Guest guest Posted June 26, 2004 Report Share Posted June 26, 2004 Hi Mary... People are under a misconception that you can have a "lye free" soap. Not true. All soaps are made with lye. No lye, no soap. Lye is actually (in essence) a natural by-product of ashes and water. Any soap you use will have been made with lye. You cannot get soap without it. "Pure" soap is an alkali (in this case, lye) and fats (oils, butters etc), which when combined, through a natural chemical process, creates soap. The "soap" you buy in stores is not truly soap, it's actually detergent (they include surfactants), however it's also made with lye. Look on the label....anytime it says "saponified oils..." means it has been made with lye. Lye has been around and used in soapmaking for hundreds of years, so I think it's pretty well in the natural category (they even found evidence of a soap like substance in one of the pyramids!). There are many natural things out there that are poisonous in one form, but quite safe in another. Store soaps have all kinds of added things (unnatural) to make them harder, or last longer, antibacterial (which by the way, pure soap is pretty much naturally anti-bacterial) etc. If you know what you are doing and how to do it, using lye and making soap is wonderful and safe (also much cheaper per bar). I have used nothing but homemade soaps for at least the past 1 1/2 years and my skin is much better for it. As I said, I make my own and my family all uses it, including my 4 year old grandson. But, there are people who are leery of working with lye and that's perfectly natural and understandable. I was that way also, but once I researched it and found out more information, I was ready to try. Now I'm hooked. But you do have to be careful of things such as this goat milk soap recipe. This particular recipe would be extremely lye heavy and be quite caustic for the amount of ingredients vs lye in the recipe. PaulaMary <spiritualpathways wrote: PAula thanks so much for this information .. also i dont use anything that takes lye to make as i dont think it is natural to start with .. just my opinion .. i dont know how it can be natural if it has a poison in it .. Mary Mail is new and improved - Check it out! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 27, 2004 Report Share Posted June 27, 2004 Greetings, Do you have any recipes that you are willing to share? I too am starting to make my own soap, lotions, etc, and would be very greatful and interested in learning from your wisdom and insights. Blessings Ani ShadowDragon - Paula Friday, June 25, 2004 10:14 PM Re: GOAT MILK SOAP/ bad thing/Mary Hi Mary... People are under a misconception that you can have a "lye free" soap. Not true. All soaps are made with lye. No lye, no soap. Lye is actually (in essence) a natural by-product of ashes and water. Any soap you use will have been made with lye. You cannot get soap without it. "Pure" soap is an alkali (in this case, lye) and fats (oils, butters etc), which when combined, through a natural chemical process, creates soap. The "soap" you buy in stores is not truly soap, it's actually detergent (they include surfactants), however it's also made with lye. Look on the label....anytime it says "saponified oils..." means it has been made with lye. Lye has been around and used in soapmaking for hundreds of years, so I think it's pretty well in the natural category (they even found evidence of a soap like substance in one of the pyramids!). There are many natural things out there that are poisonous in one form, but quite safe in another. Store soaps have all kinds of added things (unnatural) to make them harder, or last longer, antibacterial (which by the way, pure soap is pretty much naturally anti-bacterial) etc. If you know what you are doing and how to do it, using lye and making soap is wonderful and safe (also much cheaper per bar). I have used nothing but homemade soaps for at least the past 1 1/2 years and my skin is much better for it. As I said, I make my own and my family all uses it, including my 4 year old grandson. But, there are people who are leery of working with lye and that's perfectly natural and understandable. I was that way also, but once I researched it and found out more information, I was ready to try. Now I'm hooked. But you do have to be careful of things such as this goat milk soap recipe. This particular recipe would be extremely lye heavy and be quite caustic for the amount of ingredients vs lye in the recipe. PaulaMary <spiritualpathways wrote: PAula thanks so much for this information .. also i dont use anything that takes lye to make as i dont think it is natural to start with .. just my opinion .. i dont know how it can be natural if it has a poison in it .. Mary Mail is new and improved - Check it out! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 27, 2004 Report Share Posted June 27, 2004 Paula i dont use bar soap at all and havent for years .. i use liquid .. all made natural and the person who makes it says there is no lye in it .. is that possible? thanks for explaining to me about Lye and if properly done isnt harmful .. mary Paula <pstumpjr wrote: Hi Mary... People are under a misconception that you can have a "lye free" soap. Not true. All soaps are made with lye. No lye, no soap. Lye is actually (in essence) a natural by-product of ashes and water. Any soap you use will have been made with lye. You cannot get soap without it. "Pure" soap is an alkali (in this case, lye) and fats (oils, butters etc), which when combined, through a natural chemical process, creates soap. The "soap" you buy in stores is not truly soap, it's actually detergent (they include surfactants), however it's also made with lye. Look on the label....anytime it says "saponified oils..." means it has been made with lye. Lye has been around and used in soapmaking for hundreds of years, so I think it's pretty well in the natural category (they even found evidence of a soap like substance in one of the pyramids!). There are many natural things out there that are poisonous in one form, but quite safe in another. Store soaps have all kinds of added things (unnatural) to make them harder, or last longer, antibacterial (which by the way, pure soap is pretty much naturally anti-bacterial) etc. If you know what you are doing and how to do it, using lye and making soap is wonderful and safe (also much cheaper per bar). I have used nothing but homemade soaps for at least the past 1 1/2 years and my skin is much better for it. As I said, I make my own and my family all uses it, including my 4 year old grandson. But, there are people who are leery of working with lye and that's perfectly natural and understandable. I was that way also, but once I researched it and found out more information, I was ready to try. Now I'm hooked. But you do have to be careful of things such as this goat milk soap recipe. This particular recipe would be extremely lye heavy and be quite caustic for the amount of ingredients vs lye in the recipe. PaulaMary <spiritualpathways wrote: PAula thanks so much for this information .. also i dont use anything that takes lye to make as i dont think it is natural to start with .. just my opinion .. i dont know how it can be natural if it has a poison in it .. Mary Mail is new and improved - Check it out! That best portion of a good man's life - His little, nameless, unremembered acts of kindness and of love. ~ William Wordsworth Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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