Why is wood ash used in soap making?

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.

Is wood ash soap good?

Wood ash lye is much less caustic than the commercial stuff you can buy. It still works great for making soap, but the soap will be softer and more oily. Warning: Even though wood ash lye is less caustic, you should still take caution! It can burn your skin and eat through your clothes.

Can wood ash be used in soap making?

Anyone who’s done much camping knows that — if you throw some white ashes from a hardwood fire into your frying pan after dinner — the lye in the ash will combine with the fat from the cooking to make a crude soap. Allow the ashes to settle to the bottom of the pan and then skim the liquid lye off the top.

What is soap ash?

If you make cold process soap, there’s a good chance you’ve gotten soda ash. It creates an uneven, white, ashy film on the bars. Soda ash forms when unsaponified lye reacts with naturally-occurring carbon dioxide in the air. It doesn’t affect the final bars and the soap is safe to use.

Is soda ash the same as lye?

While lime is more alkaline than soda ash, when reacted together they produce a stronger alkali than either of the two separately. Synonyms for lye are caustic soda, and sodium hydroxide. It remains one of the most important alkalis in modern chemical industry though it is no longer manufactured from lime and soda ash.

How do you prevent ash on CP soap?

How To Prevent Soda Ash in Soap Making

1. Add wax. Add a small amount of beeswax or soy wax to the melted oils before blending with the lye mixture.
2. Cover soap.
3. Allow complete cooling.
4. Measure accurately.
5. Alcohol.
6. Reduce water.
7. Increase temps.
8. Wash it off.