What is lye and why is it used in soap?

Sodium hydroxide (also called caustic soda or lye) is commonly used to create solid bars of soap, while potassium hydroxide is used to make liquid soap. When lye comes in contact with oils, a chemical reaction occurs that changes both substances.

What is lye from Ash?

You see, lye (sodium hydroxide) is formed when wood ash (which is mostly potassium carbonate) is mixed with water. The mixed solution is extremely alkaline and if it comes in contact with your skin, it begins to absorb the oils and turns your skin into soap.

What is lye and its uses?

Lye, or caustic soda, is a mixture of sodium hydroxide and water. This strong alkaline compound is used sparingly in baking due its dominate properties. While stronger solutions of lye have been made famous for making soap and other cleaners, food-grade lye is a much milder solution.

How is lye made for soap?

Lye is made from wood ashes seeped in water, and it was first called potash or pot ash, being ashes soaked in a pot. This is actually the origin of the word “potassium!” Lye is used in many soap recipes and cleansers, usually mixed in with oils and animal fats like beef fat to produce soap.

What is lye in South Africa?

Bellray is your specialist supplier of Sodium Hydroxide in Southern Africa. Sodium Hydroxide, also known as lye and caustic soda, is an inorganic compound with formula NaOH. It is a white solid, a salt (ionic compound), consisting of sodium cations Na+ and hydroxide anions OH−.

Is lye in soap harmful?

Lye is a caustic substance that can certainly damage your skin if you’re exposed to it. It can cause a number of problems, such as burns, blindness, and even death when consumed. The lye gets entirely used up during the process, which means it’s no longer present and can do no harm to your skin.

What are some uses for lye?

Some uses for lye include making soap and detergent, relaxing hair, and processing natural gas and gasoline. Lye is also used in papermaking and for neutralizing acids. It is also used to process soft drinks and to peel fruits and vegetables chemically. Lye is used in the processing of aluminum.

What is Lye good for?

Lye as a chemical has many uses. Its white powder destroys waste by its ability to eat organic material. It is used in the making of hard soap and textiles, in tanning LEATHER, in refining petroleum , and in the canning industry. Lye is soluble in water and is a good conductor of electricity.

What is lye for soap?

Lye is an essential component in the soap making reaction because its hydroxide ion combines with the oil or fat to form the soap. The only exception to sodium hydroxide soap would be the occasional liquid soap that is made with potassium hydroxide. Potassium hydroxide, however, is also a type of lye.

What is lye water for?

Added to water, it makes the water very alkaline. It can be used to process kernels of corn, just as Lime is. Lye in water causes the kernels of corn soaked in it to swell, loosening the hulls. The corn is then rinsed well to get rid of the Lye and the hulls.