Have you ever wondered how to make homemade soap without using lye? I have.
Lye is dangerous and can burn your skin. I did research and found that the easiest way to make homemade soap was with no lye.
This guide will share how I made soap with oils, but no lye.
Can you make homemade soap without using lye?
You can make homemade soap without using lye. It’s a simple process, although it does take a little practice. You won’t need any lye to make your own soap at home.
Treating Lye as a hazard
When you’re making your own soap from scratch, you don’t want to deal with lye.
Lye is a toxic chemical that is used in making traditional hard soaps.
The main purpose of using the toxic substance is to saponify oils and fats.
The chemical reaction between the oil and lye causes the mixture to turn into soap.
How do you make soap without lye? (Recipe)
This tutorial is going to teach you how to make soap without lye.
I have been making cold process soap for over a year now and have finally perfected my recipe.
This homemade bar of soap contains coconut oil (which is super moisturizing) and shea butter (which is a natural skin moisturizer).
This recipe does not contain any harmful chemicals such as parabens or SLS (sodium lauryl sulfate).
This homemade bar of soap is also vegan and gluten-free!
Ingredients:
-6 oz. castor oil
-6 oz. coconut oil
-1/2 oz. olive oil
-1/2 oz. jojoba oil
-1/2 oz. shea butter
-1/4 cup distilled water (add more if needed)
Instructions
Step 1: I used 6 oz of olive oil, 2 oz of coconut oil, and 1 oz of castor oil. I would recommend doing 8 oz of olive oil and 4 oz of coconut oil or 6 oz of each. The soap will have a harder time in the mold if you use fewer oils.
Step 2: You can add jojoba oil and shea butter to make your own scent if you like. Lavender is great for a relaxing bath, or peppermint if you want a little tingle to wake you up.
Step 3: Add water slowly while stirring with a whisk to avoid clumping. Let it sit on the counter (in a potholder in case it bubbles over) for 24 hours before using it as soap. This will let the mixture thicken and harden some.
Step 4: Cut into bars before it hardens completely, or it will be very hard to cut! You can put them on wax paper or in an airtight container for storage when they are solid but still soft enough that they don’t break easily.
Step 5: To release the soap from the mold, slice down one side with a knife and then pry the sides off gently with your hands.
Can you use baking soda instead of lye to make soap?
Baking soda can be used in place of lye to make soap. The process is different, but it does work. The process for making soap with baking soda and oil is much simpler than the lye process.
Does organic soap contain lye?
Yes, organic soaps do contain lye. Lye is the chemical name for sodium hydroxide (NaOH), which is pure alkaline. It’s the main ingredient that gives the soap its cleaning properties and is also used in the production of biodiesel and ethanol.
The pH level of soap is important since it determines how alkaline it will be.
The more lye in organic soap, the higher its pH level, and the more alkaline it will be.
The more alkaline soap is, the better it will clean your skin, but this also means that it can irritate sensitive skin types.
Organic soaps can also contain other ingredients that won’t necessarily raise its pH level or alkalinity — essential oils, for example.
Some people find that using both an organic and a non-organic soap helps create a good balance of pH levels on their skin and hair.
Final Thoughts
It is possible to make homemade soap without using lye.
However, using lye remains the simplest and most reliable way to achieve results that closely mirror the consistency, ingredient blends, and quality of store-bought soap.
Lye allows for complex designs and colors, as well as the personalization of scents and flavors, which are missing from other techniques.
For those reasons and more, many soap makers choose to use lye in their creations.
