Why I Make & Use Lye Soap.
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Why I Make & Use Lye Soap.
Are You Bathing in Soap or Detergent?
Most bath soap is not really soap, but a combination of skin-drying alcohol, detergents and salts. Many of the same ingredients found in shower gels can be found in industrial cleansers such as engine degreasers. Genuine soap is made with natural ingredients that can be found in your kitchen pantry, and processed in ways that have virtually no negative impact on your skin or the environment. Unlike detergents, true soap is naturally moisturizing, non-drying and essential for good skin care.
When Did America Stop Using Real Soap?
During World War II, the shortage and rationing of natural oils and fats needed to create soap gave rise to the creation of synthetic detergents. These cleansers were designed in a laboratory to mimic the properties and benefits of soap across a number of applications, from body wash to floor cleaner. Most products on the market today calling themselves beauty bars, facial cleansers, body bars, shower gels - even some products calling themselves soap – are actually detergents born out of this era.
Today, most brand name bath bars and body washes are made from synthetic and petroleum-based chemicals and preservatives that are cheap to produce and used in a variety of industrial products, from antifreeze to paper. While these products are effective cleansers, they contain ingredients that have no inherent benefit to your skin.
For example, here is an ingredient list from a popular brand of shower gel:
Water, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Sodium Sulfate, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Fragrance, Sodium Lauroamphoacetate, Citric Acid, Sodium Benzoate, Polyquaternium-10, Disodium EDTA, Methylchloroisothiazolinone, Methylisothiazolinone, Green 3, Green 5, Red 33.
Did you ever wonder what these ingredients do? Here's a brief rundown:
Sodium Laureth Sulfate (or SELS) is a foaming agent that does nothing but create lather. This chemical and its cousin sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS) are found in most brands of cosmetics and household cleaners. SELS and SLS are known to dry and irritate skin and hair in products containing a little more than a percent or two of this chemical
Sodium Sulfate – an industrial filler material
Cocamidopropyl Betaine – a thickening agent that can also reduce irritation caused by chemicals like SELS
Sodium Lauroamphoacetate– this is the “no more tears” chemical that acts as a counter irritant to presumably the harsher, skin irritating ingredients
Citric Acid – an organic acid used to balance the pH of the body wash
Sodium Benzoate – a preservative that is also used in pre-packaged food
Polyquaternium-10 – synthetic compound used in shampoos that create a film on hair to give it a glossy, moisturized look, but has no moisturizing properties.
Disodium EDTA – this chemical binds to impurities in water so detergents can clean more effectively
Methylchloroisothiazolinone – a preservative used in a number of industrial processes from glue to paint that has antibacterial properties, but it irritates the skin, so it is only used in skin care products that are meant to be rinsed off rather than absorbed.
Methylisothiazolinone – a preservative with antimicrobial properties and a known neurotoxin in the same family as Agent Orange. While small doses in bath products may not be harmful, effects of prolong exposure are unknown.
Using Genuine Soap
World War II has been over for nearly 70 years yet "soap" manufacturers are still using the same, temporary replacement materials at a time when healthful, natural ingredients are in ample supply.
Genuine soap has been made for centuries by combining vegetable oils and fats with a liquid solution of milk and/or water and lye. When the oils and lye solution are combined, a natural chemical reaction called saponification occurs in which the fatty acids in the solution are broken down and converted into soap containing glycerin.
Some people fear using real soap because it is made with lye. Lye by itself is a caustic substance. However, saponification renders the lye neutral. Combining an acid (the fat) with an alkali (the lye) forms a neutral (the soap). In the finished soap, the caustic lye is no longer present because of this chemical reaction. What's left are fats and glycerin that are beneficial cleansers and moisturizers. All genuine soap is made from an alkali, even those marketed as being natural and organic. There is no such thing as a soap created from non-chemical methods. Soap is by definition the result of a chemical reaction.
Most bath soap is not really soap, but a combination of skin-drying alcohol, detergents and salts. Many of the same ingredients found in shower gels can be found in industrial cleansers such as engine degreasers. Genuine soap is made with natural ingredients that can be found in your kitchen pantry, and processed in ways that have virtually no negative impact on your skin or the environment. Unlike detergents, true soap is naturally moisturizing, non-drying and essential for good skin care.
When Did America Stop Using Real Soap?
During World War II, the shortage and rationing of natural oils and fats needed to create soap gave rise to the creation of synthetic detergents. These cleansers were designed in a laboratory to mimic the properties and benefits of soap across a number of applications, from body wash to floor cleaner. Most products on the market today calling themselves beauty bars, facial cleansers, body bars, shower gels - even some products calling themselves soap – are actually detergents born out of this era.
