Glossary
Additive – Any ingredient that is not part of the soap itself. Anything in your soap
other than lye, water and oil, is considered an additive. This includes any materials
you add at trace, as well as any unsaponified oils that are present after the
neutralization process has occurred.
Alkali – A base, or substance with a pH between 7 and 14.
Antioxidant – A substance that prevents oxidation, or spoilage.
Batch Code – A numeric (or alphanumeric) code that helps the soap-maker identify
all of the soaps from a given batch, and any pertinent information about that batch.
Batch Code Sheet – A record, linked to the batch code, which contains any and all
pertinent information about a batch of soap; what it contains, who made it, etc.
Caustic – An adjective used to describe a corrosive substance, which damages organic
material or tissue on contact. Lye is caustic, and should be handled with great care.
Cold-Process Method – Method of soap-making in which no external heat is added
to the soap batter after it is mixed. Saponification takes place while the soap is
molding.
Deliquescent – Adjective used to describe a material that is prone to dissolve or melt
when in contact with open air.
Detergent – A chemical that acts in a manner similar to soap, but is synthetically
made.
Emulsifier – A substance that allows one material to dissolve into another, immiscible
material.
Essential oil – A volatile oil which is extracted from plant matter by distillation,
expression, or chemical solvents.
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