Soap Making Glossary: 14 Terms Explained
The words that show up in soap making specs, reviews and how-to guides, explained without jargon.
- Cold process
- Making soap from oils and lye at moderate temperatures, then curing the bars for about 4-6 weeks.
- Cure
- Letting cold process bars dry so excess water evaporates, giving a harder, longer-lasting bar.
- Related: Best Curing Racks for Handmade Soap →
- Fragrance oil usage rate
- The safe maximum percentage of fragrance for skin products, published by the supplier for each oil.
- Related: Best Fragrance Oils for Handmade Soap →
- Gel phase
- A heating stage in fresh soap that can make colours more vivid. Some makers encourage it, others prevent it.
- Hot process
- Cooking soap batter until saponification completes, giving a rustic texture and a shorter wait before use.
- Lye
- Sodium hydroxide (NaOH) for bar soap or potassium hydroxide (KOH) for liquid soap. Always wear gloves and eye protection.
- Related: Best Lye for Soap Making →
- Lye calculator
- Software that computes exact lye and water amounts for a recipe. Never guess lye quantities.
- Melt and pour
- Pre-made soap base you melt, colour, scent and pour. No lye handling, great for beginners.
- Related: Best Melt and Pour Soap Base →
- Mica
- A shimmering mineral colourant used in soap and cosmetics.
- Related: Best Mica Powder for Coloring Handmade Soap →
- SAP value
- The amount of lye needed to saponify one gram of a specific oil.
- Saponification
- The chemical reaction between fats and lye that produces soap and glycerin.
- Soda ash
- A harmless white powdery film on the soap surface, usually removed with steam or planing.
- Related: Best Soap Planers for Clean, Even Bars →
- Superfat
- Extra oil left unsaponified on purpose, commonly around 5 percent, for a milder bar and a safety margin.
- Trace
- The point where soap batter thickens enough that drizzles leave a visible trail on the surface.
- Related: Best Stick Blenders for Soap Making →