Lye For Soap Making
Lye for soap making is one of the most crucial components of soap making. It’s also becoming one of the most difficult ingredients to get. A few years back Red Devil Lye would have been an easy choice and the most common one. Then the government took it off the shelves. It can still be purchased online from different vendors but there are other alternatives you can use to solve this problem.
You can buy lye from a chemical supply house in your area but it will come in a large quantity. Try teaming up with others that are using lye for soap making and buy your bulk supplies together. The size of bag that you will be buying will be around thirty-five to fifty pounds and in the end it will cost much less than what you were paying in the store for Red Devil Lye.
Another idea is to look around at some of your local hardware supply stores. Some stores sell Roebic Crystal Drain Opener which is 100% lye. You can purchase this in a 2 pound container which will work well if you can not find other to go in with you on getting the larger supply of lye. No matter which you buy it is wise to check the manufacturers web site for complete details and for safety instructions. Once you have found a good supply place, make sure to stick with them, develop a relationship with them so that they will always have it on the shelves for you.
For those who are concerned with the environment you should know that once your soap is made there is actually no lye left and therefore it is environmentally safe. When you combine fat with lye in the soap making process, the lye gets used up in the reaction. The end result is a glycerol and soap. In the “olden days” lye was made from potassium hydroxides from wood ashes and water and then combined with fat from animals. In present day soapmakers are using different types of vegetable oils or palm and coconut oils rather than animal fat. There are actually two different types of lye. One is from sodium hydroxide and will result in a very hard soap, or potassium hydroxide that will result in a much softer soap or even a liquid soap.
There is no doubt about it though, lye is a very dangerous and caustic based material. On its own it can really be harmful and it is prudent to take extra precautions with it in your own home. It should be stored in a high place out of the reach of children and in a tightly sealed container. You also need to wear rubber gloves and protective eye wear when you are using it during the soap making process. Once it is mixed with oils in the soap making process it is then safe as it is neutralized and becomes harmless.
A few words of caution. Lye can be dangerous. If it comes in contact with your skin you need to get it off your skin using vinegar and water and then get medical attention. Have this solution nearby when making your soap. If you get it in your eye flush the eye immediately with cool water and do so for at least 20 minutes. Have an eye wash cup nearby at all times. Then get medical attention as soon as possible. If it gets swallowed contact your nearest poison control center. If you follow all the precautions you should have no problems and you soap making adventures should be smooth sailing.
