Where can I buy lye for soap making?

Can you buy lye in stores?

Lye used to be available in the supermarket but not anymore. You might be able to find it in some hardware stores often in the drain cleaning section next to the Draino. In order for that lye to be effective in soapmaking, you need to make sure that you are getting 100 percent sodium hydroxide.

What kind of lye is used for soap making?

Potassium hydroxide, the type of lye used for making liquid soaps, is often sold in flakes.

Can soap be made without lye?

The main way that you can make soap without handling lye is by using melt-and-pour soap. … Melt-and-pour soap comes in all types. Clear glycerin soap, creamy goat milk soap, palm-oil free, the list goes on. Melt-and-pour soap can also be a detergent, so watch out for the ingredients.

What is lye called in Australia?

Sodium Hydroxide (Lye/Caustic Soda)

What can I substitute for lye?

Baked Baking Soda!

A common home alternative to lye when making pretzels or bagels is to use a baking soda solution.

What is the difference between food grade lye and regular lye?

Because food-grade lye comes in contact with food (even though it cannot safely be ingested, any more than the other kind), food-grade lye is at a considerably higher level of purity than other types of lye.

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!

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.

How do you make soap for beginners?

Soap making science and ingredients for beginners
  1. Mix water and lye, set aside to cool.
  2. Melt oils, set aside to cool.
  3. Blend lye water and oils to form a soap “batter”
  4. Pour into mold and let harden for a day.
  5. Turn out of mold, cut into bars and let cure for 2-3 weeks.

What is a natural soap base?

Shea butter, olive oil, goat milk, or honey are all prime examples of natural ingredients that enhance the basics and create a unique melt and pour soap base. One of the many benefits of the variety of melt and pour soap bases is the ability to choose a soap base with ingredients that benefit your skin type.


How do you make natural soap ingredients?

Ingredients
  1. ⅔ cup unrefined coconut oil (to produce good lather)
  2. ⅔ cup olive oil (which makes a hard and mild bar)
  3. ⅔ cup almond oil (grapeseed, sunflower, or safflower oil will also work, just make sure it’s a liquid oil)
  4. ¼ cup lye (100% sodium hydroxide … you can also find at local hardware stores)

Can you make goats milk soap without lye?

If you have goat milk to use but you prefer soap making without lye, adding milk – no more than one tablespoon per pound of melt and pour base – is simple and easy. You can also add powdered or condensed goat milk at the same rate – one tablespoon per pound of base.

Is lye the same as baking soda?

Lye is a stronger alkaline than baking soda or sodium bicarbonate, with a pH reading ranging from around 13 to 14. Its base of sodium hydroxide is created commercially by the electrolysis of sodium chloride solution, as well as reacting calcium hydroxide with sodium carbonate, according to the FDA.

What does lye do to dead bodies?

Under high heat and pressure, lye can turn corrosive enough to disintegrate fat, bones and skin. A lye solution, heated to 300 Fahrenheit degrees (148 Celsius), can dissolve an entire body into an oily brown liquid in just three hours.

Is lye the same as caustic soda?

Sodium hydroxide (NaOH), also known as caustic soda or lye, is a highly versatile substance used in a variety of manufacturing processes. Sodium hydroxide is a co-product of chlorine production.