# Best place for lye



## NittyGritty (Aug 19, 2014)

Anyone got a good lead on the best online lye source?


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## KristaY (Aug 19, 2014)

I get mine from Essential Depot. It will appear more expensive when you compare lb for lb price to other suppliers, but it's actually cheaper due to the free shipping. :-D

 Here's the link:

http://www.essentialdepot.com/servlet/the-76/10-lbs-Food-Grade/Detail


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## dixiedragon (Aug 19, 2014)

How much do you want?

My local hardware store has it for $6 for 1 lb. Pretty steep, but if you are just beginning, not too bad. At a local chemical supply place, I can get 200 lbs for under $100. But I can't get less than that, lol.


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## Soapsense (Aug 19, 2014)

The Lye Guy


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## houseofwool (Aug 19, 2014)

Soapsense said:


> The Lye Guy




This amazes me because when I added 30ish pounds to my cart at the lye guy, the price before shipping was $30 higher than an equivalent weight at Essential Depot that included shipping.


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## PinkCupcake (Aug 20, 2014)

I like Essential Depot, also. It takes me some time to figure out which is the best deal for me, as sometimes you can get X lbs for $X with free shipping, or Y lbs for $Y but you pay shipping. No matter how I figure it, their price is the best for the quality of lye that I get.


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## shunt2011 (Aug 20, 2014)

I too use Essentail Depot.  You can also check around locally.  I have an oil/restaurant supply that sells lye, co, po, castor.  It was a great price but I just hated that it was a 55 lb bag and then I had to store the thing.  I like the two pound bottles that it comes in from Essential Depot.  I got 64 lbs in March so should be set for awhile anyway.  I've heard the lye guy is good too.   Nature's Garden and Wholesale Supplies Plus carries it too I believe.


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## Soapsense (Aug 20, 2014)

houseofwool said:


> This amazes me because when I added 30ish pounds to my cart at the lye guy, the price before shipping was $30 higher than an equivalent weight at Essential Depot that included shipping.


 
Maybe it's because of where I live for shipping, or because I only buy in smaller quantities.  But 6 2lb. bottles from ED with shipping comes to $43.36 for me, and at Lye Guy it is $41.69, not a big difference but still cheaper.


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## DeeAnna (Aug 20, 2014)

I use the Lye Guy as well. For the amounts I buy and where I live, his prices are pretty comparable to ED's. 12 lb of NaOH is $44.18 from ED and $43.71 from the Lye Guy.

And ED's odd sale policies and "free" shipping promos are confusing and a bit misleading, IMO. Give me straightforward terms of sale like the Lye Guy does, and I'm much happier.


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## Ellacho (Aug 20, 2014)

I used to get my lye  from AAA chemicals. Though shipping charge was hefty(TX to CA), I was happy with their prices and customer service. But they no longer carry lye .  I also needed to shop around for my lye! Thanks for this thread!


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## Candybee (Aug 20, 2014)

Essential Depot. I love the packaging and good prices. I love that they have free lye specials when I buy certain oils. I also sometimes get free cocoa butter too. Most of all I love the 2lb containers they come in and how carefully they package them. Very professional.


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## reinbeau (Aug 20, 2014)

I'm with DeeAnna on this one, I love The Lye Guy and don't much care for ED.  I want nothing to do with their lye after the debacle reported by many experienced soapers over on Facebook.  The Lye Guy is quick, responsive, and being in NY, closer to me shipping wise.


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## NittyGritty (Aug 20, 2014)

Thanks everyone!  Lots of good information and tips here - I appreciate it.


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## IrishLass (Aug 20, 2014)

Ellacho said:


> I used to get my lye from AAA chemicals. Though shipping charge was hefty(TX to CA), I was happy with their prices and customer service. But they no longer carry lye . I also needed to shop around for my lye! Thanks for this thread!



My go-to lye supplier was AAA Chemicals, too. I was really bummed when they stopped selling sodium hydroxide. They used to sell soap-making fats/oils, too, and my last purchase of tallow came from them, but it looks like they don't sell those anymore either. I see on their site that they still sell potassium hydroxide, though. Interesting.

 I'll have to check out The Lye Guy the next time I need to order more lye.


