If you're wondering whether natural soap is made with lye, then the answer is very straight forward: yes. If there's no lye used in the production process, it isn't soap. Don't get confused, though, as that doesn't mean natural soap contains lye. It's a little complicated, but we'll explain everything here.
Do your bars of soap contain lye?
In short, no, our soap does not contain lye. However, lye is used to make the soap. Sound confusing? Allow us to explain.
Soap is made using a chemical reaction. This chemical reaction is called saponification, which combines oil and lye to create soap and glycerin. If the process is carried out correctly, there is no lye left in the soap.
What this means is that while all real soaps use lye in the creation process, there is no lye leftover in the finished product. That includes our very own range of handcrafted coconut milk soaps.
Is lye harmful to my skin?
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. You see, the lye used to create soap reacts with other chemicals, which results in the formation of soap. The lye gets entirely used up during the process, which means it's no longer present and can do no harm to your skin.
Our range of coconut milk soaps will soothe and nourish your skin, leaving your skin feeling soft and smooth.
My soap doesn't list lye as an ingredient
If your soap is real soap, then it has been made with lye, period. However, it's not uncommon to find lye or sodium hydroxide missing from the list of ingredients on some soaps. If that's the case then lookout for the following terms:
- Sodium Olivate
- Sodium Palm Kernelate
- Sodium Cocoate
- Sodium Tallowate
- Sodium Palmate
- Saponified Oils
These are all alternative generic names for lye. For example, sodium tallowate is the name given to a mixture of tallow (beef fat) and sodium hydroxide (lye). It's still lye, even with the fancy name.
Why do companies do this? It's quite simple: consumers have become afraid of the word "lye" and soap manufacturers know this. To hide the word lye, they simply use different names, such as the ones listed above.
Always remember, if your soap is real soap, then it will have been made with lye. That doesn't necessarily mean it contains lye, though.
Making soap and the process of saponification
To better understand how lye is used to make soap but why it isn't actually in the final product, we'll take a look at the process of saponification.
Saponification is simply the name given to the chemical reaction between an acid and a base, which results in a salt (soap). The base in this instance is sodium hydroxide, and the acids are fatty acids (triglycerides) found in butter and oils.
When oils are mixed with sodium hydroxide and lye, there's a chemical reaction between the substances (saponification), and the result is an entirely new substance. This substance is soap!
This means that there is no lye left in the soap. The chemical reaction has caused all of the different substances to alter molecularly, turning them into entirely new substances.
A simpler explanation of chemical reactions
It might be a bit confusing to picture the process of saponification in your head, so let's look at it in a different way.
Sodium (Na) is extremely reactive when it comes into contact with water; it explodes.
Chlorine (Cl) is a poisonous gas that can be fatal when inhaled.
They both seem pretty dangerous, right? You wouldn't want to deal with either of them. But what happens when they're combined?
Combining sodium with chlorine produces... wait for it... table salt (NaCl)! That's right, regular, everyday table salt that you and I consume. There's no dangerous chlorine gas or explosive sodium left at the end of the reaction.
FAQs
However, during the saponification process, the lye combines with water and oils and creates soap. Fully cured soap does not contain lye. Natural soap is safe to use, but making it at home requires caution so make sure you understand how to calculate the recipe properly and don't skip gloves and eye protection.
Is soap made with lye bad for your skin? ›
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.
Do natural soaps have lye in them? ›
You can't make real soap without lye. All natural soaps have lye as an ingredient in them; synthetic chemicals can now be used instead of lye (like phthalate-free glycerin), but we wouldn't consider that natural soap because it contains no botanical ingredients or essential oils from plants or flowers.
Is Natural soap bad for your skin? ›
Natural soaps are generally made from ingredients that are skin friendly. Natural soaps may contain ingredients like glycerin, pine tar, natural fats from plants or dairy, and natural fragrances. These ingredients are generally kinder to the skin than some of the chemicals that are present in industrially made soaps.
Why did people stop using lye soap? ›
Traditionally, lye soap was so harsh that it way only used to wash dishes, clothing, and other household items. This harsher lye soap wasn't good to wash the hands or body.
Is Dove soap made with lye? ›
How It's Made: Sodium Palmitate is made my mixing Palmitic Acid with Lye (a solution containing water and an alkali). Summary: This Dove soap ingredient cleanses your skin, but may dry it out.
Is Dawn made with lye? ›
Is there lye in Dawn dish soap? Yes - it's listed on the packaging as 'Sodium Hydroxide' - otherwise known as lye. However, it isn't used for saponification. It is used as a pH adjuster.
What soap is made without lye? ›
Melt and pour soap is made without ever touching lye yourself. Purchase the premade soap base, cut it into chunks, and melt it down on the stove top until it becomes liquid.
Which soap base is best for skin? ›
Shea Butter Soap Base, made with unrefined Shea butter, is best suited for dry and aging skin. Castile Soap Base, made with olive oil, is perfectly suited for children. Camel Milk Soap Base, rich in Vitamin B and Vitamin C, is beneficial for pigmented skin and helps brighten the skin.
Does vegan soap contain lye? ›
For the most part, vegan soap is made by mixing lye into a solution of different oils and distilled water. That solution is heated up until it's about 37 degrees Celsius. Once it reaches that temperature, essential oils are added for that wonderful fragrance..
The best organic hand soaps are those certified organic, ensuring they contain ingredients grown and processed without chemical fertilizers, pesticides, or herbicides. Brands such as Dr. Bronner's, EO, and Avalon Organics are highly regarded for their quality organic hand soaps that are gentle and effective.
Do you really need soap to wash your body? ›
"What people tend to do is soap up their entire body, which is really not necessary," Stevenson says. "You really only need soap in your armpits, your groin and your feet. Places that you get stinky." Soap is a detergent and it helps to break down the top layer of oil and get it off your skin.
Which soap is not harmful for skin? ›
Vegetable-based soaps, such as castile soap, may not contain harmful chemicals and have a low hazard score on the Environmental Working Group (EWG) Skin Deep database.
How did humans clean themselves before soap? ›
Not even the Greeks and Romans, who pioneered running water and public baths, used soap to clean their bodies. Instead, men and women immersed themselves in water baths and then smeared their bodies with scented olive oils. They used a metal or reed scraper called a strigil to remove any remaining oil or grime.
What did they use for soap before lye? ›
Early Settlers
People in the 18th and 19th centuries made their own soap. They'd save tallow from butchering and grease from cooking for the fat. They'd reserve wood ashes to make potash, the alkali.
Is homemade soap safe to use? ›
You see, while it's perfectly safe to use your handmade soaps upon the completion of saponification (A process which concludes long before one's soaps fully cure.), your soaps will contain, and exhibit, many different qualities and properties along the way!
What happens if you don't use lye in soap? ›
NO, chemically-speaking, soap itself cannot be made without lye. Soap is made by blending oils (like olive oil or coconut oil), a liquid (water, goat's milk, etc.), and an alkali (lye). Lye is needed to convert oils into soap.
What happens when lye touches skin? ›
Contact with very high concentrations of sodium hydroxide can cause severe burns to the eyes, skin, digestive system or lungs, resulting in permanent damage or death. Prolonged or repeated skin contact may cause dermatitis.
What is the benefit of lye in soap? ›
Lye soap offers a multitude of advantages over its synthetic counterparts. From its gentle cleansing action to its environmental friendliness and cost-effectiveness, lye soap embodies a holistic approach to cleanliness that aligns with both personal well-being and environmental responsibilities.
