Can I simply double a soap recipe?

Yes, all ingredients scale linearly. Double the oils, double the lye, double the water, double the fragrance. However, larger batches may reach trace faster due to increased heat, so be prepared to work quickly.

Does scaling affect the soap quality?

No. The ratios remain the same so the soap properties (hardness, lather, conditioning) are identical. The only practical difference is working time - larger batches generate more heat and may trace faster.

How do I scale a recipe down for testing?

Enter your original recipe and set the target oil weight to a smaller amount (e.g., 200g for a test batch). This lets you test a new recipe without committing to a full batch of ingredients.

Should I adjust fragrance when scaling up?

Scale fragrance proportionally like everything else. However, some soapmakers reduce fragrance slightly (by 5-10%) in very large batches, as fragrance retention can be better in bigger pours due to less surface area relative to volume.

CraftCalcs

Batch Size Calculator — Scale Soap Recipes

Scale soap recipes up or down while keeping oil ratios consistent.

Original Oil Weight

Original Lye

Original Water

Original Fragrance

Target Oil Weight

How We Calculate This

How the Calculation Works

The scale factor = target oil weight / original oil weight. Every ingredient is then multiplied by this scale factor.

For example, scaling from 500g to 1000g oils gives a factor of 2.0. All lye, water and fragrance amounts are doubled.

Frequently Asked Questions

Related Calculators

Lye Calculator

Calculate sodium hydroxide (NaOH) or potassium hydroxide (KOH) amounts for cold process soap.

Oil Ratio Calculator

Balance your soap recipe oils for hardness, lather, conditioning and cleansing.

Fragrance Load Calculator

Work out safe fragrance or essential oil amounts for soap batches.

Mould Volume Calculator

Calculate soap mould volume and the total oil weight needed to fill it.

SAP Value Calculator

Look up and calculate saponification values for common soap-making oils.

Last updated: 2025-02-20

All calculations are estimates. Always verify quantities before purchasing materials.