Making soap with lye

 

Last updated 7/27/2023 at 6:44pm

Pure olive oil soap is made with water, lye and olive oil, bars on the left. Half were scented with lemongrass essential oil. Pure coconut oil soap is made with water, lye and coconut oil. Half have spent chai tea leaves added. Village News/Katelynn Abrams photo

Katelynn Abrams

Village News intern

Soap is something used everyday, but not many people know how to make it or what it is in it. In the beginning, soap was made from cooking and mixing oils, water and ashes. Over heat, the ashes would be soaked in water, then mixed with the oils, which would cool and harden to become soap.

The simplest soap can be made with these ingredients: water, lye and oils. Lye is the common name for sodium hydroxide or potassium hydroxide, which are interchangeable and strong alkalines. Different types of oils, such as coconut, olive, avocado, castor, jojoba and a...



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