Essentially Natural Caustic Soda Lye (Sodium hydroxide)
Essentially Natural Caustic Soda Lye (Sodium hydroxide)
Restock in progress Stock may still be with our manufacturing team or arriving shortly. Orders usually ship within 1-3 working days.
Couldn't load pickup availability
Essentially Natural Caustic Soda Lye is sodium hydroxide, a highly caustic alkali used in soap making to trigger saponification when combined with oils and fats. It is a raw process ingredient rather than a finished cosmetic component, and it is essential for making true hard soap by cold or hot process methods. Used correctly in a tested soap recipe, the active lye is consumed during saponification. This is a specialist soap-making material and must be handled with strict safety procedures.
♡ Why we love it: Caustic Soda Lye is a core soap-making ingredient for makers who want to create true handmade soap from scratch. It is a specialist raw material, but an essential one for serious soap craft.
Key properties
- Ingredient: Sodium Hydroxide, NaOH
- Function: Alkali for soap making
- Form: Caustic solid
- Profile: Specialist process ingredient for saponification
- Suitable For: Cold Process Soap, Hot Process Soap And True Hard Soap Made With Oils And Fats
- Storage: Store tightly sealed, dry and away from moisture, sunlight and heat
What it's used for
- Cold process soap making
- Hot process soap making
- Producing hard soap through saponification with oils and fats
- Tested soap recipes that require sodium hydroxide
- Specialist soap craft
- Accurate lye calculation for oil-based soap formulas
Who it's for
- Soap makers following correct lye-handling procedures
- Makers using verified soap recipes and accurate weighing
- Cold and hot process soap projects
- Experienced or well-prepared beginners who understand caustic material handling
- Cosmetic leave-on products
- Direct skin application
- Internal use
- Food use
- Children or unsupervised use
- Anyone unable to follow strict safety procedures
- Guesswork soap recipes without accurate lye calculation
This Product Is For:
This Product Is Not For:
How to use
- As a Soap Making Ingredient: Weigh accurately according to a tested soap recipe and calculate lye amounts correctly for the oils used.
- Mixing Rule: Always add lye to water, never water to lye.
- Ventilation Tip: Mix in a well-ventilated area.
- Equipment Tip: Use suitable lye-safe containers and utensils.
- Cure Tip: Allow soap to cure fully according to the chosen method before use.
- Safety Tip: Keep vinegar myths out of emergency handling and flush skin or eyes with plenty of water if exposed.
Safety instructions
- Danger: causes severe burns
- Highly caustic material
- Always wear protective gloves, eye protection and protective clothing
- Avoid skin contact, eye contact, inhalation and ingestion
- Mix in a well-ventilated area
- Always add lye to water, never water to lye
- Keep away from children and pets
- If skin or eyes are contacted, flush with water for at least 15 minutes and seek medical attention
- Store tightly sealed, dry and away from moisture, sunlight and heat
- Not suitable for food use
- Do not store near acids or incompatible materials
Faqs
Q: Why is lye needed for soap?
A: It is required to convert oils into soap through saponification.
Q: Can true soap be made without lye?
A: No, true soap made from oils and fats requires an alkali such as sodium hydroxide.
Q: Is finished soap harsh because it uses lye?
A: When formulated correctly and fully cured, the lye is consumed during saponification and the finished soap should
be suitable for normal use.
Q: Is Caustic Soda Lye safe to handle casually?
A: No, it is highly caustic and must be handled with full protective equipment and strict safety procedures.
Related Video Content

Recently viewed
Related Reads
-
Soap Making 101
An introduction to the joy of soap making, plus recipes!
Soap Making 101
An introduction to the joy of soap making, plus recipes!
-
The Great Spring Cleaning Blog
Jam-packed with natural DIY recipes for every corner of your home!
The Great Spring Cleaning Blog
Jam-packed with natural DIY recipes for every corner of your home!
-
What Archetype Are You? Use Your Archetype To D...
Sometimes the hardest part is just figuring out where to start - so why not let your archetype guide you? :)
What Archetype Are You? Use Your Archetype To D...
Sometimes the hardest part is just figuring out where to start - so why not let your archetype guide you? :)
-
Tea Tree & Shea Healing Soap
The ultimate skin saviour, our Tea Tree & Shea Healing Soap recipe – packed with nourishing shea butter and healing tea tree oil, this customisable soap bar is perfect for...
Tea Tree & Shea Healing Soap
The ultimate skin saviour, our Tea Tree & Shea Healing Soap recipe – packed with nourishing shea butter and healing tea tree oil, this customisable soap bar is perfect for...