Lye

Crucial for Saponification:
Sodium Hydroxide, or Lye, is essential for the saponification process in soap making. This chemical reaction transforms fats or oils into soap and glycerin, and without lye, soap cannot be produced.

No Lye in Finished Soap:
It's important to note that no lye remains in the finished soap. During saponification, lye reacts with the fats and oils and is completely consumed, resulting in a safe, gentle product.

Superfatting for Extra Moisture:
Superfatting is a technique used in soap making where extra fats or oils are added beyond what the lye can convert to soap. This ensures that there are additional nourishing oils in the final product, which can moisturize and condition the skin, making the soap more gentle and luxurious.

Natural Glycerin Production:
The saponification process naturally produces glycerin, a humectant that attracts moisture to the skin. Unlike commercial soaps, handmade soaps retain this glycerin, offering superior moisturizing properties.

Customization and Control:
Using lye in soap making allows for complete control over the ingredients. Soap makers can tailor their recipes to achieve specific qualities, such as hardness, lather, and moisturizing properties, and adjust the level of superfatting to suit different skin types.

Balanced pH and Safety:
Properly made and cured soap has a balanced pH that is safe for skin. While handmade soaps have a higher pH than the skin, they effectively cleanse without stripping natural oils, thanks to the superfatting technique.

Traditional and Natural Method:
Lye has been used in traditional soap making for centuries. This natural process is free from synthetic detergents and additives found in many commercial soaps.