Today, most brand name bath bars and body washes are made from synthetic and petroleum-based chemicals and preservatives that are cheap to produce and used in a variety of industrial products, from antifreeze to paper. While these products are effective cleansers, they contain ingredients that have no inherent benefit to your skin.
For example, here is an ingredient list from a popular brand of shower gel:
Water, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Sodium Sulfate, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Fragrance, Sodium Lauroamphoacetate, Citric Acid, Sodium Benzoate, Polyquaternium-10, Disodium EDTA, Methylchloroisothiazolinone, Methylisothiazolinone, Green 3, Green 5, Red 33.
Did you ever wonder what these ingredients do? Here's a brief rundown:
Sodium Laureth Sulfate (or SELS) is a foaming agent that does nothing but create lather. This chemical and its cousin sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS) are found in most brands of cosmetics and household cleaners. SELS and SLS are known to dry and irritate skin and hair in products containing a little more than a percent or two of this chemical
Sodium Sulfate – an industrial filler material
Cocamidopropyl Betaine – a thickening agent that can also reduce irritation caused by chemicals like SELS
Sodium Lauroamphoacetate– this is the “no more tears” chemical that acts as a counter irritant to presumably the harsher, skin irritating ingredients
Citric Acid – an organic acid used to balance the pH of the body wash
Sodium Benzoate – a preservative that is also used in pre-packaged food
Polyquaternium-10 – synthetic compound used in shampoos that create a film on hair to give it a glossy, moisturized look, but has no moisturizing properties.
Disodium EDTA – this chemical binds to impurities in water so detergents can clean more effectively
Methylchloroisothiazolinone – a preservative used in a number of industrial processes from glue to paint that has antibacterial properties, but it irritates the skin, so it is only used in skin care products that are meant to be rinsed off rather than absorbed.
Methylisothiazolinone – a preservative with antimicrobial properties and a known neurotoxin in the same family as Agent Orange. While small doses in bath products may not be harmful, effects of prolong exposure are unknown.
Using Genuine Soap
World War II has been over for nearly 70 years yet "soap" manufacturers are still using the same, temporary replacement materials at a time when healthful, natural ingredients are in ample supply.
Genuine soap has been made for centuries by combining vegetable oils and fats with a liquid solution of milk and/or water and lye. When the oils and lye solution are combined, a natural chemical reaction called saponification occurs in which the fatty acids in the solution are broken down and converted into soap containing glycerin.
Some people fear using real soap because it is made with lye. Lye by itself is a caustic substance. However, saponification renders the lye neutral. Combining an acid (the fat) with an alkali (the lye) forms a neutral (the soap). In the finished soap, the caustic lye is no longer present because of this chemical reaction. What's left are fats and glycerin that are beneficial cleansers and moisturizers. All genuine soap is made from an alkali, even those marketed as being natural and organic. There is no such thing as a soap created from non-chemical methods. Soap is by definition the result of a chemical reaction.
Re: Why I Make & Use Lye Soap.
It's my body soap and shampoo. As is my toothpaste .My shaving soap is also.
Kind regards,
Tycer
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Re: Why I Make & Use Lye Soap.
I haven't needed shampoo in years.Tycer wrote:It's my body soap and shampoo. As is my toothpaste .My shaving soap is also.
I need to do some research on vintage mug & brush shaving cream.
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Re: Why I Make & Use Lye Soap.
We used lye soap for a lot of years made by my cousin in southern Illinois. She passed away a couple of years ago but had quit making soap because the lye could not be bought anymore. It was taken off the market due to the meth makers.
JerryB II Corinthians 3:17, Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.
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Re: Why I Make & Use Lye Soap.
What's "soap"...???
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"first do no harm" - gun control LAWS lead to far more deaths than 'easy access' ever could.
Want REAL change? . . . . . "Boortz/Nugent in 2012 . . . ! "
"first do no harm" - gun control LAWS lead to far more deaths than 'easy access' ever could.
Want REAL change? . . . . . "Boortz/Nugent in 2012 . . . ! "
Re: Why I Make & Use Lye Soap.
Tycer - I guess I'm missing something. It might clean your teeth but I'm thinking it must taste odd...Tycer wrote:It's my body soap and shampoo. As is my toothpaste .My shaving soap is also.
Re: Why I Make & Use Lye Soap.
A traditionalist makes lye from wood ash.JerryB wrote:We used lye soap for a lot of years made by my cousin in southern Illinois. She passed away a couple of years ago but had quit making soap because the lye could not be bought anymore. It was taken off the market due to the meth makers.
I use the store bought lye crystals.
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Re: Why I Make & Use Lye Soap.
