Homemade Lye Soap - Safety precautions

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Making your own lye soap is a very popular and fun hobby with unbelievable benefits. Before I start going in too deeply into the homemade lye soap making procedure, I think I need to stress some safety tips first. As you could probably guess from the name of the soap, lye is one of the main ingredients in the soap making process. It is a chemical used even in drain cleaners due to its caustic properties and is also known as Caustic Soda or Sodium Hydroxide. So here is a few safety tips to make sure that your wonderful soapmaking day is filled with endless fun.

Using Lye might sound scary at first, but thousands of people make soap everyday without mishaps. Lye is a dangerous chemical and as such needs to be respected as a dangerous chemical. The important thing to remember is to ALWAYS follow the SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS when it comes to using Lye (or other wise known as Sodium Hydroxide or caustic soda). Read the manufacturer's notes on any and all ingredients that you use and do some research before jumping in. This is a safety guideline and should by no means replace or overrule any proper safety instructions from a professional or the manufacturer's notes. If you work carefully, you could have all the soapmaking fun in the world.Safety First:

• If any Lye comes into contact with your skin you should immediately rinse it with vinegar and then with cold water.
• Always make sure that the room is adequately ventilated.
• Always wear eye protection goggles (The goggles should preferrably seal eyes in the same manner as swimming goggles would).
• Always use chemical-resistant gloves.
• DO NOT SWALLOW. Lye can be fatal if swallowed. If ingested do not induce vomiting. Go to the emergency room immediately!
• Keep Lye and any essential oils out of reach of children. Keep it in a locked cabinet and NEVER leave it unattended for one second once you start using it.
• Lye has very strong fumes, so ALWAYS wear a safety mask that covers your mouth and nose.
• Wear an chemical resistant or rubber apron when working with Lye to protect your skin and your clothes.
• If Lye spills on your counter tops you should immediately wash it off, because it can remove paint and varnishes.
• ALWAYS KEEP AWAY FROM PETS, CHILDREN and anyone else NOT COMPETENT to work with Lye.

Containers:

• Always keep your Lye in an air tight container.
• Use safe containers like glass, enamel, plastic and stainless steel.

When using Lye always make sure that you are well versed in the safety precautions. If anything happens you need to act quickly so take the time to prepare properly! Have a bottle of vinegar on standby and work close to a water tap. Know where you keep your emergency numbers, in fact, paste your emergency numbers next to your telephone. Don?t be shy to ask for advice or help from medical professionals, your doctor just might have some elixer of sorts tailor made for lye accidents. Safety comes first, then all the fun will follow especially if you are making your very own Homemade Lye Soap.