How Much Does 2 Pounds Of Soap Base Make?
Introducing Soap Making
Soap base is the main ingredient used to make homemade soaps. It consists of oils and fats that have already undergone saponification, which is the chemical process that converts oils and fats into soap. Common types of soap bases include glycerin soap base, melt and pour soap base, and cold process soap base (https://www.brambleberry.com/articles/ingredient-information/art0012-introduction-to-soap-making.html). Using a premade soap base is an easy way for beginners to start handcrafting soaps without dealing with handling lye.
The soap making process typically involves combining soap base with water, fragrances, colors, and other additives. The soap base is melted, and the additional ingredients are mixed in. The soap is then poured into molds to set. Cold process soap making allows you to fully customize the qualities of the soap by selecting specific oils. Melt and pour is easier since it uses a premade glycerin or detergent-based soap base. The main benefits of making your own soap include being able to control the ingredients, create custom scents and designs, avoid harsh chemicals found in commercial soaps, and save money.
How Much Soap Can Be Made from Soap Base
The amount of soap that can be made from a given amount of soap base depends on several factors, but as a general rule of thumb, 2 pounds of soap base will yield 10-20 bars of soap.
According to melt and pour soap supplier New Directions Aromatics, a two-pound block of soap base can make between 10-20 finished soap bars, depending on the desired size of the bars [1]. For example, if making larger 5-6 ounce bars, 2 pounds of soap base would yield around 10-12 bars. If making smaller 3-4 ounce bars, 2 pounds of soap base could make 16-20 bars.
As another data point, soap makers on the Soap Making Forum report getting 9 bars from 2.5 lbs of soap base when making 5-5.5 oz bars[2]. Scaling that data down, 2 lbs of soap base would yield approximately 7-8 bars of the same 5-5.5 oz size.
In summary, while the exact yield will vary based on technique and desired bar size, most soap makers can expect 2 pounds of melt and pour soap base to make 10-20 finished handmade soap bars.
Calculating Soap Yields
There are a few key factors that determine the soap yield from a batch of cold process soap. The main variables are:
- The weight of the oils/fats/butters used in the recipe
- The water content of the recipe (water as an ingredient plus the water content of the lye solution)
- Any additives included (colorants, fragrance, botanicals etc)
- The size/weight of the finished bars
To calculate the theoretical yield of a soap recipe, you need to know the total weight of all the ingredients. Add up the weights of the oils, butter, lye solution, and any other additives. This is your total batch weight.
Then you need to estimate the final bar weight you are aiming for after cure. A standard handmade soap bar weighs 3-6 oz cured. Decide your target bar weight and divide the total batch weight by your desired bar weight. This will tell you the estimated number of bars the recipe should yield.
For example, if your total batch weight is 48 oz and you want 4 oz bars, dividing 48 oz by 4 oz tells us the recipe should make about 12 bars of soap (48 / 4 = 12).
The actual yield may vary slightly from the estimate depending on water evaporation and other factors. Tracking your actual yields over time will help you better predict future yields.
Typical Soap Base Yields
The amount of soap you can make from soap base depends on the type of base used. Here are typical yields for common soap bases:
Shea Butter Soap Base: 1 pound of shea butter soap base will make approximately 8-9 bars of soap, depending on the mold size. Shea soap base contains a high percentage of moisturizing shea butter so yields fewer bars.
Goat’s Milk Soap Base: 1 pound of goat’s milk soap base will make around 10 standard sized bars. Goat’s milk is rich and creamy but denser than other bases.
Olive Oil Soap Base: Pure olive oil soap base has a lower glycerin content than other bases, resulting in firmer bars. Expect to get about 11-12 bars from 1 pound of olive soap base.
Coconut Oil Soap Base: Coconut oil makes a hard bar, allowing 1 pound of coconut soap base to yield 10-12 bars.
Palm Oil Soap Base: Palm oil is one of the most common soap base oils. Expect approximately 11-13 bars from 1 pound of palm soap base.
Castile Soap Base: True castile soap contains 100% olive oil. It will produce around 10-11 bars per pound.
The more dense, fatty, and moisturizing the oils in the soap base, the lower the soap yield. Lighter oils like palm and coconut produce harder, higher-yielding bars.
(Information from: https://bottegazerowaste.com/blogs/natural-palm-oil-free-soap-making/halloween-melt-and-pour-soap-tutorial)
Factors Affecting Soap Yield
There are several factors that can affect the yield when making soap from a soap base. Some of the main considerations include:
Water Amount – The amount of water used when melting the soap base and creating the soap batch impacts yield. More water dilutes the soap mixture, resulting in a lower soap yield. According to research, using a water:oil ratio of 2:1 to 3:1 provides a good soap yield.
Additives – Adding extra oils, butters, fragrances, colors, and other additives to a soap recipe reduces the soap yield. Each additive replaces a portion of the soap base in the recipe, resulting in less total soap produced. Limiting additives can optimize yields.
Mixing and Temperatures – Properly mixing the soap base and additives, without adding excess air into the batter, gives better yields. Pouring at the right trace and keeping the soap warm during molding also improves the amount of usable soap produced. According to research, mixing method impacts soap quality and performance.
Curing Time – Allowing the molded soaps to cure properly (typically 4-6 weeks) prevents rapid melting, extended curing, and other issues that lower usable yield. Patience during the curing phase ensures bars reach their maximum quality and usability.
