Soaps With No Lye?
- by Judi on May 15, 2006
If someone tells you they made a soap without using this, I hate to tell you this- but they lied. All bar soaps are made with sodium hydroxide, also known as “caustic soda”. All soap really is is the outcome of a chemical reaction that occurs when a high alkali (the lye) reacts to an oil, but with a well made soap there is no lye remaining in the finished product.
One wise soaper compared it to baking a cake.When you first mix the batter you have your flour, eggs, sugar, oil, etc. When you beat it all together it is still just batter- not something you would probably want to eat. (Unless it’s chocolate! Hehe..) Anyway, the point is when you put that batter in the oven, the heat creates a chemical reaction and cooks the batter. When that batter comes out of the over it’s no longer your original ingredients just stirred together- it’s something entirely new. Cake! It’s a similar idea with soap, only the process is called saponification.
Even liquid soap or “shower gels” are made with a form of lye called potassium hydroxide, or “caustic potash”. Sometimes instead of using the ingredient “sodium hydroxide” on a label, people or companies may use the terms “saponified olive oil”, “saponified palm oil”, etc. It is the very same thing- just a different way of listing ingredients.
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Comments: 10 |
Tags: caustic soda, Handmade Soap, lye, soap, sodium hydroxide
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10 Responses for "Soaps With No Lye?"
I have had searches “land” on this page, with the keywords “soap no lye” or “lye free soaps”, or other similar requests.
The article above is not mine, but I posted it here because it’s a very true article - and I love the cake analogy!
I believe when people are searching for lye free soap, they are seeking information on melt and pour soap, or glycerin soap. It’s a fun soap to make, but in many [real] soapers opinions, it’s a decorative soap and not nearly as good for your skin as the more made from scratch soap.
And just for future knowledge, even melt and pour soap, at one time, contained lye. It wouldn’t be glycerin without having gone through the chemical reaction of saponification by combining oils and sodium hydroxide. As a Melt and Pour crafter, you just don’t have to handle the lye. Which, of course, may be just what you are looking for. :)
Thanks so much for that info. I was concerned about the lye!!
If you think that is true you need to do some soap research!! Check out the ingredients on some all natural soaps such as a bar from Kiss My Face. Salt can be substituted for lye.
Hi Bob.
Check out the Kiss My Face ingredient page, it states:
“Saponified Olive Oil - olive oil is saponified into soap by the addition of caustic soda (sodium hydroxide), which is neutralized in the process.”
You are correct in that Kiss My Face does include Sodium Chloride (a.k.a. Salt) in their soap. But the soap making process is still done (yep, even them) using sodium hydroxide (a.k.a lye or caustic soda).
Kiss My Face Pure Olive Oil Bar Soap (They even link directly to their glossary - obviously, they aren’t trying to hide the fact they use lye!)
Good luck in your soap making research.. :)
I now understand the importance of lye in soapmaking, as i would like very much to try making myown soap. I wanted to go really organic and safe ya know? can you give me some info on alternative soap ingredients, :ie, soy for example.
how come when i use melt and pour soaps it dont burn in cuts and on skin problems but when i use somone elses soap made the old fashion way with lye it dose burn ?
Hi Judi,
I have no idea why that would be since melt & pour soap is actually made with lye also - remember, the finished product does not contain any lye anyway..
But, back to the point, a melt & pour base is originally made with lye (otherwise it wouldn’t be “soap”).. but it’s already processed so by the time the crafter buys it all they have to do is add “goodies” (fragrance, colorant, additives) to it to personalize it.
Check out the ingredients on the melt & pour base…
maybe its a case of the from scrach soap makers use more lye than the melt and pour …i have no idear i have used the old time cold press soap and it stings in cuts and sores but all i know is alot of the melt and pours dont on me …
i had a book given to me i really like froom sterling publishing co its called the complete soapmaker this is a book worth getting
check out Ballard Organics Soap
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