RECIPE and LYE CALCULATOR- Does it work always ?

[saqqa]

Hello.
I had got a recipe for 100% coconut oil online.
Unfortunately, when I put the same recipe in Lye calculator (Soapcalc) it gives me different Lye amount.

Is it must that all recipe should match with the Lye calculator ?
Can I make my own recipe with the Lye calculator and it will work ?

Am mostly interested in 100% coconut recipe. (or 100% palm oil)

Thanks

 

[toxikon]

Most lye calculators have a slightly different equation for calculating lye - they should all be fairly close though.

I'd recommend running any recipe you find online through a lye calculator before making it. I trust lye calculators much more than a random blogger!

The forum favourites are SoapCalc and Soapee calculators. I'm not sure what the recipe says, but a 100% coconut oil soap should have a 15-25% superfat to keep it from drying your skin out badly.

 

[IrishLass]

Not to worry- it will work. Oftentimes you will find that lye calculators differ just a little slightly from each other, but it's not cause for alarm. The reason why they differ is because SAP numbers on lye calculators are not based on single, pin-point, exact numbers, i.e., they fall within in a certain range of + or - 5 points or something like that for each oil/fat. This is so, because SAP numbers for whichever oil/fat can vary a little bit from lot number to lot number based on climate or the farming/growing conditions or practices of where the oil/fat was sourced.

Each calculator works off the same given range for each oil, but some calculators base their SAP numbers on the higher end of the range, while others base it on the lower end of the range, but the range itself remains the same, and the difference in the finished soap is so miniscule that it's a non-issue.


IrishLass

 

[earlene]

Does your recipe say what the superfat is for that recipe? If not, you can determine it by altering the SF number in the lye calculator until you come up with an amount of lye that is closest to what your recipe says. It's sort of backwards engineering, but it works when you find a recipe that leaves that information out.

And yes, you can create your own recipe using a lye calculator and if you follow the formula it will make soap. No guarantees it will be good soap, but it will be soap.

Here's a thread about 100% Palm Oil soap with a nice link to a post elsewhere listing two soaps made with only palm. One was palm oil, while the other was palm kernel oil (different characteristics). They both got good reports from the tester.