You said the lye amount would change if you use the oil combination given in your above answer instead of soybean oil. But you did not list how it would change. Can you please clarify that part?

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You said the lye amount would change if you use the oil combination given in your above answer instead of soybean oil. But you did not list how it would change. Can you please clarify that part?

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Dr. Md Rushad Rahman · Answer 1 · Oct 17, 2017 08:12:42

The amount of lye changes because the different types of oil react with sodium hydroxide (lye) either more or less efficiently. The chemical reaction that turns fatty acids and lye into soap is known as saponification. Different oils have saponification values that reflect their relative efficiency in the reaction. Different ratios of oil to lye are used so that there is no excess lye in the final soap product. Lye is caustic when dissolved in water in the amounts used in making soap. All of it must be consumed in the reaction. All the ingredients in soap should be weighed accurately for this reason. There are several lye calculators available online for determining the correct amounts.

You said the lye amount would change if you use the oil combination given in your above answer instead of soybean oil. But you did not list how it would change. Can you please clarify that part?

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