Making Soap And Working With Lye

Making soap by hand is not that difficult a process, and yet there are some parts of almost every method that need to be performed with caution because they involve a certain degree of risk. Unless you are using a melt and pour method, where you are mainly adding oils, fragrances and coloring to pre-existing soap chips or flakes, you are going to be using soap lye, which is sodium hydroxide. This is a substance that can be very harmful to you if it is not handled properly, so there are certain precautions you will always need to take when using this ingredient in your soaps.

The first thing to do when making soap from scratch, with original ingredients that include lye, is to ensure you have all the protection you need. This means wearing goggles to guard your eyes, wearing something with long sleeves so nothing harmful will splash on your skin, and using rubber gloves that you have made certain are free of holes. So when you buy soap making supplies, you aren't just going to be looking for the various ingredients that you will put into the soap itself, nor for the utensils you'll use, but you will also need to be sure you've got all the protective items that are required.

The very handling of the lye while you're making bars of soap will require extra care as well. When you measure it out and are shaking it from the tin or jar, check to be sure that no tiny flecks or specks cling to your sleeves or gloves, especially if the air is dry and there might be static. If you pour your water into the lye, you will get a violent reaction. So you will need to pour the lye very slowly into your water instead and make sure nothing splashes, while stirring as your pour. Keep vinegar close by to neutralize any lye spills. Once the lye crystals have completely dissolved, then you can pour this mixture into your soap base.

If you become an expert who is constantly vigilant in the handling of the lye, then making soap will remain safe and enjoyable for you. Once you've established the proper safety procedures for yourself, then you can experiment with ingredients and additives. You can use the handmade soap yourself, or begin to create soaps for others as well. As long as you take all the precautions you need for the most dangerous ingredients, you can enjoy your final product with peace of mind.

Related topics about making soap
Experimenting With Soap Recipes
There are soap making supply stores and websites that can point you in the direction of a large number of oils, fragrances and other additives that you might want to use in your own soaps, whether you're fine with synthetic materials or want to go more natural. As you become more experienced in using the soap recipes you discover, you will think of areas to alter things, such as changing oils, adding different colorings, and so on. Many people who begin making soap from scratch discover a real talent for this art and create wonderful new soaps of their own.

Making Natural Soap
The essential process for making natural soap, or for making any soap for that matter, is to combine a fatty acid with a base, which results in the soap itself. The base is usually soap lye, while the fatty acids are either animal or vegetable oils. For some people, animal fats raise questions about ethics and how the animals are treated, so using oils derived from vegetables, or even grains or nuts is usually preferable and feels more natural.

Finding All Your Soap Supplies
As you embark on your soap making enterprise, you may expect that all your soap supplies will be easy to find. However, some ingredients might take longer to acquire than others and be more difficult to locate, while your basic equipment will be found quite easily. If you intend to start soap making from scratch, then plan carefully and take the time in advance to be sure you have every ingredient and every piece of equipment needed, in order to make this project a success.