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Lye Calculation

To determine how much lye you need in a soap recipe, you need to know the SAP (saponification) value of the oil(s) you are using. Most soapmaking suppliers provide you with the SAP value of the oils.

Example Recipe:
4 ounces Coconut Oil - NaOH SAP value = .178
4 ounces Palm Oil - NaOH SAP value = .144
8 ounces Olive Oil - NaOH SAP value = .135

Multiply each oils SAP value by the number of ounces you are using in the recipe:
Coconut Oil - 4 x .178 = 0.71
Palm Oil - 4 x .144 = 0.58
Olive Oil - 8 x .135 = 1.08

Add them all together:
0.71 + 0.58 + 1.08 = 2.37

Bringing us to the amount of lye (sodium hydroxide) needed:
2.37 ounces - this is with a 0% superfat

Now, to take a 5% superfat, subtract 5% of the lye amount (2.37 x 5% = 0.12), bringing the amount of lye you want to use in your recipe to 2.25 ounces. To determine the amount of water (or other liquid) to use in the recipe, the usual amount is 4 to 6 ounces per pound of oils.

Final result for the 1 pound recipe noted above:
4 ounces Coconut Oil
4 ounces Palm Oil
8 ounces Olive Oil
2.25 ounces Lye (Sodium Hydroxide) (to superfat at 5%)
5 ounces of water

Whew, that was a lot of math! We will have a lye calculator online soon, however, in the meantime, try the one found at: http://www.soapcalc.com

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