How to add sugar(s) and oil to a recipe

by Michele Barker
(Seymour, MO)

I am new to making soap, I have always used a book recipe and have never added anything extra (colors, oils to super fat at the end, etc). I now want to experiment a little!! :)

When someone adds sugar, exactly what does it do to the soap and how do you know the amount to add to a recipe?

When "superfatting" I've read you add a small amount of oil at the end, when there is a thin trace. Is this correct and how do you gauge how much oil to add?

I have seen these "optional" ingredients in some of your recipes here, which I haven't tried yet but am planning to.

I have learned a lot from this site and LOVE the soap pictures, beautiful and so very creative! Hoping someday I can get close to creating soaps like these!!!!

Answer:

Thanks Michele, I'm glad you like the site!

For information on why and how to add sugar to your recipes, visit the Herbal Natural Soap Ingredients page.

As for "Superfatting" a recipe by adding oils at a thin trace...I rarely do that any more to be honest. I find it more efficient, accurate and easier to simply add any oils that I want into the recipe from the beginning. In other words, I create the recipe with the specialty oil in the base ingredients, adding anywhere from 5% or more. The actual superfating occurs by reducing the amount of lye needed in the recipe.

Visit SoapCalc and check out section 4. I usually set this section to 5% or up to 10% to give the superfat amount in the recipe.

You can still superfat by adding the oils at a thin trace but you will need to be careful on how much you add. You don't want the soap to have too much free oil in it that it no longer cleans.

Happy soaping,
Cathy