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Oh, ok. I think this really is a misunderstanding, then. I always assumed that the lye is evenly spread within the soap. But of course, if there are crystals or pockets of concentrated lye in the soap, it can be very dangerous no matter what the "average" pH of the soap is. I didn't think of that.

I repeat myself, but I'm pretty sure that the assumption that "free lye" is in some way inherently dangerous, independent from the pH level, is wrong. As I said: when you dissolve pure soap in water, you end up with Na⁺ and OH⁻ in the solution, even if there was absolutely no NaOH left in the...

I can't really speak from experience since I'm rather new to soaping but I'd say pH is just one of many factors. There are pH levels that are definitely unsafe (14 or higher) and there are levels that are definitely safe (7-8). But there's a grey area, where other factors like skin type...

No. Apart from the fact that by the time we consider saponification to be over, the soap is completely solid, it's never actually over. We often simplify chemical reactions. You add one component to the other, a chemical reaction happens and then you get the product. After that, it's done and...

I don't think our skin cares whether there is excess lye or whether the soap just happens to be very basic by itself. What's important is the pH value. As long as it is diluted enough, NaOH is not a problem. Besides, what really happens when we dissolve soap in water? Soap is a salt of the...

I think I got it: Water as % of oils is the same as saying chaperons per girl because in our example, water is the chaperons and oils are the girls. But we don't need the chaperons to look after the girls. Yes, the number of girls loosely corresponds with the number of boys, so we'll be about...

Not disagreeing with anything that's been said here, just some points to avoid confusion: 1. Phenolphtalein doesn't test specifically for NaOH. It's a pH indicator so it will show a reaction with everything that increases the pH value. 2. The point where phenolphtalein turns from pink to clear...

A little dash of fabric softener on a paper towel should work just as well as a dryer sheet in this case, but I haven't personally tried it. Somehow I don't have that problem with static electricity.

I've only just started out (made two batches so far) but this is exactly how I see it. A perfect steak is just meat, salt and pepper. No need for dozens of different spices, marinade or fancy decoration. It's beautiful and perfect by itself - the more you add, the more you take away from its...

My cousin once made a beautiful CP soap for my grandpa and he bit off a big chunk before realizing it was not food. If you can see your mom doing that, try to avoid sugar, salt and liquorice. Otherwise, there's nothing to worry about.

The morphine we use in medicine as a strong pain medication is still extracted from opium poppy to this day. It wouldn't be entirely wrong to call morphine herbal medicine. Most antibiotics we use originate from fungi or bacteria. Asbestos is a 100% natural building material. What I'm trying to...

The lard I buy (in Germany) already contains ROE so maybe check the labels to see if you can kill two birds with one stone.

I'm using soapee as well. It's has pretty much the same functionality as soapcalc but a more modern layout that I find to be much more clearly arranged.

I'm in a similar boat. I want to experiment and try different recipes, but every experiment adds 700g of soap to my stock. It will probably take me months to use up one single batch. I'm sure my family will be happy to receive some soap every once in a while but I can't send them a pound of soap...

The eyes are really the most sensitive organs. On almost all other parts of the body, permanent damage can be avoided if you notice the splash and immediately flush with lots of water for at least 15-20 minutes. But if you get lye in your eye, it can very quickly make you permanently blind. So...

If you have borosilicate pyrex, it should be fine. But if you have the newer soda-lime pyrex or if you don't know for sure which type you have, I wouldn't use it. Here's an infographic that may help you find out which type of pyrex you have...

I just poured my new soap and I'm really curious how it turns out. But I think I will let this one cure for as long as it needs and keep using my coconut soap in the meantime. By the way, did anyone else find that the combination of lard and olive oil smells exactly like wild boar? Even though...

"Technical" ropes like paracord are usually more on the rough side, because the friction allows for better knots. Naturally smooth materials like Dyneema/Spectra are often even covered with polyester or nylon so the knots don't slip when under load. I would look for decorative ropes. I have a...

I've read a blog post from a vegetarian who still advocated using lard for soap, arguing that we should at least make the most of the animals that die for us, instead of throwing away huge parts because they're not as desirable. Just like I use chicken carcasses and necks to make stock, I like...

33% it is, then.:thumbup: I got some castor oil at the pharmacy. It's not much (100ml/3.4oz) but it will be enough for 4 batches and after that I can hopefully decide if I want to order more.