Agreed... Caldarium, Oil, Strigil & Frigidarium is all a body needs...AJMD429 wrote:What's "soap"...???
C2N14... because life is not energetic enough.
מנא, מנא, תקל, ופרסין Daniel 5:25-28... Got 7.62?
Not Depressed enough yet? Go read National Geographic, July 1976
Gott und Gewehr mit uns!
מנא, מנא, תקל, ופרסין Daniel 5:25-28... Got 7.62?
Not Depressed enough yet? Go read National Geographic, July 1976
Gott und Gewehr mit uns!
Re: Why I Make & Use Lye Soap.
.
PHEW !..........................
I think I'll just let my dog keep lickin' me clean. .
.
PHEW !..........................
I think I'll just let my dog keep lickin' me clean. .
.
- Shasta
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Re: Why I Make & Use Lye Soap.
One thing about the Leverguns forum guys, it ain't always about leverguns!
This is a very interesting and thought-provoking thread, especially for those of us who are married to a woman who is a clean freak. I showed her this thread and I assure you, labels are being read!
Thanks for posting!
SHASTA
This is a very interesting and thought-provoking thread, especially for those of us who are married to a woman who is a clean freak. I showed her this thread and I assure you, labels are being read!
Thanks for posting!
SHASTA
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Re: Why I Make & Use Lye Soap.
Ok so what is this I hear,read and see in movies about lye "soap" being so caustic that it takes
the hide off?
Just asking, always ready to learn.
I see the pictures but would also like a recipe, my wife would be very interested.
the hide off?
Just asking, always ready to learn.
I see the pictures but would also like a recipe, my wife would be very interested.
"Any man who covers his face and packs a gun is a legitimate target for any decent citizen"
Jeff Cooper
Jeff Cooper
Re: Why I Make & Use Lye Soap.
casastahle, if you could please post the recipe/method you use.
I have been saving meat renderings for quite a while and would rather try a forum members method than an random www recipe.
Thanks
hayabusa
I have been saving meat renderings for quite a while and would rather try a forum members method than an random www recipe.
Thanks
hayabusa
Re: Why I Make & Use Lye Soap.
Best crack-up line of the month so far, IMO.PHEW !..........................
I think I'll just let my dog keep lickin' me clean. .
Thanks for the chuckles.
Chico and Ranger endorse your prescription, I guess I'll be cleaned up whether I want to or not.
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Re: Why I Make & Use Lye Soap.
I know for fact that my grandfather used lye soap to take the hair off of hides that he tanned. Of course the hides would soak in it for at least a week if I recall correctly.
Check the link below, this article actually recommends it.
http://sodium-hydroxide.com/lye-for-eve ... p-smartly/
Check the link below, this article actually recommends it.
http://sodium-hydroxide.com/lye-for-eve ... p-smartly/
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Re: Why I Make & Use Lye Soap.
How about Ivory Soap ?
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Re: Why I Make & Use Lye Soap.
Rats will eat it every time, when they won't touch other brands of soap.Lefty Dude wrote:How about Ivory Soap ?
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Re: Why I Make & Use Lye Soap.
People used to use the lye itself to clean things, or even to remove something from their skin that was tough to get off, resulting in lye burns to their skin.Bullard4075 wrote:Ok so what is this I hear,read and see in movies about lye "soap" being so caustic that it takes
the hide off?
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Re: Why I Make & Use Lye Soap.
Edit: Last post was so interesting, I posted it twice . . .
Last edited by 7.62 Precision on Tue Dec 16, 2014 2:17 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Why I Make & Use Lye Soap.
Ivory...so pure it floats!,, (turds also float, but I'll pass on washing with 'em).. Seriously, how about Fel's Naptha soap? Any good?
This is plagiarized from someone else, but I love it!
I was born a gun owner.
It wasn't a choice.
I didn't become one later in life.
I was born this way.
I was born a gun owner.
It wasn't a choice.
I didn't become one later in life.
I was born this way.
Re: Why I Make & Use Lye Soap.
Only the back of the tongue reacts to it. As long as I don't try to speak while brushing it's fine. Brings back memories of mom if I get it back there. Yuk.BC in TN wrote:Tycer - I guess I'm missing something. It might clean your teeth but I'm thinking it must taste odd...Tycer wrote:It's my body soap and shampoo. As is my toothpaste .My shaving soap is also.
Silica and some of the other fine abrasives in toothpaste fill the pores in teeth preventing saliva from remineralizing the teeth. The body can and will move minerals around where they are needed most and put them back after it ingests them.
Vitamin K2 (MK7) helps move calcium. If you take calcium supplements you should be taking about 200 mcg of K2. New research on calcium suggest that it does more harm Han good for most of us.
