Lye is actually a drain cleaner, I believe. So you'll likely find it there. However, a very very big warning. Lye is caustic, do not ever touch it with water on your hands it will burn you very badly. Another rule  of thumb my history teacher taught me is always -add the Lye-, never add the water to the lye, because it will sputter and splash. Also, the contain needs to be non-reactive. If by chance you DO get some lye on you, vineagar will stop the chemical reaction.  (History Lesson Time— Back in the old days, around the 1800s, and likely earlier, since they didn't have the luxury of buying lye like we do today, they would save the ashes of their wood fires, and drain water through it to leech the naturally occuring lye from them.)

Glycerin is pretty easily found online at craft stores, or if you're going into Charleston anytime soon you might drop by Michael's Arts & Crafter Center over at Corridor G. They have soap making stuff there.

Kelleh you are absolutely correct!!!  Lye is found in Red Devil Drain Cleaner.  Heidi533 – please print out Kelleh's post, and take every precaution when working with it!

Glycerin can be found at most craft stores, as well as molds and scents.  These items can be more expensive there, but you won't have to buy the large amounts to get started.  You will also need a double boiler.  **REMEMBER — ANY utensils or pans, that you use for soapmaking cannot be used for food.**

The amount of milk to add depends on the maker, and how many bars you are making.  The more milk you add — the LESS lather you will get.  All additives (scents, milk, botanicals, etc) are done after the glycerin is melted.  I start with 2 cups of milk, then my scent, then any botanicals…..stir.  Continue to add ingredients (in small amounts) as needed.

I found these two books to be priceless with their information:

Milk-Based Soaps by Casey Makela

The Soapmaker's Companion by Susan Miller Cavitch

Two other great books:

Melt & Pour Soapmaking by Marie Browning

The Complete Soapmaker by Norma Caney

I hope this helps.

I'll try to stay off my soapbox (hehe) about lye.

Heidi533 said:

Suzanne said:

Thanks for the book recommendations!  I have a couple books but I think I got the wrong ones because I didn't know anything about it.  I think I'm scared of lye now, LOL.  I need a double-boiler but I've been looking for one everywhere I go and can't find one.  I'll need several other things before I can make soap, too, so it looks like that's going to be my obstacle as I actually have enough goat's milk now if all you need is a couple cups!

---

Suzanne,

As for the lye, I look at it like this:  People have been making soap with lye for 100's of years and probably still will be 100's of years from now.  A little fear is healthy, it will keep you careful, which is what you need to be around lye. 

On the other hand, I have a friend who usues glycerine to make her goat milk soap and it turns out quite nice. 

Heidi

I have a healthy dislike of chemicals (DH works in chemical plants).  And, yes lye soap has and will be around forever.  Sorry….stepping down.

Look for a double boiler at garage/yard sales, estate sales or maybe you have two "old pots" that will work.

The utensils I use the most are rubber spatulas, a ladle and a potato peeler (to smooth the edges).

Some things I've used for molds are:  disposable Glad bowls, old Tupperware freezer containers, rubber cupcake molds.  Anything that is flexible enough to "pop out" the bar of soap, after it has set.

One last thing, with a glycerin base, you don't HAVE to cure the bars for days/weeks.

Good luck!!!  I can't wait to hear how you guys do!!!

Heidi533 said:

Gizmo-I just wanted to say I respect your position.  You'll find me on the preverbial soapbox from time to time too.

I do have one question for you though.  What kind/brand of glycerin soap base do you use?  I have a bag of Something Fabulous Soap Creations Pure Glycerin soap that my sister-in-law bought me at Hobby Lobby.  I flipped it over and read the ingredients and it does contain Sodium Hydroxide (a.k.a. Lye).  I thought all melt and pour glycerin soap had lye in it.  That's one of the reasons I was just going to learn to make the lye soap myself.  I figured I could cut out the middle man if I learned to make it from scratch.

Heidi, who is now really confused about soap.

