A lye is a liquid acquired by seeping ashes, or a strong alkali which is extremely soluble in water producing caustic fundamental options. "Lye" is typically the alternative name of salt hydroxide or traditionally potassium hydroxide.
Misconception # 1: Soap can be made without lye.
Soap is a mix of lye, (Sodium Hydroxide or NAOH) and fatty acids that produces a chemical response called saponification, producing salts of the fatty acids (soap) plus glycerin. Without lye, saponification can not take place, so you can not have soap without lye.
If you look at bars on grocery shop racks, you'll discover that the word 'soap' does not appear on these bars. These bars can not be identified soap, since they do not fit the meaning-- instead, these items are cleaning agents, which are artificial cleansers.
Some crafters will assert that they make soap without lye. The crafter might not have actually personally utilized lye in the crafting of that soap, however either the producer utilized lye to develop the original base or the base was made with artificial cleaning agents and for that reason can not be thought about a real soap.
Misconception # 2: Lye soap is extreme and will 'take your conceal off'.
There are tales from those who remember their grannies making soap outdoors in a huge kettle. The soap of their memories most likely did not have extra calming oils and butters included to the formula and was not set aside to treat for 4-6 weeks, which assists produce a more moderate soap.
As unmasked in the very first misconception above, lye is required to make soap. There is no staying lye in the completed bar of soap, and it has a high glycerin material (much more than mass-produced glycerin soaps), which assists to lock and bring in wetness into the skin. The procedure of including added fatty acids above and beyond exactly what the lye requires for saponification is called superfatting, and is frequently done in the 5-7 % variety by soap makers to guarantee their soaps will be mild.