Kind regards,
Tycer
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Re: Why I Make & Use Lye Soap.
Here's an easy one.Bullard4075 wrote:Ok so what is this I hear,read and see in movies about lye "soap" being so caustic that it takes
the hide off?
Just asking, always ready to learn.
I see the pictures but would also like a recipe, my wife would be very interested.
http://www.motherearthnews.com/homestea ... z3L4TMeumi
The Chemistry Store has supplies. Different additives create soaps for specific uses. Here's a partial list by the guy I buy my shaving soap from: http://www.mikesnaturalsoaps.com/Mikes_ ... tters.html
Kind regards,
Tycer
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Re: Why I Make & Use Lye Soap.
I will get that to ya ASAP.hayabusa wrote:casastahle, if you could please post the recipe/method you use.
I have been saving meat renderings for quite a while and would rather try a forum members method than an random www recipe.
Thanks
hayabusa
Rendering fat is on my to 'try doing sometime' bucket list
BTW: My basic recipe is written right there on my mold board.
Re: Why I Make & Use Lye Soap.
Soap Myths
10. Body oils need to be removed in order to have clean skin.
9. The best soaps are pH balanced.
8. Antibacterial soap is better than regular soap.
7. Soap made with chemicals is bad for your skin.
6. If you can’t pronounce it, it shouldn’t go on your skin.
5. Lye soap is harsh.
4. Soap can be made without lye.
3. Castile soap is 100% olive oil.
2. Soap making is difficult and expensive.
1. Soap can’t be “all-natural” since it doesn’t exist in nature.
Body Oils DO NOT need to be removed to have clean skin.
10. Clean skin doesn’t equal oil-free skin. Our bodies are constantly creating oils that help to clean pores, and guard against germs and dehydration. Using harsh cleansers that strip away natural oils is not necessary in order to be clean. The goal of skin cleansing, is to remove dirt and grime, sweat, and harmful bacteria.
PH Balanced Soap is Not Necessary For Skin.
9. Many soaps claim to be pH balanced implying that this is somehow beneficial to skin. pH is a scale used to describe the balance between acidity and alkalinity. Handcrafted soap is alkaline, generally having a pH somewhere between 8 and 10. Our bodies are generally more acidic on the outside, and more basic on the inside. One notable exception to this is the stomach, where harsh hydrochloric acid aids in digestion. pH varies from person to person, but in general, our skin is acidic. This helps to keep bacteria at appropriate levels. When we wash with soap, we temporarily remove some of this acidity, but the body quickly replaces it, and returns to its normal pH. Attempting to alter the pH of your skin is not only an exercise in futility, but is unnecessary. The body is designed to operate at the pH that occurs naturally. pH balancing soaps will not have a lasting effect on the pH of your skin.
However, we do know that when natural soap is first poured into a mold, it is highly alkaline. As it cures, the soap becomes less alkaline. Monitoring the change in pH can help determine whether the soap has cured adequately or not. There is such a range of pH’s, though, even in properly cured soap, that this is not an accurate or reliable measure of the gentleness of a soap. Those attributes are more affected by the choice of oils used.
Antibacterial Soaps are Unnecessary.
8. Plain old soap and water is effective at removing surface dirt, grime and germs. This is because soap is a surfactant- a solution that lifts crud, bonds with it, and allows it to be rinsed away with water. Antibacterial soaps do this as well, but are also promoted as “germ killing.” To do this, the antibacterial agent must be in contact with bacteria for approximately 20 seconds to be effective. Unfortunately, many people do not wash this long, which potentially leads to bacteria with increased antibacterial resistance. There is also concern about the safety of some commonly used antibacterial agents (i.e. triclosan) because of their similarity to dioxins, and links to endocrine system disruption. Being an Ann Arbor native, I’ll share the following that I found on wikipedia: “A comprehensive analysis from the University of Michigan School of Public Health indicated that plain soaps are just as effective as consumer-grade antibacterial soaps with triclosan in preventing illness and removing bacteria from the hands.”
Do Not Steer Clear of Soaps Made With Chemicals.
7. Soaps made from chemicals are unavoidable. Chemicals are simply the universe’s building blocks. Every substance that exists is made of chemicals. It would be pointless to try to avoid them. A couple of common chemicals found on soap labels include sodium hydroxide (the alkaline necessary to turn oils into harmless soap), and sodium cocoate (coconut oil that has been turned into soap using sodium hydroxide). An especially important, and harmless chemical used to make real soap is dihydrogen monoxide, otherwise known as…water.
Unpronounceable Ingredients are Not Necessarily Bad.
