What is Lye? And is it dangerous?
Lye is kind of a general term for a few chemicals that are very alkaline and highly caustic which means they are highly corrosive and can damage or kill living tissue. I know that sounds kind of frightening but with proper safety procedures, they can be perfectly safe to use.
We are just going to talk about the main two that you might even have in your home and not realize it. Both Potassium and Sodium Hydroxide can be used for drain cleaners because their caustic nature breaks down many organic compounds like hair, fats and proteins, clearing the clog and allowing water to flow. Oven and grill cleaners and other cleaning products all have these chemicals in them in varying concentrations. So yes most likely you do have some of these chemicals in your home right now. You wouldn’t want to use them in any other way than intended because they are not pure and have other chemicals mixed in with them.
Proper safety procedures are necessary when handling these chemicals because it can burn the skin. Eye protection and gloves are critical for preventing these chemicals from touching the skin or eyes.
Next time we’ll talk about how these chemicals help us to make soaps and other health and beauty products.
Thanks for reading! -Brian
What is Pine Tar?
Pine tar is a black sticky substance derived from heating resinous pine wood cuttings like roots and stumps in a very low oxygen environment. The wood emits this thick tar made of oils, resins and other organic compounds as it is heated and since there is very little oxygen present these compounds do not burn but are collected and processed.
The uses for pine tar are pretty extensive. On the farm, pine tar can be used to help seal cracked hooves and prevent further infection, before more modern medicines pine tar was used to seal the wounds of farm animals and prevent infection and can also be used to seal wood and act as a preservative and it was also used for maritime water proofing of decks and rope rigging on ships.
Now you may be thinking what in the world is this doing in my skin care products? Pine tar has been used for millennia to treat different skin irritations like psoriasis, eczema, seborrheic dermatitis and many other skin issues. It is anti-inflammatory, antibacterial and antifungal. Pine tar can be added to soaps, lotions and salves to take advantage of these properties.
Since I am a soap maker, not a doctor or dermatologist I cannot claim that my soap can cure these conditions as a whole but I can tell you that the active ingredient contained in it, pine tar, does.
If you want to go into more detail, here is a study that covers it in much more depth than I can.
Thanks for reading and if you have any ideas you’d like to hear more about pertaining to soap making just shoot me an email
Thanks for reading! -Brian
What are the benefits of urea to the skin?
Urea is a chemical produced by most all mammalian life. When animals and you breakdown proteins, ammonia is produced which is highly toxic so the body converts it into urea so it can be safely expelled from the body.
Wait, if urea is a byproduct, then why are we putting it on our skin?
What urea does is draw water into the skin and keeps it there making your skin smooth and silky. Once when I was first beginning to work with urea, I was super saturating a solution of urea and distilled water and stupidly dipped the tip of my finger into the solution. The tip of my finger became as soft as velvet instantly which brings us to the second use for skin. Urea reacts with the keratin in the dead skin cells on the surface and exfoliates them away chemically.
How I add it to my lotion is by heating an amount of water and dissolving the urea in it. This heated solution would form crystals if I let it cool down but I add it to the lotion warm to ensure that the urea solution is incorporated into the lotion without recrystallizing so the lotion remains as smooth as silk.
For more info about urea, here is an article that goes more in depth about chemical makeup and uses.
Why Are Cold Process Soaps Superior to Commercial “Soaps”
Notice I put the commercial soaps in quotes because they simply are not true soap. They are a collection of detergents, lathering agents, surfactants and lots of other chemicals that can cause the skin, particularly sensitive skin, to have problems. True soaps start out as an oil blend that is then processed with lye or Sodium Hydroxide to turn the oils into soap through a process called saponification. All the Sodium Hydroxide is used up in the process and there is not any left in the soap after the process is complete, only soap is leftover.
Cold Process soaps are much more gentle to the skin and can be formulated for many different skin types. Oils like tallow, palm, coconut, olive and castor all have their uses in the end product from moisturizing the skin to simply cleaning to making rich lathers. Different butters like cocoa, mango, shea and many others can also add their own elements to the final product. The biggest benefit is that ingredients are natural and you can actually pronounce them.
Most people after trying Cold Process soap feel the difference and will not go back to those commercial soaps they used before.
Assisting and being part of the community…
This week we began sponsorship of the Neosho high school bowling team! These talented kids are heading to State and we’re going to help them get there! This sponsorship will help them pay for traveling, hotel stays, uniforms and food. Can’t wait to see these kids crush it at Missouri State!!!