Recipe Ratios – The proportion of soap base to additives significantly impacts yield. Recipes with a higher percentage of soap base and minimal additives produce the maximum usable soap. Adjusting ratios based on desired qualities and yields is key.
Maximizing Your Soap Yield
When making soap from a soap base, it’s important to maximize the yield from each batch to get the most value from your materials. Here are some tips for optimizing soap yield per batch:
Reduce additives. Things like essential oils, colors, and botanicals take up space in your soap that could otherwise be filled with more soap. Start with lower amounts like 1 teaspoon of essential oils per pound of soap base and increase slowly based on performance and scent strength.
Use distilled water. Tap water contains minerals and impurities that can react with the lye in cold process soap making, reducing yield. Using purified or distilled water eliminates this issue.
Avoid partial batches. Making full batches maximizes your equipment and materials. Scale your recipe to make full use of your mold size.
Limit superfatting. Going above 5-7% superfat will start to reduce the yield of usable soap from your recipe. Stick to the recommended superfat levels.
Pre-measure and prepare. Having all your ingredients pre-measured and ready to go allows you to move quickly through the soapmaking process with less waste and spills.
Follow best practices. Techniques like hand stirring, maintaining emulsion, and avoiding false trace will help ensure you get the maximum usable soap from each batch.
With some planning and experience, you can get predictable, high yields from your favorite soap recipes when making soap from scratch or melts.
Storing Leftover Soap Base
If you have any leftover soap base after making a batch of soap, it’s important to store it properly for future use. According to Kowalski Mountain, the best way to store unused soap base is in an airtight container in a cool, dry place like a basement or pantry. It’s ideal to store soap base in its original packaging, but you can also use food storage containers as long as they have an airtight seal. Make sure to push out any excess air before sealing the container.
Some soap makers recommend storing unused soap base in the refrigerator for maximum freshness, while others advise keeping it at room temperature since the base may sweat condensation in the fridge. Regardless of temperature, it’s most important to keep soap base in an airtight, moisture-free environment. SoapMakingEssentials.com notes that properly stored soap base can last 6 months to a year before losing its scent and texture qualities.
When ready to use leftover soap base for future batches, let it come fully to room temperature before unsealing to prevent condensation. Then simply cut, melt, and mix like new soap base. With proper storage methods, unused soap base can be saved instead of wasted.
Getting Creative With Soap Yields
If you end up with excess soap from a batch, there are many creative ways you can use it rather than letting it go to waste. Some ideas for using up extra soap include:
- Making soap embeds like flowers, confetti, or other shapes to decorate bars. This is an easy way to use up scraps from cutting bars or leftover bits of soap. (Source)
- Gifting it as guest soaps, samples, or party favors. Wrap up a few small bars or pieces as gifts for friends and family.
- Donating it to charity organizations like women’s shelters, homeless shelters, or disaster relief groups. Many will gladly take donations of handmade soap.
Rebatching excess soap is also an option if you want to thoroughly incorporate it back into a unified bar form. This involves grating or processing the soap into small bits, then slowly melting it down with additional oil and fragrances. (Source) The rebatched soap can then be poured into molds.
With creativity and effort, you can reduce waste and find uses for all the soap you make. The possibilities are nearly endless!
Troubleshooting Soap Yields
One of the most common issues when making soap is ending up with lower yields than expected. There are several potential causes of low soap yield that you can troubleshoot:
Incorrect water amount – Using too little water is a common reason for seizing or partial gel phase, which can result in lower yield. Check a soap calculator and increase water to 33-35% of oil weight.
Partial gel phase – Insufficient insulation can cause partial gel, creating cracks and lower yield. Cover molds fully after pour for gel phase. Or maintain temps under 110°F to prevent gel.
Soaping too hot – High temperatures speed trace and can lead to seizing. Soap 10-20 degrees below your lowest melting point oil. Stick blend periodically vs continuously.
Fragrance or additive issues – Some fragrances, clays, milk, aloe vera etc. accelerate trace or cause seizing. Use lighter fragrances and less problem additives.
Humidity issues – High humidity can accelerate trace. Soap in low humidity or dehumidify your soaping space.
pH too high – A pH over 10 can result in crumbly soap with lower yield. Run your recipe through a lye calculator and carefully measure lye.
With some adjustments, you can get beautiful, high-yielding soap every time. Referencing reputable resources like soapmaking forums can also help troubleshoot.
Next Steps in Soap Making
Once you have mastered the basics of soap making, there are some additional skills you may want to develop. Here are some next steps to consider:
Packaging – After curing, you will want to package your soaps for storage, gifting or selling. Some options are boxes, bags, shrink wrap and bands. Make sure your packaging is food-safe and protects the soap.
Labeling – Create custom labels for your soap that communicate ingredients, weight, your brand and any special qualities. Adhere labels neatly for a professional look.
Selling – If selling your soaps, you will need to price them appropriately, market your brand and find retail partners or sell online/at markets. Research legal requirements in your area.
Developing recipes – Experiment with different oils, colors, scents and techniques to create your own signature soap recipes.
Advanced techniques – Try swirling, embedding decorative items or creating novelty soaps like cupcakes or roses.
Record keeping – Keep detailed notes on each batch including ingredients, measurements, temperatures, timing, issues etc. This will help refine your process.
Safety and storage – Follow best practices for storing lye, oils, utensils, cured soap etc. Wear safety gear when making soap.
Joining communities – Connect with other soap makers online and in-person to exchange tips and find mentors.
Improving skills – Continue learning via books, videos and soapmaking classes. Attend conferences to keep growing.
