? about a recipe i saw

Soapmaking Forum

Help Support Soapmaking Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.
Joined
Jul 21, 2014
Messages
1,680
Reaction score
1,130
So in my research, I've come across a website that has 10 different recipe links to peoples blogs and such. I found this specific one here.
http://www.soaprecipes101.com/homemade-soap-recipes/aloe-vera-soap-recipe/

So I ran this through the lye calculator. Here are the results in the pic.

I believe this is 15.7 oz water on 6 oz lye in the calc. This is a 38% water discount I left it since the web page didn't state it, standard on the soapcalc. So my questions...
Is aloe gel mixed with water an additive, or is it considered into the 15.6 oz water because she only has 9.9 oz water with 9.6 oz "aloe water puree"? If it is considered part of the water, then that's 19.5 oz water to 6 oz lye in the calc, not to mention she calls for 6.7 oz lye...so how would I input her recipe accurately?
I don't want to do this recipe and haven't made any cp soap yet, buti am researching and am utterly confused when I come across recipes online that don't add up on the calc. I am interested in additives and such, eventually, and want to be well informed before I start. This recipe seems harsh as well, so does aloe increase conditioning a lot? Thx for any insight! My recipes are all going to be made by myself from scratch, but I enjoy taking ideas and other recipes and learning from them.

Screenshot_2014-08-03-16-34-35.jpg
 
Last edited:
OK, first thing is that you take someone's oils from their recipe and put those into soapcalc. You don't try to make soapcalc fit the recipe. You take what you get from soapcalc, and go with that. So, in this case, you go with 15.7 oz liquid(water-ish) and 6 oz NaOH. This is why we tell people to run ALL recipes through a calculator for themselves. Too much room for error in the compiling, typing, editing, re-typing, setting the print, etc process.

Second is, yes, you use half(or whatever it calls for) water to mix with the lye, then add your other liquid(milk, aloe, whatever) to the oils. So, in this case, it would be 7.9 oz water, and 7.8 oz aloe.(Assuming your scale does not go to hundredths of ounces. If it does, use 7.85 of each.)

You did not say or show what superfat % you are using. This is vital information.

You did not ask my opinion on the recipe, so if you don't want it, stop reading now. My personal opinion is that that is too much coconut oil, and will be drying. I would stick to 20% or less, and make up the balance in lard.
 
Last edited:
Yeah, I too thought it was way too much coconut, per my learning here and elsewhere. Superfat was not listed, and I agree vital to properly input the recipe. Thx for the links by the way! I feel safer knowing what I personally put in precalculating everything honestly, as opposed to others recipes. As I said am learning right now, reading, and seeing what others have done. There are plenty of well known soapers that I input the recipe in, and saw it was too drying for my taste. I have also found certain oils I will be avoiding to prevent dos.

Sorry if this offends people that blog or post recipes, but many recipes I have put into soapcalc do NOT add up to what the poster wrote, even if I change the water %. I officially have stopped trusting recipes, and instead find extremely helpful information about bubbly oil, or conditioning additives to use, etc, etc. Info has proven much more helpful than recipes, does that make sense?

Tux for your all opinions on this! It seemed interesting to see someone's aloe recipe, only to input it and scratch my head going "huh? Now how did they get THAT!"
 
Lol, now looked at the links and have seen them all several times except mullerslanefarm.
Now off to be sure they are bookmarked and read yet again!!! My goodness soaking has become an obsession. Just think of when I start actually making it! Scary!!

Um, should say soaping, NOT soaking :lol:
 
Last edited:
Back
Top