Answering some of the most commonly asked questions...
If you happen to know a soap artisan or have simply googled how to make soap, you may have come across something known as Lye. This brilliant compound is the sole reason why soap works the way it does and cleans so thoroughly. But what is Lye exactly? How is it used? And can you make soap without Lye?
Lye is an inorganic compound, commonly referred to as sodium hydroxide or caustic soda. Typically found in dry bright white flakes, this compound iswater soluble and often used to make Lye solution for the process of saponification, the fancy way to say, "making soap".
Where does Lye come from?
Lye, being an inorganic compound, is manufactured in mass foruse around the world. Multiple processes can be used with the most recent being the chloralkali process in which electrolysis is used on sodium chloride solutions.The processing of lye has continued from as early as the 1800's and continues to increase in production, measuring at an estimated 60 million dry tonnes worldwide by 2004.
Is Lye dangerous?
Yes!-Lye can be a dangerous substance when handled incorrectly and without utilising the proper safety equipment. Like other corrosive acids and alkali's, sodium hydroxide in solution form can dissolve proteins quickly and lead to moderate to severe chemical burning when exposed to skin.Additionally, Lye can cause permanent blindness when it comes into contact with eyes. It is incredibly important to take these risks into consideration when using lye to make your own soaps and taking the right precautions when doing so.
Why is Lye needed in soap?
When creating soap, mixing fats and oils together, you need a method of fully combining the oils so that the mixture can saponify to be turned into a hard soap bar. Lye is the standard alkaline used to form the chemical reaction neededto take place. Without it, you simply won't make any soap!There are alternatives to Lye, given that sodium hydroxide was invented after the creation of the soap bar we know and love today. Original, all natural soap recipes, used a mixture of hardwood and water to create a strong alkali known as 'potash', strong enough to allow the chemical reaction to occur, combining the oils in the mixture. Potash, however, was a sort of home-brew chemical compound which was not effectively balanced and often produced failed batches. The introduction of Sodium Hydroxide created the standard for measures of alkali in a batch and allows for the perfect reaction to occur.
Can you make soap without Lye?
Soap can be made without Lye, Potassium Hydroxide, a very similar chemical is often used to create liquid soaps. This is equally dangerous however and the same precautions should be taken when handling it. Glycerine is commonly believed as an alternative to lye, however this isn't the case as it wouldn't allow the oils to combine and the chemical reaction needed to create soap would not take place.All soap is created with some form of lye solution, otherwise it's considered a cleaning or detergent type product which has very different cleaning properties.
Safety when using Lye
The key to using lye safely is the right equipment and environment. Before opening any containers holding any measures, be sure you're wearing some form of long-sleeved top/shirt, rubber gloves and proper eye protection. This immediately diminishes the chances of lye on skin contact. Be sure to check the equipment over thoroughly for holes or damages where lye could get potentially spill and burn.Whenever handling lye and creating a lye/water solution, keep the reaction in a very well-ventilated area. Ensure you do not stand directly over the reaction whilst it's taking place as the fumes contain traces of NaOH (Caustic Soda). Keep the area around the reaction clear and free of clutter to reduce spills.
It's best to treat lye as a strong alkali much like bleach, take the necessary precautions and think ahead!
We use lye in our luxury hand crafted artisan soap bars & we take safety very seriously with our process. Find out more
Lye is a very-alkaline product that has been used to make soap for decades. It also has uses in other industries, such as food and cleaning. Lye is a general term for two different alkaline compounds known as Sodium Hydroxide (NaOH) and Potassium Hydroxide (KOH).
Lye is used for purposes as varied as baking, soap-making, and cleaning, to dissolving animal tissue. Primary lye uses include: Soap making: The most common use of lye is for making soap and cleaning agents. Technically, a soap without lye is not a soap as defined by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
When human skin, eyes, or other tissues come into contact with lye, significant injuries can occur including skin irritation, chemical burns, and blindness. Even though lye is odorless, irritation of the nose and throat can occur in individuals who breathe in lye mist or aerosols.
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.
Skin contact with solid sodium hydroxide or its concentrated solutions can cause severe burns with deep ulcerations. Burns appear soft and moist and are very painful.
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. But, modern day lye soap products can also be used for body care, because they are designed specifically to be gentle on the skin.
To raise the pH of the water so that it doesn't have an adverse effect on the pipes and other equipment it comes into contact with. A very small percentage of lye is added to take the water a bit out of the acid range.
Dipping the dough in a lye solution gives traditional German pretzels their characteristic salinity; chew; and smooth mahogany exterior, but the strong alkali (sodium hydroxide) is corrosive and can burn your skin, so it must be handled with caution.
A lye is an alkali metal hydroxide. Traditionally it was obtained by using rainwater to leach wood ashes, which are strongly alkaline and highly soluble in water, of their potassium hydroxide (KOH), producing lye water, a caustic basic solution.
The secret to the perfect bagel is a subject of heated discourse. After trying bagels from New York City to Seattle, we can tell you one thing: it's not the water source; it's the baker (see page 183). We found that a lye solution produces a superior crust that's just brittle enough to give way to the chewy crumb.
Using lye avoids the use of unnecessary synthetic chemicals larger companies may use that can cause skin irritation or allergies. Because lye creates soap with powerful natural cleansing properties, it makes for an amazing bar of handmade soap!
In the realm of food preparation, lye is used to cure olives, process cocoa, make noodles (similar to ramen), produce hominy (similar to the nixtamalization of corn for masa using calcium hydroxide), make bagels, and bake pretzels, which belong to a class of German/Alsatian baked goods called Laugengebäck.
If you get any form of lye or soap batter on towels or cloth items you don't want to throw away, rinse under running water for several minutes. And here's where vinegar IS helpful! After the towel is thoroughly rinsed with water, give it a second rinse with vinegar. This will neutralize any residual alkalinity.
We don't recommend using vinegar. The thought is vinegar (an acid) on lye (a base) neutralizes it. However, it can actually create a chemical reaction that releases more heat and causes pain.
Lye — also known as sodium hydroxide — is an alkaline compound used in everything from manufacturing (cleaning supplies, dyes, aluminum, paper) to food production (pretzels, cured fish, olives, hominy).
Lye has been used for thousands of years to make many important products like soap, food, and paper. It's also a key ingredient in producing many other things, such as glass cleaner and fertilizer. You can't make real soap without lye.
Lye is a caustic that today is most often used as a drain opener (and is one of the key ingredients in Drano.) Although it sounds like a horrible addition, it's a necessary ingredient for making handcrafted soap. It's used to saponify the oils, or chemically change them from oil into lovely soap.
People use lye for all sorts of products that you probably use around the house every day. For instance, drain cleaners contain lye, as do paint strippers and silver polish. But the most common use for lye is soap.
Introduction: My name is Merrill Bechtelar CPA, I am a clean, agreeable, glorious, magnificent, witty, enchanting, comfortable person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
We notice you're using an ad blocker
Without advertising income, we can't keep making this site awesome for you.
