good to drink, OR, make soap with as farm raised goats!  

Paul.... :wink:


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## dantango (Sep 30, 2007)

*20% lye discount*

Paul, this is a revelation to me, if I understand it properly.

Instead of using fancy oils to moisturize/superfat; I can just use a 20% discount instead.

This results in saving money by using less lye AND using less of the more expensive stuff like shea butter, castor oil, jojoba and so forth.

Paul: "Here is the recipe using Soap Calc. for 100% Coconut Soap using a 33% lye solution and taking a 20% lye discount. You would use exactly;

Coconut oil---------------- 16 ounces
Lye-------------------------- 2.346 ounces
Water----------------------- 4.762

I just ran the recipe using 1 pound of coconut oil, 20% lye discount, and a 33% lye solution, and came up with these exact amounts for a 1 pound recipe. Hope this helps! It is the most bubbly, lathering soap I have used and not drying even to the face!"


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## Soapmaker Man (Sep 30, 2007)

Yea Dan, isn't it a great, simple recipe!  It's the easiest recipe ever!  I'm reworking it just a tad using 2 more oils and a butter to try to make a luxury bar!  So simple, yet so good!

Thanks Dan for your feedback! 8) 

Paul.... :wink:


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## dantango (Sep 30, 2007)

This seems almost too good to be true. The downside to a 20% discount is that the remaining oil may go rancid or otherwise spoil if the soap is not used soon?   I've never had orange spots (in my soap at least    ), but don't the chances of that increase as the discount percentage goes up.

Susan Miller Cavitch talks about using 15%, 'tho now she is using 10%.

The standard lye calculators recommend 5% to 8%.

Of course I'm more confused than ever.  I'm going to post a new topic on lye  discounts and superfatting.


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## Soapmaker Man (Sep 30, 2007)

Dan, Coconut Oil, is not a oil that is prone to rancidity, as other oils high in Oleic Acid content are.  That is believed to be the main culprit of rancidity and DOS.  You could always add a tad bit of T-50 to your recipe to offset any rancidity worries.  I add T-50, natural vitamin E oil, to each batch.  

Paul.... :wink:


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## dantango (Sep 30, 2007)

Great, Paul!  Just like you, I plan to tinker with this, adding maybe a little castor oil and shea butter.  Since coconut oil is such a great soap oil for many reasons, and the only knock on using recipes of 100% coco is the supposed dryness/harshness, I'm very pleased to experiment.

I've also been meaning to find out about preservatives, so thanks also for the T-50 tip.


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## pink-north (Oct 2, 2007)

Hey Smelli,

For the "bunny castile soap" why do you need to "discount heavily"? I'm trying to make sense of this. I would like to try this castile soap.


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## Soapmaker Man (Oct 2, 2007)

I've done it with a 39% lye solution.  

Worked pretty well for me at that deep discount.

Paul.... :wink:


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## dantango (Oct 3, 2007)

I went ahead and made some, 20% discount, water 30% of oil.  100% coconut oil.  Actual recipe: 1650 grams of coconut oil, 495 g water, 242 g lye.
+ 10 g sodium lactate, an eye dropper of grapefruit extract and 2 oz. 'Bugoff,' a proprietary blend from Oregon trail.  I held out a little soap for swirling (chlorophyl).

Delighted with the result!  'Tho there were a few holes.  Never had this happen before.  I attributed it not to the recipe, but to the sudden trace.  Took a longer time than usual to trace, but when it did it went fast.

Still not sure about the holes (air pockets).  I would have thought the swirling would have given extra insurance against that, but....

The swirl came out beautifully.  I'd send a photo if I knew how.

BTW, even tho I just made this 10/1, I used it in the shower this morning, including for my hair.  No ill effects.  Maybe the 20% discount, and using less water lets it cure quicker.


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## dragonfly princess (Oct 3, 2007)

LET ME TELL YOU MY EASIEST SOAP RECIPE!!!!

ARE YOU READY??????











MELT & POUR 
ahahahahahahahaahahahahahah   just a joke, I am bored!


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## Guest (Oct 3, 2007)

pink-north said:
			
		

> Hey Smelli,
> 
> For the "bunny castile soap" why do you need to "discount heavily"? I'm trying to make sense of this. I would like to try this castile soap.



Bun's Castile (2004) 

32 oz. olive oil (the cheap stuff, not extra virgin) 
3 oz. castor oil 
4.50 oz. lye 
10 to 12 oz. distilled or rain water (makes the lather much better than tap water does). 

Do not heat your oils... use them at room temp. Mix the two together. Add your lye water as soon as the lye is fully dissolved and the solution is clear (no need to cool the lye solution, unless you are adding milk or honey to the recipe at trace... then you'd want that lye solution just cooler than room temp). 

This recipe traces fast. Blend with your stick blender for about a minute, let it sit for a couple of minutes. Mix it again for a minute. This may be all you need to get thin trace, as it usually doesn't take over 10 to 15 minutes to get trace. Once it starts tracing, work with it fast because it will set-up quickly. That's why I always suggest putting in your scents, colors, botanicals, etc at very thin trace, so after you work that stuff in, it's still soft enough to pour nicely. 