6. What about those unfamiliar, unpronounceable chemicals? Cymbopogon Schoenanthus oil? Azadirachta Indica oil? These are just two examples of hard to pronounce things that are found on many natural soap labels. They are the International Nomenclature terms for lemongrass essential oil and neem seed oil. Hard To Pronounce does not equal Bad For You.
Lye Soap Can Be Amazingly Gentle on Skin.
5. Properly made Lye soap is NOT harsh. Since all real soap is made with lye, then lye soap and real soap are one and the same. When properly formulated and allowed to cure, real soap is a gentle, mildly cleansing product. In a properly formulated recipe, a soapcrafter ensures that lye is the “limiting reagent.” When the lye is gone, the reaction is over. Some of us do this by “superfatting” our natural soaps. Additional oil is added to the formula to be absolutely sure that any trace of lye will be forced into reacting and creating soap. The unreacted oil remains in the soap as a conditioning agent.
Real Soap Cannot Be Made Without Lye.
4. No lye= no soap. Let’s call it “the Soapmaker’s Mathmatical Expression.” Lye is necessary for making natural soap. Soap is oil that has been “Saponified.” Saponification, by definition, is the reaction of lye with fatty acids to produce the salts of the fatty acids (“soap”). Without lye, saponification doesn’t happen. Therefore, no lye, means no soap. Now, there are many products out there that can be used for cleaning that are not really soap, and were not made with lye. These products are most likely detergents- synthetic cleansers often made with petroleum products, and harsh cleaning agents. Originally lacking in natural glycerin, they must have moisturizers added in to make them more gentle for skin. You may find soapcrafters who claim to “make soap” without using lye. These folks don’t make soap from scratch, but instead rely on premade bases that they melt down and mold. This is called the “Melt and Pour” technique. Be assured, though, that the manufacturer of their base used lye, or the base is a synthetic detergent. All real soap is made with lye.
Castile Soap is Soap that Contains a Large Percentage of Olive Oil.
3. The term “Castile Soap” was once used exclusively to describe soaps made only with lye and olive oil. However, modern usage of the word refers to pure olive oil soap, as well as soaps with a high proportion of olive oil in their formula.
Soap Making is Simple and Affordable.
2. Making soap is actually quite simple and affordable. The process of making soap involves measuring, mixing, and pouring. Online “soap calculators” are available that can help to create recipes and ensure the correct amounts of ingredients are specified. The difficulty some people experience in making soap lies in the precision that is necessary in weighing ingredients and stirring to the correct consistency, in the formulating (it can be tricky to come up with a nice formula that makes a soap with the qualities you want), and also in the precaution that must be taken when handling corrosive lye and lye solutions. Depending on a person’s comfort level with laboratory or kitchen methods, and on their dedication to studying their craft, the technique of making soap can be mastered. I always advise that people read, read, and read some more before attempting their first batch. As far as expense, soap can be made with grocery store ingredients such as lard, Crisco, olive oil, castor oil (from the pharmacy area), and other oils found in the baking aisle of most food stores. Lye (usually sodium hydroxide) can be bought on line, and also in some hardware stores. It is important to use 100% PURE sodium hydroxide, with no other chemicals in it. The equipment needed to make a simple batch of soap can be as basic as a couple of pyrex bowls, a scale, a stainless steel spoon, a microwave, and a shoebox for a mold. Obviously, more serious endeavors into soapmaking will require more elaborate equipment, but it need not even be expensive equipment.
Soap Made With Natural Ingredients Should Be Called “Natural”.
1. We believe soap made with only natural ingredients deserves to be called “natural.” While soap is not naturally occurring, (with the exception of perhaps soap-like compounds found in several species of the genus Saponaria), the reaction between lye and fatty acids happens naturally. There is no catalyst needed, other than the simple act of adding one ingredient to the other. The reaction proceeds on it’s own. If natural oils (olive, coconut, palm, etc) are used along with natural essential oils, natural fragrances made from isolated scent compounds, or botanicals (oatmeal, dried herbs), there is no reason to not feel comfortable calling the resulting soap “natural.”
10. Body oils need to be removed in order to have clean skin.
9. The best soaps are pH balanced.
8. Antibacterial soap is better than regular soap.
7. Soap made with chemicals is bad for your skin.
6. If you can’t pronounce it, it shouldn’t go on your skin.
5. Lye soap is harsh.
4. Soap can be made without lye.
3. Castile soap is 100% olive oil.
2. Soap making is difficult and expensive.
1. Soap can’t be “all-natural” since it doesn’t exist in nature.
Body Oils DO NOT need to be removed to have clean skin.
