The Beginners guide to cold process soap making: Episode two - What is lye and how to use it safely

Welcome to our "Soap making for Beginners" guide! Over the next 7 days, we will be uploading a mini series of videos focusing on soap making for absolute beginners. We will cover things such as equipment, lye safety, soap making oils, terminology and how to make your very first soap.
We have put together this guide as we have had a lot of questions from people asking how to get into soap making and how they can learn to make soap. We are not the first people to put together a guide like this, but we know that when you are new to soap making it helps to have as many different resources to learn from as possible!
We have tried to cover everything that we can think of in our guide and if you watch each of our daily episodes they will hopefully give you a basic understanding of how to begin making soap safely. We will be covering a different soap making topic each days for the next seven days.
In today's episode we will be discussing lye, which is a crucial ingredient in soap making (you can't make soap without it!) It is also known as Sodium Hydroxide, Caustic Soda or as NaOH (it's molecular formation).
Lye can be a dangerous ingredient if it is handled incorrectly or if you are not sure of how to use it, so we are taking time to discuss proper use, storage and safety tips in detail in today's video. It is hugely important that you do not begin using lye until you are familiar with correct usage of it and what not to do with it.
Lye can be purchased online from the following soap making stores:
The Soap Kitchen
Mystic Moments
The Soapmakers Store
If you have any comments or questions along the way, please do let us know so we can do our best to help you learn how to make soap!
If you enjoy our videos and soap making tutorials please do give us a like and subscribe :-)
In addition to this special, one off mini series, we also upload new soap making videos every Friday and new behind the scenes/business tips videos every Tuesday.
You can also follow us and find our soaps here:
www.sussexsoap.co.uk
sussexhandmadesoap
sussex_handmade_soap
If you do head over to our website, we offer our KZbin friends 20% off purchases if you enter code "youtube20" at checkout :-)

[@webvole]

Thankyou for sharing this video and giving a clear explanation of the chemicals and how it's used safely.

[@raethompson696]

Hi Ann I live your video's , just starting my CP soaping journey .

[@susannminall7456]

Thank you for the building my confidence.

[@TheSussexHandmadeSoapCompany]

You are very welcome Susann

[@mayara6785]

Hi Anne, your products are a true inspiration! I have a friend in Brazil who is also watching your videos and starting an artisan shop as well. Love the process and the final result is just amazing! I had a go with melt and pour soaps, but the cold process is far more interesting! Well done, I’m loving the mini course! 💕😊

[@TheSussexHandmadeSoapCompany]

Thank you M K and I am glad that you are enjoying the mini course! I still find it crazy how many people from across the world watch and comment on our videos, we are very lucky :-)

[@simonemary8559]

Thank you sooooo much! Really enjoying your videos!

[@janefisher7966]

Thank you for sharing your knowledge, you make this stuff much easier to understand :)

[@TheSussexHandmadeSoapCompany]

Thank you Jane, so glad it is helping.

[@antoinetteholder32]

The white vinger has worked for me with no marks on my skin

[@ChampagneProperty]

Brilliant series, i have learned so much by watching you tube videos, yours and other peoples, and also reading dozens of books too :) lye used to scare the bejesus out of me, ive learned if you are slow and cautios and treat it with huge respect its fine. I must tell you my very first atempt at making lye sometime, it was in an old metal jug :/ :/ never again :/ xx

[@TheSussexHandmadeSoapCompany]

Thank you Amanda! I must hold my hands up and admit that my very first soap I mixed the lye in a Pyrex jug :-/ I should have researched more before beginning! I am always watching videos and researching different techniques for all things bath/body related, it is a fun way to pass the time and learn something new at the same time! :-) x

[@ChampagneProperty]

@@TheSussexHandmadeSoapCompany I am starting a Natural skin care course, I want to learn and build a full skin care range over time xx

[@yoanna031190]

Hello! Can we use floral hydrosol instead of distilled water in soaps?

[@deborahfrancis8382]

Thanks

[@TheSussexHandmadeSoapCompany]

You are welcome :-)

[@leen3521]

Can I make artisan soup using melt and pour?

[@AnnFionaMakeup]

Thank you the video, do you use tap water to mix your lye?

[@TheSussexHandmadeSoapCompany]

We do yes. I know there are some people who only use distilled, but I really believe it depends on the quality of your tap water and how hard/soft it is. We tested with tap water versus distilled for a long time before choosing to go with tap water and honestly we didn't notice a difference between soaps made with distilled water and those made with tap water.

[@champajaipur6874]

Why you do so much drama