How do you make old fashioned lye soap?

How To Make Lye for Soap the Old-Fashioned Way

1. Supplies you’ll need.
2. Step 1: Gather ashes.
3. Step 2: Place the barrel on a stand.
4. Step 3: Drill a small hole at the base of the barrel.
5. Step 4: Place rocks or bricks in barrel.
6. Step 5: Add straw.
7. Step 6: Add hardwood ashes.
8. Step 7: Add water.

Can I use 100\% lye to make soap?

Lye can be bought at soap making suppliers such as Bramble Berry, Wholesale Supplies Plus, and Chemistry Store. I most often buy Essential Depot 100\% pure lye; it’s food grade and works great. This way you’ll know you’re getting the right product that is safe to use for soap making.

Can you make soap with caustic soda?

Sodium Hydroxide aka Lye aka Caustic Soda is a core ingredient of any soap bar. You can’t make soap from scratch without Sodium Hydroxide – it’s a simple fact.

What is the ratio of caustic soda in soap-making?

The oils and fats used in soap-making fall into three categories as shown in the table below: An example of a suitable blend is 24 parts Category A oil, 24 parts Category B oil, 38 parts Category C fat, plus 12 parts caustic soda dissolved in 32 parts water. *All proportions are by weight.

What is the ratio of lye to oil in soap-making?

Divide the amount of lye by 0.3 and then subtract the amount of lye from the result. For example, to make just over 2 pounds of olive oil soap, measure 32 ounces of olive oil and 4.33 ounces of lye because 32 ounces of olive oil × 0.1353, which is the saponification value for olive oil, = 4.33 ounces of lye.

What did they make soap out of in the old days?

Early American families made their own soap from lye and animal fats. They obtained their lye from wood ash, which contains the mineral potash, also known as lye, or more scientifically, potassium hydroxide. In early days, folks would put wood ashes in barrels, hollowed out logs or V-shaped troughs lined with hay.

Why are wood ashes needed for soap?

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.

How is caustic soda used in soap-making?

Caustic soda causes saponification and is an essential ingredient in soap-making. When flakes or beads of sodium hydroxide get added to a liquid, it forms a lye solution. This solution, when mixed with oils or fats, will lead to the chemical reaction called saponification.

How much lye do you need for soap?

The Pallas Athene Soap company formulated a quick and easy cold process soap recipe that requires exactly 20 ounces of lye (the size of 1 canister from Certified Lye™) and yields a superior bar of natural soap.

What is the ratio of caustic soda in soap making?