Sodium lactate also helps soap release from its mold. If you don't use it, and have trouble unmolding, remember the freezer trick. Pop the soap in its mold in the freezer for an hour or so. Pull it out. When it warms up it sweats and lubricates the mold, making the release easier.
I make soap w goat milk. I do full water replacement, so whatever amount of water the recipe calls for is the milk amount. Because the lye-liquid mixture heats up and milk will scorch, use frozen milk and an ice bath to keep the temperature down. I have 2 large identical plastic mixing bowls. I...
I am chiming in to agree that in the beginning a simple recipe (4-6 ingredients) really does make sense. It likely won't be your "signature soap" but it will give you a good starting point. Then you experiment, do your research about the overview stuff and then you can start to introduce more...
WITHHOLD SUNFLOWER OIL FROM MASTERBATCH. Add 2.75 oz to each 50 oz batch, use for infusions.
Split: Tall Skinny loaf holds 50 total oz. = 34 oz oil (31.25 mixed oils + 2.75 sunflower), 9.5 oz milk, 4.8 oz lye, 1T sodium lactate, 1.75 oz EO