Soapmaking and Safety

Let's talk about safe soap making.

Yes it's dangerous! You're working with lye to make soap, and lye is a caustic chemical. It will burn your skin, however it's quite simple to take proper safety measures when making soap. So let's go down the path of safely handling lye while soapmaking. The following post will include Amazon affiliate links to products that I use or recommend using, so that you can be prepared and not feel intimidated by working with lye. Let's dive in.

PPE stands for personal protective equipment. For soap making the basics of PPE include protective eyewear, long sleeves, and protective gloves. I wear my own glasses to protect my eyes from splashes, you can also get goggles, safety glasses or a face shield, whatever is more accessible to you. For gloves I recommend something re-useable like those big yellow rubber gloves, but if you have the disposable vinyl or nitrile gloves those will work as well.

Vinegar will neutralize lye, so it's a good idea to have white vinegar nearby and easy to grab just in case. If you splash yourself with lye or soap batter you can rinse with vinegar to neutralize it and then rinse with lots of water! Lye burns are no joke, just wear the gloves!

Before you start, put on your PPE! And use PLASTIC containers to mix lye. This is very important as lye mixed with water will actually dissolve some materials like aluminum. I discovered this the hard way many years ago when I attempted to mix my lye solution in a cooking pot. Bad, bad idea. Some people will say mixing lye in glass is okay, but I disagree. Lye is used to etch glass, and every time you're mixing lye and water in a glass vessel you weaken the glass. One day that vessel will break and you will be cleaning up a corrosive solution. In my opinion, it's not worth the risk.

Use a plastic or silicone tool to carefully stir your lye solution. You will want to use a large container (preferably with a handle to carry it) so there's lots of room to stir. I really recommend something with pour spouts for more control when pouring.

Here's a few links to some lye mixing containers that I use or recommend:

TangoLL 3 PCs Pladtic Measuring Cups Set

Cuisinart Nesting Liquid Measuring Cups

Funnel Pot (1000ml) Long Spout Measuring Cup

Now that we have all the equipment and you are wearing your PPE, it's time to safely make a lye solution.

I make mine outside. It's okay to do inside if you have really good ventilation, but I prefer to keep it all outside. When the lye and water react it creates a vapour that looks like steam, keep your face away from it, it will irritate your lungs. First I will weigh my water and lye into 2 seperate containers inside, then I carry those outside where I have a small table set up. When mixing your lye solution, always add the lye to the water. Never the other way around. This lessens the chance of splashing lye solution out of the container. Using a plastic or silicone tool (I use a plastic fork) stir gently until all the lye is dissolved. It will immediately start to steam and release gas, and the water will turn cloudy and begin heating up. It's surprising how fast and hot it gets! Stand off to the side so you're not getting the gases in your face. Once the water turns clear again, you're okay to take your solution inside. The container will be HOT so use caution when carrying it inside, this is where having a handle on your plastic container is ideal.

I always place my container of lye solution into the empty kitchen sink while I wait for it to cool, just in case it spills.

When you're ready to add the lye to the oils, pour slowly! Don't risk splashing lye anywhere. You will be using an immersion blender to mix the oils and lye together, so be mindful of splashes. Wear your PPE and use a plastic container for this as well. I have a bucket that I bought coconut oil in a long time ago, and before that I used a plastic mixing bowl. Whatever you use, ensure that it's large enough to hold your liquids, but small enough that your immersion blender is immersed. Here's a few links to containers I recommend mixing your soap in:

Glad Mixing Bowl with Handle - 3 Quart

Glad Mixing Bowls with Handles Set of 3

Luvan 4L Plastic Measuring Pitcher

It's also a good idea to have something plastic and flat to set your tools on, it will save your countertops. Check out the top right of the following photo where I have my spatula and immersion blender sitting to see what I mean.

There's different ways to safely go about washing your equipment once you're done soaping. I rinse immediately with hot water and then wash everything in the sink with dish soap. If you do this then I do recommend keeping your gloves on. You can also leave everything for a day and let it harden and turn into soap, and then wash it. It takes at least 24 hours for the oils to saponify, so if you're washing your equipment before the 24 hour mark then I still recommend wearing gloves.

And there you go, a quick safety lesson for beginner soap makers. I know everyone does things differently, but this is my experience. Next blog post will be about tools and equipment to get started. Do you have anything to add to my list of PPE and safety suggestions? Let me know!