Working with Lye Safely
Cold process soaps, even milk-based soaps, are not as difficult to craft as you might think. View our Instructions Page and see for yourself.
Lye -
Cold Process soapmaking
requires the use of lye. There's absolutely no getting around it. One of the
most difficult (and necessary) soapmaking ingredients to purchase online is lye,
specifically Sodium Hydroxide (NaOH) for cold-process soapmaking (bars) and
Potassium Hydroxide (KOH) for making liquid soaps and shampoos. Many soapmaking
sites actually sell Lye, but require that customers pick it up personally. There
are a few soapmaking supply companies that will ship lye. They include Summer
Bee Meadows and Snowdrift Farm
. Products sold by Summer Bee
Meadows can be found on their website or on E-Bay. Storage Lye, however dangerous, isn't so bad if you take a proactive
approach to safety at all times. No matter how comfortable you become working
with this substance, you must never forget how dangerous it really
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You can also purchase Red Devil Brand lye from your
local grocery store if it is available in your area. Read the label and
make sure it is 100% sodium hydroxide. We have found that Red Devil Brand lye
seems to be a stronger lye reaching a higher temperature than the usual 160F
maximum. For this reason, we add the lye to water, tea or goat milk more slowly
than we would the lye purchased from online suppliers. Both batches made with
this lye have saponified quickly and easily and resulted in very successful bars
of soap.
General Rules of Lye
Use only lye-friendly equipment and
supplies including Stainless steel,
hard plastic, heat resistant glass, and porcelain are the most commonly used.
Pouring and Mixing Lye
Whenever you pour lye into any liquid including water or
milk, always pour the lye into the liquid. The immediate and drastic reaction of
the lye with the liquid may cause a volcanic type eruption and can be very
dangerous.
When you finish crafting soap, don't
forget to remove all traces of lye, except the unused lye that is to be stored
in its original air-tight container. It is possible to mistake a solution of lye
and water for carbonated water or just plain water and should this happen, there
can be disastrous consequences. Store unused lye in a dry, airy space that is
free of through-traffic and difficult, if not impossible for children or animals
to reach. As a soapmaker, it is not unusual to become fairly relaxed and
comfortable working with lye. However, that "ease of mind" attitude is most
likely a direct result of practicing strict safety rules from the beginning.
These should never be relaxed.
Use Safety Gear
Rubber gloves to reduce the risk of contact between skin and lye, goggles
and face mask to protect eyes and lungs from fumes, and adequate clothing to
cover exposed skin - including an apron.
Proactive Spill Control
A handy apple cider vinegar spritzer should be kept
nearby to neutralize any lye spills or splashes that might occur despite
following all necessary safety precautions.
Protect your Surfaces
Cover all at-risk surfaces in your work area with
Newspaper, Plastic, or Freezer Wrap.
Cleaning Up
Again, remove any traces of lye or lye mixture from your work area - always.
Clean up using Vinegar as a neutralizing agent and wash equipment thoroughly.
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