Soap/lye caculater

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Newbie89

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This is going to sound so daft but I have looked at the soap cal I really can't work out how to use them? Iv made soap a couple of times but just following recipes online! I want to work out myslef how to do the percentages so I can play around with ingredients is there an easy way to work it out or can someone please explain in basic terms how to work out the percentages! Thabks in advance :)
 
The answer depends on what your goal is.

Laundry soap that I make is intentionally "lye heavy" so it strips oils from the clothing. ( no superfat or lye discount)
Soap for washing skin has a certain percentage ( I use 4 to 6 percent) of unsaponified oils ( superfat or lye discount) so it does less stripping of oils.

Then there's the "numbers"..Hardness: Cleansing: “Conditioning”: Bubbly: Creamy: Lasting:
Some calculators do not use the "lasting" number.
All these are calculated based on the fatty acid profiles of the oils you choose to use. Play with using different percentages of the same oils like: Lard, Palm, olive, rice bran, coconut etc and watch what the numbers do. Please note that soap does NOT "condition" so that number is misleading. Soapcalc is a good place to start while learning and there is a link to it in the Beginner's section.

Clear as mud , right?
 
Soapcalc has directions here:
http://soapcalc.net/info/helptext.asp

Looking at the recipe calculator:
http://soapcalc.net/calc/SoapCalcWP.asp

You will see numbers in boxes. For example, next to "Type of Lye" there is a 1 in a box. You can click that 1 for help in that area.

There is also a thread on using Soapcalc
https://www.soapmakingforum.com/threads/how-to-use-soap-calc-tutorial.49627/

Not stupid questions at all! Welcome to the forum!
Thank you so much will have a read through inf No it so much easier to just follow a recipe haha but can't find the right one for my hair

The answer depends on what your goal is.

Laundry soap that I make is intentionally "lye heavy" so it strips oils from the clothing. ( no superfat or lye discount)
Soap for washing skin has a certain percentage ( I use 4 to 6 percent) of unsaponified oils ( superfat or lye discount) so it does less stripping of oils.

Then there's the "numbers"..Hardness: Cleansing: “Conditioning”: Bubbly: Creamy: Lasting:
Some calculators do not use the "lasting" number.
All these are calculated based on the fatty acid profiles of the oils you choose to use. Play with using different percentages of the same oils like: Lard, Palm, olive, rice bran, coconut etc and watch what the numbers do. Please note that soap does NOT "condition" so that number is misleading. Soapcalc is a good place to start while learning and there is a link to it in the Beginner's section.

Clear as mud , right?
I'm trying to make a shampoo liquid or bar soap
 
If you do a search on the forum you will find many topics on shampoo for hair. Soap can totally ruin your hair. Some can use it many cannot. The PH is generally way too high for hair
 
Whaybph should it be? Is there a way of testing the oh level if I make my own!
If you do a search on the forum you will find many topics on shampoo for hair. Soap can totally ruin your hair. Some can use it many cannot. The PH is generally way too high for hair
 
Soap has a PH that is too high for hair. Shampoo is made from syndets ( synthetic detergents)). The high PH in soap opens up the pores in each strand of hair which will cause the hair to dry and become brittle unless the pores are closed using an acidic rinse. Some have suggested a vinegar rinse.

Soap by it's very nature must have a high PH or it's not soap.
 
Whaybph should it be? Is there a way of testing the oh level if I make my own!

I don't think there's a way to accurately measure your soap's pH unless you pay for lab testing.

You can't really lower the pH of soap much - if you add acid on the theory that acid will lower the pH, then your soap won't become soap. This is why on both of your threads we are telling you repeatedly that SOAP ISN'T GOOD FOR HAIR. There is no secret to make low pH soap because that isn't a think. Is there such a thing as high pH lemon juice? No. Because lemon juice is an acid. you can fake it by using lemon extract or artificial lemon flavor, depending on your goal. But you can't make high pH lemon juice. and you can't make low pH soap.
 
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