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SoapSpice · Your first batch, in order

Everything you need.
A clear place to start.

A practical shopping checklist for your unscented starter batch. Keep the calculator weights beside you as you shop and measure.

01 Exact batch weights02 Tools & protection03 Ready when you are

Calculator-generated example

Your first-batch planning guide

This list is built from a SoapSpice calculator example so you can see what a first batch involves: 500.00 g of oils (70% olive oil, 20% coconut oil 76°, 10% shea butter), 5% superfat, and unscented. The NaOH and liquid weights below come straight from the calculator. Use the liquid amount as a cold-process starting estimate and review it against your chosen soapmaking method.

Before you make soap, check your exact oil grades, your supplier’s SAP values, and the NaOH purity on the label. Want your own amounts? Validate your formula in the calculator and choose “First-batch shopping list” on the results page to open your actual batch here.

Calculate your own batch

Sodium hydroxide means NaOH. This calculator assumes 100% NaOH purity. Check the product label and verify the formula before making your batch.

Unscented batch. No fragrance was selected for this formula.

The useful bit

Your shopping list

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Step 1 of 3

Batch materials

The oils and measured ingredients your formula calls for, with the weight to measure.

Show weights in

Weights shown in grams.

Ingredients to weigh for this batch, shown in grams. Display only; the formula is unchanged.
IngredientWeight (g)NoteAmazon
Olive Oilrequired350.00 g

70.00% of the oils. Match the exact grade shown in the calculator.

Check Amazon for priceAffiliate link
Coconut Oil (76°)required100.00 g

20.00% of the oils. Match the exact grade shown in the calculator.

Check Amazon for priceAffiliate link
Shea Butterrequired50.00 g

10.00% of the oils. Match the exact grade shown in the calculator.

Check Amazon for priceAffiliate link
Sodium hydroxide (NaOH, commonly called lye)required68.35 g

Calculator amount at 5% superfat. Confirm product purity; the calculation assumes 100% NaOH.

Check Amazon for priceAffiliate link
Distilled water for NaOH solutionrequired160.30 g

Use the calculator’s weight, not a cup-volume estimate.

Check Amazon for priceAffiliate link

Step 2 of 3

Tools

Set up a dedicated workspace before you begin.

Step 3 of 3

Safety equipment

Protect your eyes and skin while handling NaOH.

BEFORE YOU BEGIN

Safety, step by step

Cold-process soapmaking uses caustic sodium hydroxide. Set up carefully and follow product labels.

  • Work with good ventilation.
  • Keep children and pets out of the work area.
  • Wear chemical splash goggles, compatible gloves, and long sleeves.
  • Add NaOH slowly to liquid—never pour liquid onto NaOH.
  • Never use aluminum for NaOH or soapmaking tools.

From measuring to curing

Prepare your first unscented batch

A practical cold-process walkthrough for the olive oil, coconut oil, shea butter, and distilled-water starter example above. Review your ingredients and the calculator’s liquid starting estimate against your chosen method before beginning.

  1. Prepare your space and protect yourself

    Read all steps before starting. Clear a stable worktop, arrange the mold and dedicated utensils, and keep children and pets away. Work with good ventilation. Put on chemical splash goggles, sodium-hydroxide-compatible gloves, long sleeves, an apron, and closed shoes. Keep protection on while handling the solution and fresh soap.

  2. Weigh each ingredient separately

    Use the ingredient table above in your selected unit. Tare each container on a reliable digital scale; 0.1 g resolution is useful for the NaOH amount. Measure olive oil, coconut oil (76°), shea butter, distilled water, and sodium hydroxide separately. Check oil grades and NaOH purity first. This starter batch is unscented: leave out fragrance, essential oils, colorants, and other extras.

  3. Make the sodium hydroxide solution

    Put the measured room-temperature or cooler distilled water in a heat-resistant, NaOH-compatible pitcher with room to stir. Slowly add the measured sodium hydroxide to the water while stirring gently until dissolved. Always add NaOH to water—never water to NaOH. The mixture gets very hot and releases irritating mist; keep your face away, avoid breathing it, and do not use aluminum or ordinary glass. Set the labeled pitcher in a secure, ventilated place to cool.

  4. Melt the solid oils, then add olive oil

    Gently melt the measured coconut oil and shea butter in a stainless-steel pot over low heat. Remove from the heat as soon as they are melted. Add the measured olive oil, scrape the container well, and stir to combine. Avoid overheating.

  5. Check the temperatures

    For this simple starter method, aim for both the oils and NaOH solution to be around 100°F (38°C) before combining. Check with a thermometer rather than by touch. The oils should remain fully liquid, with no solid butter or oil pieces. Allow more cooling time if needed; do not rush this step.

  6. Combine and blend to light trace

    Slowly pour the cooled NaOH solution into the oils. Keep the immersion-blender head fully submerged and release trapped air before switching it on. Alternate short pulses with gentle stirring until the mixture is evenly creamy, has no visible oil separation, and a drizzle leaves a faint trail on the surface. This is light trace. Keep the blender submerged to avoid splashes, and do not use a whisk-style electric mixer.

  7. Pour into the mold

    With goggles and gloves still on, carefully pour the batter into the prepared soap mold. Scrape in the remaining batter and gently settle the mold on the worktop. This unscented example needs no fragrance or additives. Set it in a secure place at room temperature; no oven processing or forced heating is needed for this beginner method.

  8. Let it firm up, then unmold

    Leave the soap undisturbed for about 48 hours. If it is still soft or sticky, give it more time rather than forcing it out. Wear gloves when unmolding and cutting a loaf into bars; fresh soap may still be caustic. Small cavity molds can be unmolded into individual bars. Keep the curing area away from children and pets.

  9. Cure the bars for 4–6 weeks

    Space the bars on a lined tray or suitable curing rack in a dry, airy place out of direct sunlight. Turn them occasionally for even drying and label them with the batch date. Give them at least four weeks, usually 4–6 weeks, before use; a firm bar is not necessarily fully cured. Curing improves hardness and longevity but does not correct a weighing mistake or excess NaOH. If a batch separates, has liquid pockets, or its measurements are uncertain, set it aside and get experienced guidance before using it.

  10. Clean up safely and record your batch

    Keep protection on when handling utensils or spills containing fresh soap or NaOH. Follow the NaOH product label for first aid, cleanup, and disposal; keep equipment dedicated to soapmaking. Record the ingredient grades, weights, temperatures, and date so you can compare future batches.

Learn the technique: Beginner cold-process soapmaking guide (opens in a new tab). This is a general method reference, not the source of the calculator’s formula.