From David Fisher,
Your Guide to Candle & Soap Making.
FREE Newsletter. Sign Up Now!

A "basic" recipe should have some of at least the first three oil categories - hard, lathering, and moisturizing. So a basic recipe would be:

• 30% Tallow
• 25% Coconut
• 45% Olive

That would be a great, balanced basic bar of soap.

Note: I'm using percentages instead of measurements. If this is confusing, or to scale your recipe to any size, read Measurements vs. Percentages in Soap Making.

Now, if you wanted to use only vegetable oils, you could use:

• 25% Palm oil
• 25% Coconut oil
• 25% Olive oil
• 15% Canola oil
• 10% Sunflower oil

This is a great, basic recipe for soap.

Note: Many soapers also swear by adding 4-6% Castor oil to their recipes. I'm one of them. It increases the lather and gives the soap a nice creaminess.

So...an even better great, basic recipe for soap would be:

• 25% Palm oil
• 25% Coconut oil
• 25% Olive oil
• 10% Canola oil
• 10% Sunflower oil
• 5% Castor oil

Again, you can make soap using only Lard...or Olive and Coconut...or you can use 15 different oils to create a unique and personal symphony of lather, hardness, and moisturizing. Like making candles, the best thing you can do is not be afraid to experiment, share your experiences with others in the crafting community, take good notes, and try try again!

Happy Soaping!