How To Enter Your Own Recipe

Empty fields need your text input. Button or boxes can be marked or not, just click to mark in the fashion desired.

Recipe Title (optional)
This field truly is optional. However, it will help you organize your recipe print outs. If you skip this section nothing will print in the upper left hand section of the recipe. We recommend you use this field. Try calling your recipes by the date you calculated them or the type of soap it will make. An example would be "Jan. 24th, 2000 Milk Soap".

Created by (optional)
If you choose you can put your name here. It might also be a reference of where you found the recipe you want to double check the lye. An example might be "MMS Soap List Member Jane Doe".

Select your unit of weight measurement
This section allows you to determine how you would prefer the recipe to read. Some scales weigh only in ounces, while others are only in pounds. Choose the easiest form for you to measure. Remember that ounces is a weight measurement and not a fluid measurement. Ounces is the default unit of measure.

Select which type of lye you wish to use.
This section is to give the Lye Calculator the information it needs to present your recipe in a finished form. Most of us use solid form lye. It most often comes in beads yet can sometimes come in flakes. Solid form sodium hydroxide is the default form of lye.

Solid Form Lye
Choose either sodium or potassium hydroxide. Sodium hydroxide is primarily used for making bar soaps while potassium hydroxide is primarily used for liquid soaps.

Liquid Lye Solution
We were contacted by a customer who lived in a remote location and had great access to lye already in liquid form. She had a very difficult time getting the solid form in with her monthly shipments of supplies so we added this feature for her. Liquid lye is generally more expensive than the solid form but it can be very convenient to use. The liquid form of lye will have a solution strength printed on the container. We only allow for a %w/w (percent of weight to weight). We do not ever recommend using a %v/w (percent of volume to weight) product. We recommend using only a 30%, or greater, weight to weight solution.

Include basic soapmaking instructions
This box has a default of being marked. If you choose to reduce the amount of space needed for printing your recipe and feel comfortable with your soapmaking skills you may "un" mark the box.

Liquid of choice (water, milk, herbal tea, etc.)
This section is for ease of remembering what you desired to make when you were online making your recipe printout. It is also helpful in remembering what you made 3 months ago when the soap is gone and everyone requests a repeat! If you leave this field blank nothing will print on your recipe page. If you are using a combination of liquids we suggest putting that in this box. An example would be "Half water, half milk".

Fillers, Fragrances, Notes
This section is to include what things you want to add to your soap. You may wish to note here how much, and what, fragrance you used. Also include information that may seem important later. This is really your note section. MMS does not receive your recipe information so be as detailed as you want. An example might be ".25 oz Honey Almond Fragrance Oil and 1 tablespoon finely ground oatmeal (flour consistency)".

Enter the amount of each oil or fat you wish to use. If you do not enter a number then that oil or fat will not be used in the calculation.
This is where you will put each weight of oil you are using. Remember that above you selected the weight measurement which you will be using. You can not mark ounces above and then figure of another oil you want 1 pound, convert the 1 pound to 16 ounces. Remember: Be consistent with your unit of measure. Once you have completed your data entry click on "Calculate Lye", you will then be taken to a page that is yours and yours only. Print that page once you arrive.

Now that you know how each field works enter this sample recipe now.

Recipe Title: MMS Sample Recipe
Created by: MMS Education Staff
Select your unit of weight measurement: Ounces
Select which type of lye you wish to use: Solid Form Sodium Hydroxide
Leave the "Include basic soapmaking instructions" box marked.
Liquid of Choice: water
Fillers, Fragrances and Notes:

.25 oz Honey Almond Fragrance Oil;
1 tablespoon finely ground oatmeal (flour consistency);
0.15 cc Lemon Yellow Dry colorant mixed into 1/2 fl oz of water, use 10 drops of this colorant mixture
Fats & Oils Section:
4 coconut oil,
5 olive oil,
6 palm oil,
1 shea butter

Once you have entered all the information click "calculate lye" and print the sample recipe page. Now, please read "How to Read the Lye Calculator Printout" as we will reference the information of the sample recipe.

Best wishes to you and your soapmaking venture!
MMS Staff