How Much Lye to Use?
NOTE: Sometime in the spring of 1999, the Lewis Lye company started packaging their lye crystals in 18 ounce containers with reclosable child-proof lids. Be sure you notice how many ounces are in the can you have purchased before you dump it all into your batch! You may need to get a postal scale in order to weigh out the proper amount. I have still seen 12 ounce containers, but don’t know if they are old stock or whether they are still packaging it both ways. The first consideration in designing your soap recipe is that the balance of lye to fats be correct so that you will have a mild end product. This is determined by the saponification values of the oils. Elaine White has been very generous in providing this useful information to people via her website. Her chart is widely accepted, but some people think that relying on it alone can yield a harsher soap than using the Lye Calculator at Majestic Mountain Sage (Link Below) which displays the amount needed for a milder product. You ca
