Formula for How to Make Lye Soap

Homemade lye soaps can be made to suit your skin needs.

Making your own lye soap can save you money. Besides the base of lye, you choose the ingredients. You can make the soap to suit the needs of your skin. You can add various oils that will provide moisture to your skin. Lye itself is actually sodium hydroxide, a dangerous substance. But with the proper precautions, such as protective wear and ventilation, you should not have any problems with it as long as you are using 100 percent lye.

Things You'll Need

• 5 cups distilled water
• 2 quart heat-proof container
• 18 oz. lye
• Spatula
• 20 cups olive oil
• 2 gallon pot
• Thermometer
• Soap molds
• Brown paper

Instructions

1. Pour the distilled water into your container. Place your container on your stove or other heating element. Do not use any containers made with aluminum, zinc or tin as lye reacts badly with them. Slowly pour in the lye, mixing it carefully with a spatula until it dissolves. If you can, do this outside as the lye will produce vapors that will irritate your lungs. After the lye is dissolved, set your container aside in a well-ventilated place.

2. Pour the olive oil into a large mixing pot. Place this pot on your stove and heat the oil to 100 degrees Fahrenheit. Use a thermometer to get an exact reading or feel the outside of the pot to make sure it is warm.

3. Pour your lye and water mixture slowly into the warm oil as you stir. Keep stirring the mixture until it thickens into a pudding consistency. You know that you are on the right track if you see the mixture becoming opaque.

4. Lay out any custom molds you want to pour the mixture into. Pour the mixture into your molds. Put lids on the molds and cover with a sheet. After the mixture solidifies, cut it into your desired shapes.

5. Place your soaps on brown paper and stack them on shelves located in a well-ventilated area. Let them cure for at least four weeks. They are done curing when the soaps are hard.

Tips & Warnings

• Add essential oils for scent.

• Use natural colorants to color your soaps. Annatto seeds give you yellow. Chlorophyll gives you green. Paprika can give you peach and orange. Add a little at a time until your desired color is achieved.

• Increase the moisturizing properties of your soap by adding additional oils such as shea butter, hemp and castor oil.

• Work in a well-ventilated area.

• Keep children away during the process as lye is a dangerous chemical and is toxic if it is swallowed.

• Avoid touching your freshly made soap as it is irritating to the skin. Leave it for at least 48 hours before touching with your bare skin. If you do touch it, rinse with running water.

References

• Del City Soap: A Simple Soap Recipe
• Cranberry Lane: Natural Soap Making

Resources

• Read this Article in Spanish
• Granny's Lye Soap: Lye Soap Recipes