BTW, these are CP instructions, but this recipe HPs VERY well, so either way it will work fine. HTH hun


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## Soapmaker Man (Oct 3, 2007)

DFP, your funny!  I wish I had tried M&P.  I almost bought a M&P goat milk base before starting CP, but didn't!  M&P is the easiest for sure!  

Paul.... :wink:


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## dragonfly princess (Oct 3, 2007)

I am solely here to entertain!  That is what the hubby tells me


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## dantango (Oct 28, 2007)

*85% and 75% Coconut Recipes*

After following Paul's 100% coconut oil, 20% discount with good results, I've been experimenting, gradually replacing some of the coconut and lowering the discount to 15% to compensate for using softer oils.

These have become my favorite batches so far, 'tho they haven't cured yet for bath testing;

1.  85% coco, 5% babassu, 5% castor, 5% karite

2.  75% coco, 4% sweet almond, 6% babassu, 7% castor, 8 % olive

These are in 1650 gram batches, to which I add 10 g of sodium lactate and 1% T-50 preservative

BTW, these go into my 3.5 x 2.5 x 16" molds.  My favorite part of the process is unmolding and cutting.  I've been cutting them into bars about 1.125" and as much as I enjoy doing each by hand for the satisfaction I get from cutting them 'almost' perfectly, they are not perfectly uniform, so...

I'm thinking of buying one of Paul's wire 8 bar cutters, but I'm having a hard time deciding if I want the standard 1" thickness, or want to special order slightly thicker.


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## Soapmaker Man (Oct 28, 2007)

Those recipes sound really good Dan!  You must always try new recipes, always taking good notes and trying to improve on your recipe!  Good for you!  I think I like the 1-1/8" wide bars a bit better.  I made a custom 1-1/4" recently and a 1-1/8" one recently.  Of the two, and compared to my normal 1" spacing, I like the 1-1/8"  the best.  Thanks Dan, I also sent you a PM back.

Paul.... :wink:


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## Woodi (Dec 5, 2007)

My easiest recipe was 100% olive, but my skin felt sticky after using it in the shower. It also took many many weeks to cure to hard.

My second easiest recipe was 50% olive, 50% Palm Kernel.....lots of bubbly lather, nice and moisturizing.

but my fav recipe contains 50% olive, 22% palm, 25%palm kernel or coconut, 3% castor.


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## sfreitag (Apr 5, 2008)

*Re: 20% lye discount*



			
				dantango said:
			
		

> Paul, this is a revelation to me, if I understand it properly.
> 
> Instead of using fancy oils to moisturize/superfat; I can just use a 20% discount instead.
> 
> ...



Sorry if this is an old thread but I have been trying to duplicate these results on soapcalc and Im just not getting something right. I am using soapcalc 9WP.  I plugged in fractionated coconut oil at 100%. Then where it asks for the superfat/discount, I put 20%.  Finally, where it asks for the lye ratio I put 2:1.  These are the number it gave me when i calculated it:

coconut oil 16oz
lye 2.966
water 5.932

what oh what am i doing wrong?  Thank you guys.


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## Barb (Apr 5, 2008)

don't use the fractionated coconut, use either the 76 or 92 coconut.


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## sfreitag (Apr 5, 2008)

Thank you Barb,
I will try that


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## IanT (Apr 5, 2008)

sf- if you have a walmart near you, you can pick some coconut oil (76 deg) real cheap..its like 5 bucks for a small tub...def enough to experiment with but I wouldnt be using it if I was making bulk recipes due to retail costs/wholesale price comparison!


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## Woodi (Apr 5, 2008)

The easiest recipe I ever made was 100% olive oil soap. I let it harden for 6 weeks or more, added no scent. 

It looked lovely and smooth, but had little lather, and didn't rinse off as well as I like. But it was easy to make!


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## Soapmaker Man (Apr 5, 2008)

The soap for the "3 oil's swap" will be my simplest and easiest recipe to date.  I have never made a batch that had less than 6 or 7 ingredients so far.  I had one recipe with 13 different oils/butters/fats! :shock: 

Paul


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## AlicesWonderhands (Apr 22, 2015)

> The "Bunny" Castile Soap..
> 
> 90% Olive
> 10% Castor Oil
> ...



What is the super fat?


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## shunt2011 (Apr 22, 2015)

AlicesWonderhands said:


> What is the super fat?


 
This post is from 2008. It's not likely you'll get a response. Sorry!


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## snappyllama (Apr 22, 2015)

AlicesWonderhands said:


> What is the super fat?



Hi, that's a thread from 2008.  I don't think that soaper is stil active on the board.


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## grumpy_owl (Apr 22, 2015)

My go-to easy-peasy is 30/30/30/10, lard or tallow, olive oil, coconut oil and shea butter. Superfat at 7%. Feel the silky magic. It's easy to mix up a masterbatch in advance for this recipe.


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