# Where Does Everybody Purchase Their Lye From?



## Smauf (Mar 20, 2014)

Do you guys buy from department stores?  Brick and mortar soap making supply stores?  Do you order online?  If so where?  Are you able to obtain wholesale prices?  Do you make your own lye from wood ashes?

I am just curious, as I am completely new to soap making, and only have one batch under my belt.  I purchased my lye from Bramble Berry, and saw a note on there that they had recently changed their lye from 100% pellet form, to 97% flaked form.  

What is your favorite place to purchase lye from, and why?


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## Lin (Mar 20, 2014)

Essential Depot online, because the price. I also like the easy to handle 2lb bottles the Lye comes in.


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## Susie (Mar 20, 2014)

Essential Depot.  Same as Lin.  The price and the easily handled bottles. 

You really would do better to not have a very large container of lye as a beginner(or even not so much a beginner), because if handled improperly, the lye can absorb moisture from the air.  And if it does that, the weights will be off.  I don't make soap so often as some, so I even put my air tight bottle into a Ziploc bag because I live in a humid climate.

The first NaOH I bought to make soap came from Lowe's.  It worked fine, but it is MUCH more expensive than ordering from Essential Depot.  I always bought KOH from ED.


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## PinkCupcake (Mar 20, 2014)

Another vote for Essential Depot. I bought the Brambleberry lye once, but I don't like the flakes. The pellets are much easier to use, for me.


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## Dennis (Mar 20, 2014)

Essentials Depot also.   I can't escape sales tax but it's still very competitive compared with other online suppliers.   Thumbs up on the easy to handle bottles.


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## The Efficacious Gentleman (Mar 20, 2014)

I bought 900 grams (no idea why it was in a 900 gram container, not a full 1 kilo!) and it lasted me a fair few batches.  It was flakes, which was annoying.  I found myself a new main supplier for (almost) all things soapy, so will what that is like.


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## Belinda02 (Mar 20, 2014)

I make soap for my family and a few friends so don't need much.  I buy my lye from tractor supply.


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## Moody Glenn (Mar 20, 2014)

Hello!  I also get my lye from Essentials Depot. Good pricing and very good service. You could get some by other wholesale means but doing so it might come as bags. Due to the very dangerous nature of lye I would not want to spill the beads or powder when opening and extracting the lye from the bag. With Essential Depot the lye is in heavy plastic bottles. This way is much easier and safer to handle and to pour. Safety first when it comes to lye even if it may be a little more expensive.


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## Dennis (Mar 20, 2014)

When I buy lye I buy 10lbs at a time for the best deal as far as how much room I have for storage and hopefully will use it all in a reasonable time.  A reasonable time for me is a pretty long time because I don't sell.  It is stored on a high shelf in my garage and has worked out pretty well.  If you're concerned about time, this tin is now empty and I'm reordering another ten pounds.  This one lasted a bit over a year.  
Yeah, I know, same picture but lots of newer people are wondering.  They won't know it's been seen before so please, just don't tell.  :shh:


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## DeeAnna (Mar 20, 2014)

Gent -- 900 grams is basically the same as 2 pounds avoirdupois. Why lye would be sold that way in Austria is a mystery to me. But if I were a betting woman, I'd bet it was a 2 pound bottle just labeled with the metric equivalent.

I buy NaOH and KOH from the Lye Guy: https://www.thelyeguy.com/store.php


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## songwind (Mar 20, 2014)

I have only bought lye online once, thus far, and bought from the Lye Guy. It's good stuff.

Previously I bought some NaOH at Ace Hardware, and KOH from a local soaper who sold some of her overstock.


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## DeeAnna (Mar 20, 2014)

Oh, yeah, thanks for reminding me, Songwind -- I've bought NaOH from Ace and also from Menards. Look in the plumbing section. Be sure the ingredients say 100% sodium hydroxide -- sometimes drain opening "lye" has other stuff in it too.


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## jkevin (Mar 20, 2014)

I pick it at my local menards 4 bucks for a pound, might seem like a lot but I am new and make just small batches while I am learning


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## Smauf (Mar 21, 2014)

Thanks for the replies everyone!  Seems like there are a lot that use Essential Depot.  Will have to check them out when I resupply.  I've heard of the Lye Guy too, will have to give that a shot sometime as well!


