How to Protect Yourself While Making Soap

Making soap is a beautiful and creative process. However, when making your own soap, you must also be extremely careful when using Sodium hydroxide, otherwise known as LYE. We have heard of a few very scary soap-making stories gone wrong, so this article is meant to remind you just how dangerous lye can be as well as some measures to put in place to protect yourself!

After all, we want our Baraka Community of soap and skincare makers to be safe, happy and healthy!

Did you know that Lye is made from salt? Yes, you read that right!

Lye is caustic. It can burn holes right through your clothing and can burn your skin; the ugly and painful kind of burn. This is why we must ensure that we have taken safety measure to ensure our safety.

We recommend that you use the following protective gear when handling lye:

• eye protection
• face shield
• LONG protective gloves
• wear long sleeves and pants, socks and closed toe shoes
• a protective layer over your clothing (protective apron)
• consider wearing a respirator

Lye safety needs to be taken seriously.

Should you come in contact with Lye (either skin, eyes OR inhalation), please refer to the MSDS Safety Sheet for First Aid Measures. This information sheet also suggests some best practices when using Lye. Better yet, print this sheet out and post it where you make your creations. Who wants to be googling first aid measures during an emergency?

There are many other safety precautions you should consider when using Lye to make your soaps, so please be sure to do your research. We want you to stay safe!

While using Lye is an activity that must be taken seriously, we also encourage you to not let it hold you back from making your most beautiful soap creations. Do your research and avoid letting fear hold you back.

Take steps for your own protection and enjoy your creative process.

Once your soap is complete, share your success with us! We love to celebrate your successes with you AND to see your beautiful creations. We also LOVE to feature soapers in our “from our hands to yours” weekly feature on Facebook and Instagram. If you’re interested in being featured, please contact here.