# how much water do i use?



## jnl (Jun 22, 2015)

the SMB calculator is down so I am using soapcalc.

what do i put for the water amount as % of oils?


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## dixiedragon (Jun 22, 2015)

The default is 38% and I usually use that. Are doing anything fancy? I've bumped it as high as 42%


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## jnl (Jun 22, 2015)

i have also heard some people use 60% and some people use 75%

whats the point of using more?

i have only made liquid soap once and it was 100% CO and it seized up on me into a super hard lump that could not be stirred.


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## ngian (Jun 22, 2015)

Well I think you might better start calculating water based on lye, not oils. 

www.rivercitysoaps.com/dwcp/dwcp.pdf

www.cavemanchemistry.com/WaterDiscount-Dunn.pdf

www.japudo.com.br/en/2013/05/14/the-importance-of-lye-concentration/

Friendly Nikos


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## Susie (Jun 22, 2015)

This is liquid soap, not bar soap.  I prefer to use three times as much water as KOH.


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## ngian (Jun 23, 2015)

Susie said:


> This is liquid soap, not bar soap.  I prefer to use three times as much water as KOH.



You are right Susie, I didn't see from the SMF application the section of the forum that the OP posted from, and although the above links that I gave are explaining technical things about water on a bar soap, I guess similar theory would apply in liquid soap too...

You are also mentioning water based on KOH.


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## Susie (Jun 23, 2015)

In liquid soap, the water determines the consistency of the paste(and the ease of working it and diluting later).  I happen to like how it works with KOH:water at 1:3.  Gives a much looser paste.  It also happens to be the SBM default.


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## DeeAnna (Jun 23, 2015)

Like Susie, I use a 3:1 water:lye ratio to make my liquid soap paste. Stated another way, that is a 25% lye concentration. Like Nikos, I prefer to use lye concentration, not "water as % of oils". 

I've used as low as 2:1 ratio (33% lye concentration) to make the paste, but I regretted doing that -- the paste is so dry and more difficult to work with.


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