Beginner's Guide to Lye Safety | Bramble Berry Basics of Soap Making

Many beginners are surprised to learn that lye is necessary to make soap at home. The thought of working with a caustic substance can be intimidating, especially if you've never done it before! We're here to tell you that lye is safe to work with when handled properly.

Sodium hydroxide lye is an inorganic compound commonly found in drain cleaners. It's highly caustic and can burn the skin. Lye comes in various forms, such as flakes, pellets, and powder. When lye comes in contact with oils, it causes a chemical reaction called saponification. After a few days, all the lye is turned into soap and safe to use on the skin!

Read all about lye safety on our website here: bberry.studio/GuideToLyeSafety

Timestamps:
00:00 - Introduction
00:24 - What is lye?
02:12 - Lye Safety Gear
03:27 - Soaping Tools & Containers
04:46 - Measuring & Using Lye
07:37 - How to Handle Lye Burns
09:49 - Lye Cleanup
11:18 - Outro
11:59 - Bloopers

Shop Bramble Berry lye here: bberry.studio/BBLyeFlakes
Shop all tools and supplies for cold process soap here: bberry.studio/ColdProcessTools

It's normal to be nervous when you're working with lye. Just be sure to follow the tips below every time!

Wear proper safety gear:
You need to cover anything that may accidentally come in contact with lye during the soap making process. That means long sleeves, gloves, long pants, and closed-toe shoes. You also need to wear goggles that fully cover your eyes - glasses aren't enough. That's why we carry these safety goggles that go over glasses. Some makers also like to wear masks so they don't breathe in the fumes.

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Prepare the solution in the right space:
Good ventilation will also help you avoid breathing lye fumes. That can be as simple as opening a few windows, running some fans, or using an air purifier. Some makers also like to mix their lye solution outside.

It's also important to have at least an hour with no interruptions. That means kids, pets, and other distractions/tripping hazards are out of the house or don’t have access to your space.

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Use appropriate mixing containers:
You need to measure your water and lye in two separate containers. Because of that exothermic reaction, we recommend glass, heat-resistant plastic, or stainless steel. Do not use tin or aluminum. It reacts with the sodium hydroxide and produces harmful fumes.

A few makers have mentioned that their glass containers cracked or broke while mixing the solution. We've use sturdy Pyrex containers for years and haven't experienced that. However, you can use heat-resistant plastic containers if you prefer.

Lastly, make sure the containers have enough room to mix the solution without splashing.

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Always add lye to water:
Slowly add the lye to the water, NEVER the other way around. That can cause the lye to erupt out of the container.

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Store lye appropriately:
Make sure to label the container LYE, POISON, or DO NOT TOUCH. Then move it to a safe space to cool. The solution looks just like water, so you want to make sure everyone else in your home knows it's not safe to handle.

The same goes for the lye bottle - make sure it's in a safe space and clearly labeled. It has a shelf life of about a year, and it does best in a cool and dry space.

Guide to Lye Safety: bberry.studio/GuideToLyeSafety

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