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## heather s (Mar 21, 2014)

The Lye Guy. He has great prices!


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## DeeAnna (Mar 21, 2014)

The main reason why I use the Lye Guy vs. ED is ED's "free shipping" that isn't really free, weird pricing for different sizes of a product, and their "sales" that aren't really sales. I just don't have patience to wade through their confusing system to find out what is REALLY the best buy, rather than what LOOKS like the best buy.


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## heather s (Mar 21, 2014)

Deeanna that is exactly what I thought with ED. The pricing is very tricky!


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## Dennis (Mar 21, 2014)

DeeAnna said:


> The main reason why I use the Lye Guy vs. ED is ED's "free shipping" that isn't really free, weird pricing for different sizes of a product, and their "sales" that aren't really sales. I just don't have patience to wade through their confusing system to find out what is REALLY the best buy, rather than what LOOKS like the best buy.



I agree that the pricing is a tad tricky but for many the bottom line is total cost per lb.  Assuming (dangerous!) equal quality and customer service, I go with the least expensive after calculating cost of the amount I know I can store.  After that it's easy to recheck and reorder.


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## ilovesoap2 (Mar 21, 2014)

I got a little frustrated comparing the prices also.  I was looking at lyeguy
and Ed.  Took out the calculator and just said forget it.  I bought from ED.


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## DeeAnna (Mar 21, 2014)

I rate potential suppliers for their "truth in pricing" and lack-of-hassle as well as cost. In the case of the Lye Guy, he offers fair pricing, a discount if one orders a reasonable amount, prompt shipping, and straightforward service. What's not to like about that?


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## cmzaha (Mar 21, 2014)

I buy mine from Gallade Chemical in Santa Ana. Just in case anyone is from So CA


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## Lin (Mar 21, 2014)

I priced both the Lye guy and ED and ED was cheaper for the amount I was buying. I have much more time than money,  so for me I always price things everywhere before a purchase.  I also always Google for coupons after I've settled on a place,  and the end result was my Lye for 1.92 a pound including shipping.


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## ilovesoap2 (Mar 21, 2014)

Lin, thanks for the tip.  Never even thought of searching for coupons for ED. Good to know.


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## Jencat (Mar 21, 2014)

Essential Depot here too.


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## new12soap (Mar 21, 2014)

I have purchased lye from the hardware store, from Essential Depot, and from a local chem supply. I very much prefer the local chem supply place, I buy a 50% lye solution in a jug, no mixing or static and my lye is already masterbatched for me.

I know it is possible to make lye from wood ash but I don't personally know anyone that has done it, at least not in the last 70 years or so! And the resulting lye is potash or KOH, not the NaOH that we use for bar soap.


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## Smauf (Mar 21, 2014)

ilovesoap2 said:


> I got a little frustrated comparing the prices also.  I was looking at lyeguy
> and Ed.  Took out the calculator and just said forget it.  I bought from ED.



Are you saying you took out the calculator, calculated the price and went with ED because it was cheaper?  Or you tried to calculate the price, said "forget it" and just went with ED?  Little confused on the wording


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## athallr (Mar 22, 2014)

I used to buy local but it is do pricey, about $4.50/1 pound. I've been ordering from essential depot but will check out the lye guy next.


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## Chandler Soap (Mar 23, 2014)

What is your favorite place to purchase lye from, and why?

For soapers in the Valley of the Sun, there is a new place open in Chandler. Chandler Bio sells NaOH and KOH in 2# to 50# quantities, and pricing is cheaper than anyplace I found. They also have essential oils. I made my first batch with their lye yesterday and it is great. I told them I was going to post to this forum when I joined (been meaning to come out of hiding), and he requested I also give you a link,so here it is. 

www.ChandlerBio.com 

Good Luck and thanks to all for the helpful forum posts.


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## moonbeam (Mar 24, 2014)

I get mine from a chemical house in Berkeley, CA (pacific coast chemical) it comes in 50# bags


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## hismrsfinnegan (Mar 25, 2014)

I purchase from Essential Depot online.  I just got 16lbs.  I make a lot of soap and sell, so I use alot.  I like the 2 pound bottles they are just the right size.  Not too little that I am always running out, and not too much that I can't manage handling the bottle easily.  Right now, I store my lye in my kitchen in a special cabinet I have for my soaping supplies.  I am in the process of  moving stuff out to my shop in the garage.


