enthusiast
New Member
When you make soap, what does the lye do for it? Is it necessary to use lye? If you can make soap without lye, what is the difference in the soap when you're done?
Lye In Soap
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wanderingherb
Moderator
Right, melt and pour, or glycerin, is a by product of...soap, so it is still made with lye.
enthusiast
New Member
Thank you for explaining that. I didn't realize that lye is essential for making soap and I'm glad that us straightened out for me. Isn't lye dangerous, though? What kind of special handling does it require?
It requires lots of ventilation, goggles and gloves, make sure you add the lye to the water not the water to the lye, it tends to mix well, also have dishes specifically for mixing it, don't take stuff you use daily unless it is glass because glass won't carry the stuff with it, others leech.
wanderingherb
Moderator
Whatever you do, never use aluminum. stick to stainless steel or glass containers. I used a old crock pot container crock pot didn't work anymore picked it up for free, and to mix the lye a pyrex large measuring cup to stir plastic spoon some use wood, but heavy plastic one works as well. Oh and I used a braun mixer one of those hand ones! It goes into trace in about 5 minutes!! After you add the lye to the oil, never the other way. So you add the lye to the oils at certain temp never the oil to the lye. Just as lye to the water not add water to the lye.
TonicForMe
New Member
I've always been amazed at the process of soap making. My mother used to make plain lye soap and we used it for everything. It was wonderful for poison ivy and washing hair. If I find people now at the craft fairs, I buy the plain stuff and use it. Mom used to use it to wash clothes. It was really good to get stains out even though after the soap is made the lye is inactive.
wanderingherb
Moderator
Lye is caustic, true, but that high temp is needed to saponify the oils into soap! Then, yes, it basically burns out. It has done its job. You can also use ph strips to find the ph level in soap you make. I used them a lot with batches, so using different amounts of lye, or milks, or fats etc all came out with different ph levels. It was pretty fun! I felt like a mad scientist!
Healthy4us
New Member
Soap Making is a science. Thank you for explaining the important steps of what to and what not to do in adding the lye. What do you use such as a lanolin to keep the soap from drying, or to prevent your skin from becoming overly dry? I remember there was talk of using oils - such as olive oil. Since this is homemade without all the preservatives, maybe it is different that commercial soaps as it does not dry out your skin? I was never fortunate enough to ever have used or knew of anyone who made homemade soap.