Is lye necessary?
by Jamie Brooks
(Mt. Nebo WV)
I want to make organic natural soap. Is Lye natural and safe and do you have to use it or are there other options?
Answer:
In todays world, lye is chemically derived. In the old days it was obtained by leaching water through hardwood ashes but this method is very inconsistent when it comes to lye strength.
There are unfortunately no other options other than lye when it comes to making cold process soaps.
Soap is the result of a chemical reaction between a lye solution and fats/oils. Without lye you do not have soap.
Cathy
Like This Page?
Site Sponsors
If you've found this site to be helpful in expanding your soap making knowledge and would like to make a SMALL donation to help with the cost of maintaining this site, your support would be greatly appreciated.
Recent Articles
-
Forgot to add the lye!
Well, it was getting quite late last night and I was finishing up my last batch of soap. I got my water mixture out of the fridge and whisked it into -
Allergic to nuts/coconuts
I'm interested in making my own soap and shampoo bars, but my young son is allergic to all nuts and possibly to coconut. Is there a recipe I can use or