Lye in Soap Making

Lye in Soap making have always gone alongside soap making.

But really, what is lye?

Lye, also known as Sodium hydroxide is a caustic alkaline chemical that dissolves substances like fat and reacts highly with other materials.

If you are a soap maker or at least have a basic knowledge about soap making, you would know that almost all handmade soaps are made of Sodium hydroxide except for liquid soaps which are often made from Potassium hydroxide.

Potassium hydroxide, unknown to many, is also a type of lye used to make liquid soaps.

So to put it simply, all soaps are made of lye.

It is important to note though that Sodium hydroxide and Potassium hydroxide shouldn't be interchanged in the making process as these chemicals produce different reactions.

Lye is an essential component in creating soap as the hydroxide in lye mixes with the fat to form a hard bar.

Lye has been widely known as an extremely caustic agent which when comes in contact with the skin, might cause burns. So, if we knew this all along,

why put such a harsh chemical on our soaps?

If we where to look back and Let me take you back to high school Chemistry.

We have learned that mixing a base with an acid forms a neutral. This is exactly what happens in the making process.

Mixing a base(lye) with an acid(fat) forms a neutral.

So, lye when mixed with soap making oils and fats will form a natural soap safe to use on the skin.

One must keep in mind though that too much lye in the soaps can cause burns on the skin and too little may not be enough to harden the bar.

So it is very important to know just the right concentration and the right amount to balance the proportion between the acid and the base.

Dealing with lye during soap creation may be scary for some people but like any chemical, it can be dealt with safely and accordingly.

One must be cautious when handling lye and take note of other precautions like using the proper equipments and donning protective gloves and clothing when handling lye.

Also, be sure that the lye you purchase is labeled for making soap as there are also other uses for lye aside from those in soap making.

As long as you know what you're doing, everything will be just fine.

So how do you make lye soap?

All you need is lye, distilled water and some oils or fats to make a basic handmade soap.

For a more luxurious product, you can add colorants, some fragrances and essential oils and some additives of your choice.