[Allie]

Does anyone here ever make their own lye soap? We have been using it now for several weeks for everything from laundry to shampooing hair and I've found it to be superior to anything store bought. The only problem is it's expensive if you buy from someone who makes it. Is there somewhere on the net that I could go to learn how to make it myself? I wouldn't mind trying since it works so well for me.

[HomePauley]

What would you like to know? My wife makes a fair bit and it really isn't that hard to do, there are safety precautions you need to take because lye is harmful if caution is not taken, but it is a fairly simple process.

[Jana]

I know how to do it the really really old way, using fire ashes to source the lye from.

Lye is a caustic, and caustics are more dangerous to work with than acids are: sulfuric acid is nothing compared to what pure lye can do to skin. Eye protection is a must, as is staying covered and not splashing when you build a batch. In older times, women would make their lye soaps out-of-doors, because the fumes can be brutal.

[della]

Basic Lye Soap Recipe One
•Ingredients:
13 ounces of lye
2 1/2 pints of cold water
6 pounds of lard

Dissolve the lye in the water and allow it to cool (cold water becomes hot when lye is added). Melt the fat in a steel saucepan, then let it cool until it becomes thick. Add the lye/water mixture by drizzling it into the thickening fat, stirring constantly until it reaches the "trace" stage, which means that when fat is drizzled across the surface of the soap it stays raised and doesn't sink in immediately.
Pour the soap into molds or into a cardboard box lined with a plastic trash bag liner and allow it to rest for three hours before dividing it into separate, bar-size pieces. Wait three weeks so that the soap can cure and become mild enough for use.


Read more: Simple Lye Soap Recipes | eHow.com Simple Lye Soap Recipes | eHow.com