Water Discount & Lye Concentration Explained

Water dissolves the lye but doesn't change the chemistry — it mostly affects how fast your soap sets up and cures.

Water as % of oils

The classic beginner default, around 38%. Simple and forgiving, but the actual lye concentration drifts depending on your oils.

Lye concentration

More precise: you set the lye-to-water strength directly (e.g., 33%). Many experienced soapers prefer this because it's consistent batch to batch. A 'water discount' just means a higher concentration (less water).

Water : lye ratio

An older way of saying the same thing — e.g., 2:1 means twice as much water as lye. Equivalent to a 33% concentration.