Has anyone here ever used homemade lye soap, with essential oils? I have a surplus, and I'm curious if it's safe.
Lye is a regular ingredient in soaps in general, but can be quite harsh on the skin, even cause burns if not mixed properly.
Many of the cherished soaps on B&B use the same basic ingredients. Because these are specifically made for shaving they tend to have a different ratio of the base ingredients (types of fats and lye) as well added "fluff" like extra oils, shea butter, etc. Soaps just for washing don't necessarily need any of those extras.Well, has anyone used the old fashioned kind? Like grandma used to make
That's the "curing" time. Chemical reactions (which is what the soap-making process is) always go faster when there are larger quantities of the ingredients involved, because the right molecules are more likely to "find" each other. As the reaction nears completion, it becomes harder and harder for the unreacted molecules to bump into each other. This is why most of the lye is consumed within minutes but it can take days (or possibly weeks?) for the last of it to react. Having a little surplus fat helps, otherwise the last few molecules might never react with each other.You have to let the lye go through a process after its made. Otherwise, it will can burn you, I believe.
Yes! Thank you for explaining what I couldn't remember!That's the "curing" time. Chemical reactions (which is what the soap-making process is) always go faster when there are larger quantities of the ingredients involved, because the right molecules are more likely to "find" each other. As the reaction nears completion, it becomes harder and harder for the unreacted molecules to bump into each other. This is why most of the lye is consumed within minutes but it can take days (or possibly weeks?) for the last of it to react. Having a little surplus fat helps, otherwise the last few molecules might never react with each other.
Has anyone here ever used homemade lye soap, with essential oils? I have a surplus, and I'm curious if it's safe.