Making soap guide
How many bars of soap does a pound of soap base make?
Short answer
One pound of melt and pour base makes about four and a half 3.5 oz (100 g) bars. That's 9 bars from a 2 lb tub, 23 from a 5 lb tub and 46 from a 10 lb tub. Smaller 3 oz bars stretch it to about 5 per pound; larger 4 oz bars make 4.
| Tub | 3 oz bars | 3.5 oz bars | 4 oz bars |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 lb | 11 | 9 | 8 |
| 5 lb | 27 | 23 | 20 |
| 10 lb | 53 | 46 | 40 |
How the numbers work
A pound is 16 ounces. Divide that by your bar weight, multiply by the pounds in your tub and round to the nearest bar: 80 oz ÷ 3.5 = 23 bars from a 5 lb tub. Keep a little back for trimming, drips and test pours.
Find the size of your mould
Fill one cavity with water and weigh it. Soap is a touch heavier than water, so a cavity that holds 3.3 oz of water makes a bar of about 3.5 oz. Add-ins like oatmeal, flowers or embeds take up space, so you'll need slightly less base per bar.
Which tub size to buy
A 2 lb tub is right for trying a base or making a handful of gifts. A 5 lb tub covers a few batches. For markets, a shop or regular making, the 10 lb tub gives the most bars per tub; for bigger orders, ask us about wholesale prices.
Updated October 12, 2026 · By the Skin Said Yes team, soapmakers in Greece
