Whenever I try a new recipe, no matter how trusted the source, I always run the ingredients through a lye calculator first. Typos and other printing errors do occur, and wouldn’t you rather know that a recipe needs modification BEFORE you’re elbow-deep in it with the sneaking suspicion that something is not quite right here?
There are loads of accurate lye calculators on the internet–SoapCalc happens to be my own personal favorite–but soapmaking books also teach you how to make these calculations with pencil and paper, so you should never be bereft of appropriate ratios, especially when you start to get interested in creating your own recipes.
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As an lover of handmade soap I bought this book and it is really terrific. Making soap can be intimidating, but after the first few times it gets easier.
I made soap last year and LOVED it! I gave some away as Christmas presents and kept the rest. It lasts SUCH a long time and is far better than any soap I’ve ever bought. Funny to see both of the books I have in my library here. I’ll definitely check out the other references. Thanks!