Link to fat and oil properties.

[Thomas Ancona]

Is there a link anywhere on here on the different attributes or properties of each oil or fat? I plug in different mixtures and combinations of ingredients in hope to hit all the properties of a good soap. It’s a crap shoot because I don’t know what each is capable of doing. Same goes with percent of water and lye concentration. Any manuals or references I can read up on these? Thanks all.

 

[AliensrReal]

I recently started using 33% lye concentration and prefer it that way. There isn’t a complete list of oil properties. WSP has a good list though. What exactly are you looking for in a soap? Numbers aren’t everything.
Also, @DeeAnna has a wonderful website for beginners.

 

[Thomas Ancona]

I guess I’m trying to be in the mid to upper range for all of the categories. I seem to be able to get there in most of the catagories but not all. I wish I knew what changes I need to make to adjust the final product quality.

 

[AliOop]

@Thomas Ancona It's terrific that you are wanting to learn more! Just remember that the qualities shown in the calculator don't tell all, or even close to all. For instance, many folks love a 100% olive oil, 100% lard or 100% tallow soap. Other folks like a 100% coconut oil soap, especially with a high super-fat, or with lots of added salt, or both. The values for all those soaps look terrible in the calculator, so clearly there is more to a soap recipe than the numbers.

A good example of this is that the calculator numbers (and many new soapers) assume that a mid-range on the "cleansing" value is a good thing. However, in real life, for many people, even a mid-range cleansing value will be extremely drying and stripping to their skin. Personally, I like to keep my cleansing value at 10-12, and most of my users prefer that, as well. It does seem to be a general rule that males can tolerate a higher cleansing value than females, but that's not always the case.

Another thing that doesn't show up in the calculator is the effect of the SF or any additives. You probably know already that dissolving some form of sugar into your liquid before adding the NaOH will boost the lather/bubbles. The same with using dual lye, i.e., replacing some of the NaOH with KOH. However, if your selected blend of oils is low on the cleansing column, you will still see a low bubbly number on paper even though you've added sugar or KOH to your recipe - but your soap will lather a lot better than expected due to those additives.

Finally, what changes the values in the calculator, and the feel of the soap, technically isn't the oils - it's the fatty acids in those oils. Learning about fatty acids, and what each one brings to the table, is a great way to learn how to formulate a recipe you like. Here is a great article about that.

Good luck on your journey! Don't hesitate to share copies of proposed recipes here - we will be happy to give you input. Of course, some advice will be conflicting; usually that will be due to the preferences of each soapmaker, or the preferences of their target customers. Either way, posting proposed recipes to the forum is a great way to learn more about how all the different factors come together, including the ones that are not reflected in the numbers shown on the soap calculator.

 

[Mobjack Bay]

This article a good place to learn the basics for calculated soap qualities.

 

[AliensrReal]

I guess I’m trying to be in the mid to upper range for all of the categories. I seem to be able to get there in most of the catagories but not all. I wish I knew what changes I need to make to adjust the final product quality.

I would ask what are you looking for in a soap. Cleansing, mild, lots of bubbles and figure out which fatty acids will get you those results.

 

[Thomas Ancona]

I guess I’m looking for a bubbly smooth soap. Not to harsh.