 IrishLass


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## Ellacho (Aug 20, 2014)

IrishLass said:


> My go-to lye supplier was AAA Chemicals, too. I was really bummed when they stopped selling sodium hydroxide. They used to sell soap-making fats/oils, too, and my last purchase of tallow came from them, but it looks like they don't sell those anymore either. I see on their site that they still sell potassium hydroxide, though. Interesting.
> 
> I'll have to check out The Lye Guy the next time I need to order more lye.
> 
> ...


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## cmzaha (Aug 21, 2014)

shunt2011 said:


> I too use Essentail Depot. You can also check around locally. I have an oil/restaurant supply that sells lye, co, po, castor. It was a great price but I just hated that it was a 55 lb bag and then I had to store the thing. I like the two pound bottles that it comes in from Essential Depot. I got 64 lbs in March so should be set for awhile anyway. I've heard the lye guy is good too. Nature's Garden and Wholesale Supplies Plus carries it too I believe.


I transfer my bags of lye to 5 gallon buckets. If I want bottles I have a lot of lye bottles from my beginning days of soaping and just fill them. Normally I make up 2-3 gallons of 50/50 lye solution. I pay less than $50 for 50lbs at a chemical supply house


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## godschild (Aug 21, 2014)

I bought a bunch of lye from E.D. and put the bottles inside some five gal buckets I bought from Lowes.  Do yall think with our high humidity that maybe I should add some of those dehumidifier bowl container things that Dollar General sells to the inside of the buckets?  I'm afraid that if I do that though, the doodads will draw moisture not just from inside the buckets but from outside the buckets as well somehow.  What are yall's opinions if I may ask?


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## OliveOil2 (Aug 21, 2014)

godschild I think they are fine inside the five gallon bucket, if you wanted more protection you could put a gamma seal lid on the bucket. They are a bit difficult to get on, but once you have it on they are airtight and easy to open. Home Depot has them for about $7.50.


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## Meganmischke (Aug 21, 2014)

reinbeau said:


> I'm with DeeAnna on this one, I love The Lye Guy and don't much care for ED.  I want nothing to do with their lye after the debacle reported by many experienced soapers over on Facebook.  The Lye Guy is quick, responsive, and being in NY, closer to me shipping wise.



I with you both I don't know what is but ED is very off putting to me. The lye guy is closer and cheaper for me too.


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## dixiedragon (Aug 21, 2014)

godschild said:


> I bought a bunch of lye from E.D. and put the bottles inside some five gal buckets I bought from Lowes. Do yall think with our high humidity that maybe I should add some of those dehumidifier bowl container things that Dollar General sells to the inside of the buckets? I'm afraid that if I do that though, the doodads will draw moisture not just from inside the buckets but from outside the buckets as well somehow. What are yall's opinions if I may ask?


 
Lye is such a potent dessicant that it will actually draw the moisture from most other dessicants, such as those little packets of beads you sometimes find in purses, etc.

I got a restaurant to save me a bunch of 1 -gallon plastic Helman's Mayonnaise jars. (Try Jimmie John's if they are in your area.) I poured the lye into the jars then sealed them with duct tape. The last of the lye was still good, 10 years later.


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## IrishLass (Aug 22, 2014)

Ellacho said:


> I called AAA Chemicals today but they don't sell potassium hydroxide either .


 
 Hmmm...that's very interesting, because they list it on their site under Specialty & Bulk Chemicals M-Z: "Potassium Hydroxide (flake, walnuts)". Maybe they need to update their inventory list?


 IrishLass


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## Ellacho (Aug 22, 2014)

IrishLass said:


> Hmmm...that's very interesting, because they list it on their site under Specialty & Bulk Chemicals M-Z: "Potassium Hydroxide (flake, walnuts)". Maybe they need to update their inventory list?
> 
> 
> IrishLass



Hi IrishLass,

I checked AAA Chemical website out and indeed they listed it under Specialty & Bulk Chemicals! So I gave them another call to see if I can get KOH before it runs out. But once again, they told me that they are not carrying any type of lye anymore and they would be removing kOH from their inventory list. Oh well...I tried . 

I really like their lyes especially the sodium hydroxide. It's 99.9% pure which helps me greatly in calculating my SF. I still have 10 lbs of NaOh and 4 lbs of KOH left but I am not sure where I am going to buy my lyes from now on....I am looking into ED or Lye Guy....Since I am living in CA shipping cost is always a big deal.


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## SoapSap (Aug 25, 2014)

Try Bulkapothecary.com. I get mine there. I order 4, 2lb. Containers for $16.99.


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