I had no idea!  It never occurred to me to read the label of Hobby Lobby base.

I usually get my base locally, but have ordered from Go Planet Earth, Soap Crafter's Co and ordered some from companies in NV and AR through Ebay.

I'm going to go check more labels now.  This is the first I've heard of m/p having lye in it.

I use cardboard boxes and tupperware containers for molds and line them with waxed paper. Just make sure the waxed paper is flat against the sides and the corners are folded flat. Any wrinkle in the paper will show in the soap. I use thin tape on the corners and edges. You can just lift out the entire block of soap, peel off the paper and slice. I price my soap bars by weight, so they can all be different sizes. You can line any container with waxed paper and use it as a mold, if you can just lift out the soap in the paper. Rub a tiny bit of vasoline on the waxed paper. It'll make it easier to peel off the soap.

You can replace your water with milk entirely or just replace half of it. If you use milk at the beginning as your liquid you will have brown soap. The lye will cook the milk and it will turn bright orange and make brown soap. You can mix the lye with half the water and add the other half as milk when you mix it with the fat. You will still get a tan soap, not white like using just water, but not as dark as mixing the lye in milk.

DO NOT USE DRAIN CLEANER. Its has other chemicals in it. Buy pure lye only or make your own lye with the hardwood ashes from your wood stove (another process entirely). It is hard to find lye here too but one old timey hardware store does carry it.

I often use lard to make soap. Turns out real nice. Using hard fat makes a harder soap that lasts longer and doesn't dissolve so easily in water. Much better! The more oils you add, the softer the soap. Any kind of good clean animal fat makes good, hard soap.

I use shortening to make vegan soap, when its requested.

You don't need glycerin to make soap. A tiny bit is suppose to make a better lather, but I have not been able to tell the difference. The soap making process produces glycerin in the soap as a by product. Your homemade soap will have lots of natural glycerin in it. Clear glylcerin soaps are made by boiling the already made soap and adding a little glycerin then. Its just for looks to make clear soap, not to put glycerin in your soap. Glycerin base melt and pour is soap that someone has already made for you. You just melt it and add whatever you want and remold. Glycerin has been removed from commercial soap and sold separately. It is worth a lot more than the soap and is used in manufacturing weaponry. One reason among many that makes commercial soap so much more drying.

There is no lye left in the soap when it has cured, provided you used the recipe correctly. Saponification (the chemical process that makes soap) turns the lye and fat mixed together in specific amounts and temps, into one item: soap. If you don't have enough of the right kind of fat to go with the amount of lye you are using, you will have some lye left in your soap that does not saponify because it doesn't have enough fat to mix with all of it. Make sure you use a good recipe. Its ok to have a little too much fat. You will just be making "superfatted" soap. Too much fat left will make it greasy but a little is good on your skin. Just use a good recipe and let it cure long enough. The longer it cures and dries, the better it will be, but it is safe to use after about 4 weeks. Unless you cook it.

Cooked soap is ready to use right away.

I have been making soap for decades and never had a problem with the lye. Just mix it with ventilation and turn you head away so you don't breathe the fumes. They dissapate quickly.  It takes a lot of exposure to pure lye to burn your skin. Rinse your sking as soon as you use it or wear rubber gloves. I find more of a problem in taking the soap from the mold and slicing it. You will definately need gloves for that. You should also wear safety glasses when using the lye, as a splash in your eye can blind you. A little burn on your hand or a hole in your clothing is not such a big deal, but a damaged or blind eye is. It is also important to protect the area where you prepare food from any stray lye so one flake or one tiny crystal does not end up in someone's food. Just be careful pouring it and measuring it. Clean up any spills thoroughly. Off the floor too so folks and animals are not walking on one tiny lye flake or crystal with bare feet.

I don't want to make you too nervous using the lye. I have used it for decades without a problem. Just respect it, be careful and don't get complacent over time and you'll be fine. Store it in a safe place, well labelled.