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SOAP MAKING BASICS AND LYE SAFETY
Being a DIY’er allows your creative juices to keep flowing.
As a natural living seeker and someone who suffer from psoriasis, creating my own products allow me to be in control of the ingredients I use whilst knowing and using what my body likes and dislikes.
With that being said, I’m going to share a few nic naks on the soap making process.
When it come to making your own handmade soap, the idea may seem a bit far from mind also intimidating for some.
Today, I’ll be sharing with you some basic foundations for soap making and lye safety I practice also including my simple soap making recipe.
As with most do it yourself projects/remedies I share, the items used are easily accessible as they are mostly everyday item you currently own at home.
Soap making is somewhat different.
Though soap making can be a hobby when started, you wouldn’t want to quit, you’ll need to follow some basic safety along the way.
Introduction to soap making and safety
What is sodium/potassium hydroxide and lye solution
In making soap from scratch, you must use lye also called sodium hydroxide or caustic soda. This is where the little chemistry comes in. The chemical reaction which occurs when your lye solution and oils blend together create soap.
In soap making the sodium hydroxide is mixed with water or a liquid substance to form your lye solution.
HOW TO USE SODIUM LACTATE IN SOAP MAKING
Sodium lactate may not be necessary for every handmade soap recipe, however, when creating handmade soap in humid or hot tropical weather conditions sodium lactate can be an asset.
| Sodium lactate is a salt derivative which helps harden the soap allowing it to hold its shape, unmold faster and last longer in the bath. With this being said, making handmade soap in the tropical, hot/humid weather, we are limited on the hardness of the oils and butters. Though optional, in my opinion, sodium lactate is a necessary ingredient as there are few recipes which will keep a handmade soap hard. |
How to use sodium lactate in soap making
| – Sodium lactate is added to the cooled lye solution. – It is used at 1 tsp per pound of oils. |
When working with lye
Can sodium hydroxide/lye go bad?
YES. Your sodium hydroxide/lye powder or flakes can spoil.
Can soap be made with spoiled sodium hydroxide/lye
** Stay tuned and subscribe to the YouTube channel as I’ll be posting a soap making recipe using lye that has gone bad.
When working with lye/sodium hydroxide/caustic soda:
| – Use heat safe containers and utensils. (Pyrex, stainless steel or heat safe plastic is great). When using Pyrex be very careful; I’ve cracked way too many beautiful Pyrex dishes containing my lye solution, as a result, I mostly stick to stainless steel. – Where a mask to over your nose and mouth – When the sodium hydroxide/lye flakes mixes with distilled water, it creates an exothermic reaction (resulting in the high temperature of the new solution). Once the lye mixes with the water, the temperatures of the solution shoots to approximately 196℉. In the process fumes are emitted from the heated mixture which should not be inhaled. Hence, you should create your lye solution and soap making in a well ventilated area preferably with a mask on. I usually leave my lye solution by the window. This helps faster cool the mixture and divert the fumes outside. – Protect your skin; where long sleeves and cover chest area; where long pants ensuring your feet is safely covered and you are using a non skid sneakers/foot wear. – where goggles/face shield protecting your eyes and face area. Accidents happen in some unexpected ways. Sometimes, air pockets get trapped beneath your blender causing the mixture to poof up. Lye is a caustic substance in that it is able to burn or cause irritation. – Wear gloves as your hand should never come into contact with the lye or the raw soap mixture. – When working with sodium hydroxide / lye, it is important you protect your surfaces as this chemical can destroy overtime. TIP – Due to the speedy increase in temperature, NEVER add water to sodium hydroxide as this rush in temperature can cause sizzles and bubbles erupting in and explosion, resulting in server burns. Always add your sodium hydroxide into the water/liquid. It is important the container your solution is mixed into have a strong handle for you to use. This prevents direct contact between your hand and the heated vessel. As we speak on heat, please do not dip your fingers (with/without gloves) into the lye solution. – Keep mixture out of reach from humans and animals. (sodium hydroxide is not to be ingested) – When removing the cold processed soap from mold and cutting the soap I recommend you wear gloves as the sodium hydroxide/lye is still active and skin irritations can still occur. Occasionally, after 3-5 days you’ll see me unmold /cut the soap without gloves and no irritation, however, it’s always better safe than sorry. – Remember, just like cooking food, you should not have your face directly over your mixing substance ie. your oils and lye mixture. Soap making involves some chemical mixture which you do not want to inhaled/ingest the fumes. |
TOOLS and EQUIPMENTS NEEDED TO MAKE HANDMADE SOAP
When making your soap you would need
| – For health safety, ensure your equipment and utensils are different and stored separately from your usual cooking equipments. – An accurate measuring scale. This is a must. For your soap to be made, a specific amount of oils are required for a specific amount of lye. – A thermometer for temperature accuracy. – Use heat safe plastic, Pyrex or stainless steel. The container must be large enough to hold the combined lye solution and oils. – Stick/immersion blender – A soap mold – Extra spatulas and heat safe containers on standby. – Lastly, your utensils and soap molds should be heat and chemical resistant. |
| SOAP CURING PROCESS After you have removed your soap from the mold and cut where necessary, its time to set your cold process soap aside in a well ventilated/airy area to cure for 4-6 weeks. Pro tip – When unmolding your soap, due to humidity, you may observe the soap to be a bit sweaty, damp or a bit moist on the surface. It helps to pop the soap in the refrigerator/place in front a fan/keep in AC until dry and hard to the touch. This will: – prevent the soap from slipping from your hands – temporally hardens the soap allowing easy unmolding and cutting without drag marks – decreases the amount of hand prints and smudges on the soap During the curing process, the sodium hydroxide/lye/caustic soda neutralizes and become inactive. The excess water from the soap evaporates, hardening the soap. ** As the soap bar cures, expect the weight to slightly decrease . This is a result of the water content evaporating to make the bar harder and long lasting. |
Now that you have your soap making and lye safety down packed, it’s time for you to make your first soap.
Here is a simple and easy natural soap making recipe for you to start your journey.
Remember to keep safe and have fun.
Please be advised, this basic soap making and lye safety provided above states the personal measures used by the site owner. It is your responsibility to do a thorough investigation on any safety measures.
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