10. Clean skin doesn’t equal oil-free skin. Our bodies are constantly creating oils that help to clean pores, and guard against germs and dehydration. Using harsh cleansers that strip away natural oils is not necessary in order to be clean. The goal of skin cleansing, is to remove dirt and grime, sweat, and harmful bacteria.
PH Balanced Soap is Not Necessary For Skin.
9. Many soaps claim to be pH balanced implying that this is somehow beneficial to skin. pH is a scale used to describe the balance between acidity and alkalinity. Handcrafted soap is alkaline, generally having a pH somewhere between 8 and 10. Our bodies are generally more acidic on the outside, and more basic on the inside. One notable exception to this is the stomach, where harsh hydrochloric acid aids in digestion. pH varies from person to person, but in general, our skin is acidic. This helps to keep bacteria at appropriate levels. When we wash with soap, we temporarily remove some of this acidity, but the body quickly replaces it, and returns to its normal pH. Attempting to alter the pH of your skin is not only an exercise in futility, but is unnecessary. The body is designed to operate at the pH that occurs naturally. pH balancing soaps will not have a lasting effect on the pH of your skin.
However, we do know that when natural soap is first poured into a mold, it is highly alkaline. As it cures, the soap becomes less alkaline. Monitoring the change in pH can help determine whether the soap has cured adequately or not. There is such a range of pH’s, though, even in properly cured soap, that this is not an accurate or reliable measure of the gentleness of a soap. Those attributes are more affected by the choice of oils used.
Antibacterial Soaps are Unnecessary.
8. Plain old soap and water is effective at removing surface dirt, grime and germs. This is because soap is a surfactant- a solution that lifts crud, bonds with it, and allows it to be rinsed away with water. Antibacterial soaps do this as well, but are also promoted as “germ killing.” To do this, the antibacterial agent must be in contact with bacteria for approximately 20 seconds to be effective. Unfortunately, many people do not wash this long, which potentially leads to bacteria with increased antibacterial resistance. There is also concern about the safety of some commonly used antibacterial agents (i.e. triclosan) because of their similarity to dioxins, and links to endocrine system disruption. Being an Ann Arbor native, I’ll share the following that I found on wikipedia: “A comprehensive analysis from the University of Michigan School of Public Health indicated that plain soaps are just as effective as consumer-grade antibacterial soaps with triclosan in preventing illness and removing bacteria from the hands.”
Do Not Steer Clear of Soaps Made With Chemicals.
7. Soaps made from chemicals are unavoidable. Chemicals are simply the universe’s building blocks. Every substance that exists is made of chemicals. It would be pointless to try to avoid them. A couple of common chemicals found on soap labels include sodium hydroxide (the alkaline necessary to turn oils into harmless soap), and sodium cocoate (coconut oil that has been turned into soap using sodium hydroxide). An especially important, and harmless chemical used to make real soap is dihydrogen monoxide, otherwise known as…water.
Unpronounceable Ingredients are Not Necessarily Bad.
6. What about those unfamiliar, unpronounceable chemicals? Cymbopogon Schoenanthus oil? Azadirachta Indica oil? These are just two examples of hard to pronounce things that are found on many natural soap labels. They are the International Nomenclature terms for lemongrass essential oil and neem seed oil. Hard To Pronounce does not equal Bad For You.
Lye Soap Can Be Amazingly Gentle on Skin.
5. Properly made Lye soap is NOT harsh. Since all real soap is made with lye, then lye soap and real soap are one and the same. When properly formulated and allowed to cure, real soap is a gentle, mildly cleansing product. In a properly formulated recipe, a soapcrafter ensures that lye is the “limiting reagent.” When the lye is gone, the reaction is over. Some of us do this by “superfatting” our natural soaps. Additional oil is added to the formula to be absolutely sure that any trace of lye will be forced into reacting and creating soap. The unreacted oil remains in the soap as a conditioning agent.
Real Soap Cannot Be Made Without Lye.
4. No lye= no soap. Let’s call it “the Soapmaker’s Mathmatical Expression.” Lye is necessary for making natural soap. Soap is oil that has been “Saponified.” Saponification, by definition, is the reaction of lye with fatty acids to produce the salts of the fatty acids (“soap”). Without lye, saponification doesn’t happen. Therefore, no lye, means no soap. Now, there are many products out there that can be used for cleaning that are not really soap, and were not made with lye. These products are most likely detergents- synthetic cleansers often made with petroleum products, and harsh cleaning agents. Originally lacking in natural glycerin, they must have moisturizers added in to make them more gentle for skin. You may find soapcrafters who claim to “make soap” without using lye. These folks don’t make soap from scratch, but instead rely on premade bases that they melt down and mold. This is called the “Melt and Pour” technique. Be assured, though, that the manufacturer of their base used lye, or the base is a synthetic detergent. All real soap is made with lye.
