What to include when calculating lye amount

[Kimotto]

Hi
We make a cold process soap using palm, coconut, safflower and castor oils.
The scent we use is an organic flavoring in a carrier oil of safflower which makes up about 5-6% of the total oils in the recipe.
Currently we add this amount at trace but since the scent is in such a large amount of safflower carrier oil should I include the amount of flavoring in figuring the amount of lye/water ratio or should it just still be added at trace.
The bar are sometimes chalky and dont always mix well.
Thanks in advance for your help.
Kim

 

[ResolvableOwl]

Welcome to SMF, @Kimotto !

Base oils are still oils. If you want to avoid excessive residual oils (probably a good idea when using safflower oil, due to rancidity danger), of course you have to include it into the lye calculation!
Just compose the recipe, and subtract said 6% from the amount of pure safflower. Then melt/mix all oils (including the scented safflower), add lye, stick-blend, and be happy about one step less in your process.

Unless proven otherwise, there is zero advantage of artificially splitting the base oil additions in CP soapmaking.

 

[Kimotto]

Thank you so much!