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## Moot (Mar 25, 2014)

I purchase from LyeGuy.  When I ordered, the prices were a bit cheaper plus I love the simplicity of the website.  On all materials it's best to compare prices/quality each time you order as they can always change.


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## outlawsoaps (Mar 25, 2014)

Smauf said:


> What is your favorite place to purchase lye from, and why?



We buy locally because I am a miser on shipping costs. Our current local supplier in Oakland is Pacific Chemical in Berkeley, but we had another really great supplier in Los Angeles when I lived there.

We buy in 50# bags.


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## outlawsoaps (Mar 25, 2014)

cmzaha said:


> I buy mine from Gallade Chemical in Santa Ana. Just in case anyone is from So CA



Yeah, I think that's where we got ours from when I lived there. Really fine folks.


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## Mellifera (Mar 25, 2014)

Lye Guy. He's "local-ish" to me, about 1.5 hours away, so while it isn't worth my time to drive there, I do get it very quickly.


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## CherylS (Mar 25, 2014)

I'm an Essential Depot purchaser also Love them.   And yes, that 2 pound bottle is good to handle instead of having to scoop it out. I used to get it buy the 7 lbs but got clumping. This just stays put in the bottle.


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## houseofwool (Mar 25, 2014)

Deanna, what are the shipping charges like from the lye guy?  That is my biggest hang up because I generally go to order late at night and the rates aren't published.


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## heather s (Mar 25, 2014)

Mellifera said:


> Lye Guy. He's "local-ish" to me, about 1.5 hours away, so while it isn't worth my time to drive there, I do get it very quickly.




Local-ish to me too. He's a super nice guy.


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## margaret (Mar 28, 2014)

*ED*

I buy food grade lye from ED and that is a selling point for my soap. People think of lye as drain cleaner and are surprised to learn that pretzels take a lye bath. It gives some a safe feeling.. I buy in large quantities and love the 2lb bottles also the price break I get.


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## shunt2011 (Mar 28, 2014)

I too buy from Essential Depot.  I have purchased it locally from a restaurant oil supply company but it came in 55 lb bag and was such a hassle to transfer it.  It was also the flake kind and I had some issues with it totally dissolving sometimes.  I tried the ED food grade and though a bit more expensive it is so worth having the ease of the 2 lb bottles and they are easier to store.   I just purchased 64 lbs earlier this month but was lucky as my parents were down in Florida and picked it up and brought it back to me so I saved the shipping.


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## ca_soap (Mar 28, 2014)

Essential Depot as well.  Great price, great service, great product and the two pound bottles are very easy to handle and store.  I buy either 32lb or 64lb at a time and they are very consistent bottle after bottle.


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## CherylS (Mar 28, 2014)

who is this Ed Guy that sells lye. I wonder if he's closer and shipping would be less. Where is the link please?


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## CherylS (Mar 28, 2014)

margaret said:


> I buy food grade lye from ED and that is a selling point for my soap. People think of lye as drain cleaner and are surprised to learn that pretzels take a lye bath. It gives some a safe feeling.. I buy in large quantities and love the 2lb bottles also the price break I get.




Lye from Essential Depot is *food grade*also.


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## Dennis (Mar 28, 2014)

CherylS said:


> who is this Ed Guy that sells lye. I wonder if he's closer and shipping would be less. Where is the link please?



ED = Essential Depot.  http://www.essentialdepot.com/


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## CherylS (Mar 28, 2014)

Dennis said:


> ED = Essential Depot.  http://www.essentialdepot.com/



Man, I thought you all were referring to someone else with a real name of ED... :lolno:


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## Lin (Mar 28, 2014)

CherylS said:


> Lye from Essential Depot is *food grade*also.


They offer both food grade and tech grade.


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## CherylS (Mar 28, 2014)

I must have always gotten food grade and didn't think of anything else. good for them.


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## navigator9 (Apr 26, 2014)

It's The Lye Guy for me too.


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