What You Need To Know About Using Lye For Soap Making

Using lye for soap making is very safe when it’s handled properly. It’s careless or ignorant use of lye that causes mishaps.

So read through this information and learn to follow the correct safety procedures. You’ll soon feel confident about using lye for soap making.

Many thousands of people make soap on a daily basis without problems and you’ll soon be joining them in this wonderful craft.

Why Use Lye For Soap Making?

Lye, also known as caustic soda or sodium hydroxide, is a highly corrosive alkaline substance that reacts with the molecules in fat to combine and turn into soap.

Quite simply you can’t turn oils or fats into soap without using lye.

You can use a premade soap base to make soaps if you don’t want to use lye. Read about the melt and pour method of soap making.

But you have full control over your soap making if you start with fats and oils and use lye to make soap.

What Equipment Is Needed For Lye Soap Making?

Lye when mixed with water, produces an exothermic heat reaction and heats up to 200 degrees. You need to mix your lye water solution in a fully heat safe container.

Most soap making recipes list the quantity of lye by weight so you need a set of scales.

Wooden or rubber utensils are used for mixing.

Lye reacts with some metals: aluminum, zinc, and tin. Safe containers include heatproof stoneware, glass, enamel, stainless steel and plastic. Many stainless steel pans are coated with aluminium, so make sure that any stainless steel pans you use are only stainless steel.

When lye reacts with aluminium, hydrogen is produced, which is very flammable.

Where To Buy Lye For Soap Making?

First and foremost don’t buy drain cleaning products which say lye on the label. It’s the wrong kind of lye and it contains metals too.

Lye comes in flakes, pellets, micro beads, and powder. It is also available as solution.

It’s easiest to order lye for soap making from a soap making supplies company. You can find suppliers by doing a quick web search.

Dangers Of Using Lye For Soap Making

Lye is highly caustic and should always be handled with caution. You need to know all of the dangers present in order to avoid mishaps.

Keep a spray bottle containing vinegar and another larger container of vinegar close by while you work.

• Lye, lye solution and newly made soap can burn and irritate skin. Skin will itch before you feel the burn. Keep a spray bottle of vinegar next to you as you work. Areas of skin that come into contact with lye should be sprayed immediately with vinegar and then rinsed with clean water.
• For more serious spills, douse the area with vinegar, remove any clothing from the area, douse with more vinegar and keep rinsing the area off with water. Seek medical help quickly.
• Wear eye protection. Lye can cause blindness. You do not want lye in your eyes!. If you do get lye in your eyes, flush with lots of water for 15 minutes and get medical help fast.
• Lye can be fatal if swallowed. Keep supplies locked away from children. Make sure you clearly mark the lye as “Poisonous – Do Not Handle” just in case someone gets hold of the lye and wonders what it is.
• Don’t leave lye or lye solution at the edge of the counter, where small children can reach it. It really is best to keep children and pets out of the area when you make soap with lye, to avoid distractions and accidents.
• If lye is swallowed DO NOT induce vomiting or waste time tying to offer any treatment. Call 911 (or whatever your emergency number is) or get to an emergency room immediately. Swallowing lye is like drinking liquid fire and is life threatening.
• Fumes from lye solution can burn skin and eyes. Always work in a well ventilated space and wear long sleeves, gloves and eye protection.
• Lye can remove paint. Your work area should be covered to protect surfaces, but if lye, lye solution or freshly made soap splashes onto a painted surface, wipe it off immediately. Wash the area with water and dish soap, rinse with clean water and wipe dry. Use old rags because lye will weaken cloth.
• Never pour water into lye crystals. Always pour the lye SLOWLY intothe water. If you pour water onto lye crystals it can cause a violent, volcano like reaction and overflow the container.

Safety when using lye for soap making boils down to this.

1. Work in an area free from distractions and clutter.
2. Keep children and pets out.
3. Have plenty of vinegar on hand.
4. Wear clothing that covers your body, rubber gloves and eye protection.
5. Keep lye in sealed labeled containers which are kept locked away.
6. Always be aware that you are working with a dangerous substance and act accordingly.

Extracts From Material Safety Data Sheet For Sodium Hydroxide (Lye)

Section 3 – Hazards Identification

• • Emergency Overview
  • Appearance: White solid.
  • Danger! Causes eye and skin burns. Causes digestive and respiratory tract burns. Hygroscopic (absorbs moisture from the air).
  • Target Organs: Eyes, skin, mucous membranes.
  • Potential Health Effects
  • Eye: Causes eye burns. May cause blindness. May cause chemical conjunctivitis and corneal damage.
  • Skin: Causes skin burns. May cause deep, penetrating ulcers of the skin.
  • Ingestion: May cause severe and permanent damage to the digestive tract. Causes gastrointestinal tract burns. May cause perforation of the digestive tract. Causes severe pain, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and shock.
  • Inhalation: Irritation may lead to chemical pneumonitis and pulmonary edema. Causes severe irritation of upper respiratory tract with coughing, burns, breathing difficulty, and possible coma. Causes chemical burns to the respiratory tract.
  • Chronic: Prolonged or repeated skin contact may cause dermatitis. Effects may be delayed.

Section 4 – First Aid Measures

• • Eyes: In case of contact, immediately flush eyes with plenty of water for at least 15 minutes. Get medical aid immediately.
  • Skin: In case of contact, immediately flush skin with plenty of water for at least 15 minutes. Immediately remove contaminated clothing and shoes. Get medical aid immediately. Wash clothing before reuse.
  • Ingestion: If swallowed, do not induce vomiting. Get medical aid immediately. If victim is fully conscious, give a cupful of water. Never give anything by mouth to an unconscious person.
  • Inhalation: If inhaled, remove to fresh air. If not breathing, give artificial respiration. If breathing is difficult, give oxygen. Get medical aid.
  • Notes to Physician: Treat symptomatically and supportively.

Using lye for soap making is safe and it allows you to craft beautiful and unique soaps. Learn more about making cold process soap.

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