Castile Soap is Soap that Contains a Large Percentage of Olive Oil.
3. The term “Castile Soap” was once used exclusively to describe soaps made only with lye and olive oil. However, modern usage of the word refers to pure olive oil soap, as well as soaps with a high proportion of olive oil in their formula.
Soap Making is Simple and Affordable.
2. Making soap is actually quite simple and affordable. The process of making soap involves measuring, mixing, and pouring. Online “soap calculators” are available that can help to create recipes and ensure the correct amounts of ingredients are specified. The difficulty some people experience in making soap lies in the precision that is necessary in weighing ingredients and stirring to the correct consistency, in the formulating (it can be tricky to come up with a nice formula that makes a soap with the qualities you want), and also in the precaution that must be taken when handling corrosive lye and lye solutions. Depending on a person’s comfort level with laboratory or kitchen methods, and on their dedication to studying their craft, the technique of making soap can be mastered. I always advise that people read, read, and read some more before attempting their first batch. As far as expense, soap can be made with grocery store ingredients such as lard, Crisco, olive oil, castor oil (from the pharmacy area), and other oils found in the baking aisle of most food stores. Lye (usually sodium hydroxide) can be bought on line, and also in some hardware stores. It is important to use 100% PURE sodium hydroxide, with no other chemicals in it. The equipment needed to make a simple batch of soap can be as basic as a couple of pyrex bowls, a scale, a stainless steel spoon, a microwave, and a shoebox for a mold. Obviously, more serious endeavors into soapmaking will require more elaborate equipment, but it need not even be expensive equipment.
Soap Made With Natural Ingredients Should Be Called “Natural”.
1. We believe soap made with only natural ingredients deserves to be called “natural.” While soap is not naturally occurring, (with the exception of perhaps soap-like compounds found in several species of the genus Saponaria), the reaction between lye and fatty acids happens naturally. There is no catalyst needed, other than the simple act of adding one ingredient to the other. The reaction proceeds on it’s own. If natural oils (olive, coconut, palm, etc) are used along with natural essential oils, natural fragrances made from isolated scent compounds, or botanicals (oatmeal, dried herbs), there is no reason to not feel comfortable calling the resulting soap “natural.”
Re: Why I Make & Use Lye Soap.
Here is a scanned copy of basic directions I've been using since Feb. 2000.hayabusa wrote:casastahle, if you could please post the recipe/method you use.
I have been saving meat renderings for quite a while and would rather try a forum members method than an random www recipe.
Thanks
hayabusa
For the blender method I use, I have found that a fat & lye temp. of 115° to 120°
works best and makes a good bar of soap.
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- Advanced Levergunner
- Posts: 9068
- Joined: Sun Jun 29, 2008 10:05 am
- Location: Sweetwater, TX
Re: Why I Make & Use Lye Soap.
Great thread, Casa.
I had forgotten how much I enjoyed using a bar of homemade soap given me by a friend.
I had forgotten how much I enjoyed using a bar of homemade soap given me by a friend.
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- Levergunner 3.0
- Posts: 596
- Joined: Sun Sep 16, 2007 9:09 am
- Location: Camp Verde, AZ
Re: Why I Make & Use Lye Soap.
My ex made lye soap once.
We'd moved from Phoenix to Buckeye, AZ and our tap water was highly alkali and untreated.
She made a big batch of beef stew using tap water and and passed it out to the neighbors as a get to know you gift.
Everybody got the trots.
We'd moved from Phoenix to Buckeye, AZ and our tap water was highly alkali and untreated.
She made a big batch of beef stew using tap water and and passed it out to the neighbors as a get to know you gift.
Everybody got the trots.
Bill Ranks
I never learned from a man who agreed with me.
Robert A. Heinlein
I never learned from a man who agreed with me.
Robert A. Heinlein
Re: Why I Make & Use Lye Soap.
Thanks Bill.Bill in Oregon wrote:Great thread, Casa.
I had forgotten how much I enjoyed using a bar of homemade soap given me by a friend.
While looking for the soap recipe I found this one I saved years ago to try.
I was on the hunt for one of those big old antique crocks to make homemade Apricot brandy. I need to revisit this one.
- Panzercat
- Levergunner 3.0
- Posts: 965
- Joined: Fri Aug 20, 2010 1:25 pm
- Location: This thread is USELESS without pics!
Re: Why I Make & Use Lye Soap.
...Proud owner of the 11.43×23mm automatic using depleted Thorium rounds.
Re: Why I Make & Use Lye Soap.
