Which Lye is best for soap making?

Can I use any lye for soap making?

Sodium hydroxide is the lye you use to make bar soap. No other substances can be used in place of either sodium hydroxide or potassium hydroxide to make soap. When you introduce lye to fats and oils, it breaks the molecules apart and bonds with them, creating a new compound – soap!

What type of lye do you use for soap making?

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

Do you have to use food grade lye for soap making?

when making soap you should use food grade lye. Because of the ingredients that is use to make the lye is only safe for humans. 3 of 4 found this helpful.

Can I use 100% lye to make soap?

You Can’t Make Soap Without Lye

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. Otherwise, do not buy it.

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!

Is lye bad in soap?

Lye is a caustic substance that can certainly damage your skin if you’re exposed to it. It can cause a number of problems, such as burns, blindness, and even death when consumed. But, and this is a big but, soap that is created with lye (which is all real soap) will do absolutely no harm to your skin.

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.

Is lime and lye the same?

While lime is more alkaline than soda ash, when reacted together they produce a stronger alkali than either of the two separately. Synonyms for lye are caustic soda, and sodium hydroxide. It remains one of the most important alkalis in modern chemical industry though it is no longer manufactured from lime and soda ash.

How do you make liquid soap without lye?

steps:
  1. Grate the soap using the cheese grater. Using soap flakes helps the soap dissolve faster.
  2. Heat the water on high heat until it simmers. …
  3. Stir to help the soap dissolve. …
  4. If desired, add a teaspoon of lavender or peppermint essential oil.
  5. Let cool completely before you pour it into a container.

Is homemade lye soap antibacterial?

Lye is both a disinfectant and a cleanser. Lye is particularly suitable to kill germs and bacteria as well as cleaning the surface of food containers, room vessels, the surface of wash bowls, etc.


What is another name for lye?

“Lye” is commonly an alternative name of sodium hydroxide (NaOH) or historically potassium hydroxide (KOH), though the term “lye” refers to any member of a broad range of metal hydroxides. The “cold process” method is often used to make soap from lye.

What is food safe lye?

This is the highest quality food grade lye available. Also known as NaOH and caustic soda. This is an inorganic chemical at minimum 99% pure. … Olives are often soaked in sodium hydroxide for softening, Pretzels and German lye rolls are glazed with a sodium hydroxide solution before baking to make them crisp.

What ingredients do you need to make homemade soap?

The basic ingredients of soap are:
  1. animal fat or vegetable oil.
  2. 100 percent pure lye.
  3. distilled water.
  4. essential or skin-safe fragrance oils (optional)
  5. colorants (optional)

Can you make lye from baking soda?

Just spread a layer of soda on a foil-covered baking sheet and bake it at 250 to 300 degrees for an hour. You’ll lose about a third of the soda’s weight in water and carbon dioxide, but you gain a stronger alkali. … Baked soda is also strong enough to make a good lye substitute for pretzels.

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.