Lather & Lye

Ingredients & Recipes

What actually goes into a good bar of soap: the common oils and butters and what each contributes to lather, hardness, and conditioning, how superfat and water amount change the bar, why every single recipe must go through a lye calculator, and beginner-proof starter recipes you can rely on and adapt as you grow.

Ingredients & Recipes

9 guides
Ingredients & Recipes

How to Adapt and Resize a Soap Recipe

Learn how to resize a soap recipe safely: scale your oils by batch size, adjust fragrance and water, and always recalculate lye in a lye calculator.

July 2, 2026
Ingredients & Recipes

The Best Oils for Soap Making (and What Each One Does)

A beginner's guide to soap making oils: what each one contributes, typical usage percentages, and how to balance a recipe from scratch.

June 30, 2026
Ingredients & Recipes

Adding Milk, Honey, and Oatmeal to Soap

Learn how to add milk, honey, and oatmeal to cold-process soap safely. Tips on freezing milk, working with honey, and dispersing oats for a gentler bar.

June 26, 2026
Ingredients & Recipes

How to Make Castile Soap (100% Olive Oil)

Learn how to make castile soap with a simple 100% olive oil recipe. Beginner-friendly cold process guide with lye safety, step-by-step instructions, and cure...

June 24, 2026
Ingredients & Recipes

How to Use Hard Butters in Soap: Shea, Cocoa, and Mango

Learn how to use shea, cocoa, and mango butter in cold process soap, including safe usage rates, what each butter contributes, and how to avoid common issues.

June 21, 2026
Ingredients & Recipes

Coconut Oil, Olive Oil, and Palm: The Beginner Soap Trio

Learn how coconut oil, olive oil, and palm work together in a beginner soap recipe. Includes percentages, lye safety, and FAQ.

June 18, 2026
Ingredients & Recipes

How Much Water to Use in Cold Process Soap

Learn how to set the right water amount in cold process soap, understand lye concentration, water discounts, and why distilled water matters for beginners.

June 14, 2026
Ingredients & Recipes

A Simple Beginner Cold Process Soap Recipe

A beginner cold process soap recipe built on three forgiving oils, with safety-first lye guidance and step-by-step instructions for your first bar.

June 10, 2026
Ingredients & Recipes

What Is Superfat in Soap Making?

Superfat is the percentage of oils left unsaponified in your soap for a gentler, more moisturizing bar. Learn how to set it and why it matters.

June 6, 2026

← All topics