Bullet casting to soap & candle casting and well
everything in between happen in that shop
everything in between happen in that shop
Re: Why I Make & Use Lye Soap.
JerryB wrote:We used lye soap for a lot of years made by my cousin in southern Illinois. She passed away a couple of years ago but had quit making soap because the lye could not be bought anymore. It was taken off the market due to the meth makers.
Buying lye? My Grandmother always made hers....
Maybe that's why it was so strong?
Merle from PA
Re: Why I Make & Use Lye Soap.
Just viewed an interesting video on YouTube showing you how to make lye from ashes and water. Might try this.
Re: Why I Make & Use Lye Soap.
Your Grandmother probably used a fresh egg to judge how much to dilute the lye.Merle wrote: Buying lye? My Grandmother always made hers....
Maybe that's why it was so strong?
Kind regards,
Tycer
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Re: Why I Make & Use Lye Soap.
Hmmmm. Pellet stove=very soft wood ash. Lye should be no problem.
D. Brian Casady
Quid Llatine Dictum Sit, Altum Viditur.
Advanced is being able to do the basics while your leg is on fire---Bill Jeans
Don't ever take a fence down until you know why it was put up---Robert Frost
Quid Llatine Dictum Sit, Altum Viditur.
Advanced is being able to do the basics while your leg is on fire---Bill Jeans
Don't ever take a fence down until you know why it was put up---Robert Frost
Re: Why I Make & Use Lye Soap.
KiwiKev wrote:Just viewed an interesting video on YouTube showing you how to make lye from ashes and water. Might try this.
Yup, she had a trough about 8 ft long set up in the side yard. One of my jobs was to check & refill the ashes as required.
Merle from PA
Re: Why I Make & Use Lye Soap.
Tycer wrote:Your Grandmother probably used a fresh egg to judge how much to dilute the lye.Merle wrote: Buying lye? My Grandmother always made hers....
Maybe that's why it was so strong?
Now that part I don't remember - my job was over when the lye was ready. Personally, I preferred to churn the butter, it smelled a lot better!
Merle from PA
Re: Why I Make & Use Lye Soap.
Have you ever tried using it to wash clothes?
If you're gonna be stupid ya gotta be tough-
Isiah 55:8&9
It's easier to fool people than it is to convince them they have been fooled.
Isiah 55:8&9
It's easier to fool people than it is to convince them they have been fooled.
Re: Why I Make & Use Lye Soap.
Rusty,Rusty wrote:Have you ever tried using it to wash clothes?
Personally I have not.
My Mom hit's me up for a few bars every so often for her wash.
She says it's the best thing out there for doing wash.
She uses some kind of small metal flat grater to shave some soap off
the bar into the washer.
Re: Why I Make & Use Lye Soap.
Rusty wrote:Have you ever tried using it to wash clothes?
Yep, used it for clothes & bath soap. One of my lifes first bitter lesson: don't get that stuff in your eyes when washing your hair!!!!!
Merle from PA
Re: Why I Make & Use Lye Soap.
When I lived in WV many years ago I had a job going door to door picking up dry cleaning. There was a beauty shop I went to for dry cleaning and the lady that ran the place used to tell me about one of her customers. She was an elderly lady that still made her own soap. She would bring it into the shop with her once a week to have her hair done. She always wanted her hair washed with her own soap.
If you're gonna be stupid ya gotta be tough-
Isiah 55:8&9
It's easier to fool people than it is to convince them they have been fooled.
Isiah 55:8&9
It's easier to fool people than it is to convince them they have been fooled.
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- Advanced Levergunner
- Posts: 9068
- Joined: Sun Jun 29, 2008 10:05 am
- Location: Sweetwater, TX
Re: Why I Make & Use Lye Soap.
Doggone it. Every time I use my cake of commercial chemicals I think of this thread. May have to make a mold and give this a shot.
Re: Why I Make & Use Lye Soap.
Bill,Bill in Oregon wrote:Doggone it. Every time I use my cake of commercial chemicals I think of this thread. May have to make a mold and give this a shot.
Most of the bigger craft store's sell soap making molds of various sizes and shapes.
Being somewhat on the thrifty side, I try to make most things myself.
If you find the candle making supplies, the soap making supplies should be close by.
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- Advanced Levergunner
- Posts: 9068
- Joined: Sun Jun 29, 2008 10:05 am
- Location: Sweetwater, TX
Re: Why I Make & Use Lye Soap.
Will stop and look next time the wife wants to go to Michael's.
Re: Why I Make & Use Lye Soap.
Exactly the place I was referring toBill in Oregon wrote:Will stop and look next time the wife wants to go to Michael's.