Soap Making Secrets: How to get lye

No Lye = No Soap
(Note: Upated list of lye vendors below)

Well, it's been several months now, and a number of online and local vendors have taken up the slack to make up for Red Devil Lye being pulled from the supermarkets.

It seems, for the time being, that while a major pain, us soap makers will get by.

Here are stores, sites and solutions that many soap makers have come up with:

* Get together with other soap makers in your area and "go in" on buying a bag of lye, carefully splitting it between you. Lots of soap makers buy their lye in bulk. Most large cities have a solvent or chemical company that will sell lye (Sodium Hydroxide) in 35 or 50 lb. bags. You'll pay a fraction (per pound) of what the Red Devil cost, but, you've got to be able to safely store that much lye. Remember the cautions you go through with a 12 oz. Sponsored Links Making Lye Soap?

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* Buy a whole bag yourself, knowing that it needs to be stored in an airtight container, safely away from children, pets or other unknowing people.

* Check your local hardware store - Several people have written me claiming to have found Crystal Drain Opener at their local Home Depot or Wal-Mart. The label states 100% sodium hydroxide! BUT, it's best to check the manufacturers site and check the MSDS sheets for the product. I had one user write me and say that while the label said 100% lye, the MSDS sheet said otherwise.

* Buy lye from one of the following online mail order vendors:
o Bitter Creek Candle Co.-buy only 2 lbs!
o Texas Natural Supply o Lehman's Soapmaking Supplies
o The Boyer Corporation o Snowdrift Farm
o The Soap Dish
o Summer Bee Meadow
o ChemistryStore.comIf you know of another vendor that sells 100% lye, or know of a good mail order vendor, please post it in the Candle and Soap Making Forum