To make cold process soap, lye is introduced to a liquid like distilled water. The liquid dissolves the lye and creates a lye solution. Mixing water and lye creates an exothermic reaction that causes a dramatic temperature increase.
How do you make lye solution for soap?
- Weigh the Water. To begin, put on your safety goggles and rubber gloves, and make sure your work space has good ventilation. …
- Weigh the Lye. Place the mason jar on the scale, and zero out the weight. …
- Add the Lye to the Water. …
- Stir the Lye and Water Mixture. …
- Set the Lye Solution in a Safe Place to Cool.
What is the ratio of lye to oil in soap making?
Divide the amount of lye by 0.3 and then subtract the amount of lye from the result. For example, to make just over 2 pounds of olive oil soap, measure 32 ounces of olive oil and 4.33 ounces of lye because 32 ounces of olive oil × 0.1353, which is the saponification value for olive oil, = 4.33 ounces of lye.
What can I mix with lye?
Use an Appropriate Mixing Container: It’s important to mix your lye solution in a durable and safe container. The container should be a sturdy, heat-resistant plastic or glass. I don’t recommend mixing lye solution in a metal container. This is because the lye solution gets incredibly hot.
How do you make homemade lye?
To make lye in the kitchen, boil the ashes from a hardwood fire (soft woods are too resinous to mix with fat) in a little soft water, rain water is best, for about half an hour. Allow the ashes to settle to the bottom of the pan and then skim the liquid lye off the top.
What happens if you put too much lye in soap?
When soap is made with too much lye, it is called “lye-heavy.” This means there is extra, free floating lye that was not made into soap during the saponification process. Lye heavy soap can be irritating when applied to the skin and should not be used or sold. Lye heavy soap is often crumbly or dry feeling.
What is the best lye concentration in liquid soap making?
Most recipes and tutorials here on Modern Soapmaking use a 33% lye solution, as it’s typically a manageable water discount during the soapmaking process, but also hardens up a little quicker to get the soap out of the mold! A strong water discount is typically referred to as a 40% lye solution.
Does Dove soap contain lye?
Dove. It is true that the words “lye” or “sodium hydroxide” do not appear on the Dove ingredient label. But, the first ingredients listed were sodium tallowate, sodium cocoate, and sodium palm kernelate. … Yes, Dove is made with lye!