Really newbie question

[jessiecms]

Hi all! My partner and I made a batch of beer soap today. When I used a tiny bit to wash my hands, it felt wonderful. But when my partner went to clean up our bucket, it burned her hands. She has pretty bad psoriasis--so my question is (sorry this is so silly), is soap supposed to burn before it's cured? Does the curing neutralize the lye? Or are we using a bad lye for psoriasis?

 

[new12soap]

If you made cold process soap, the lye was still very active, yes.

Saponification is when all the lye has completely interacted with all the oil and has turned into soap. No active lye remains. That is not the same as curing. It normally takes CP soap 24-72 hours to completely finish saponifying. You should always wear gloves when handling raw soap batter.

There is no such thing as different lye for psoriasis or any other skin condition, lye is either sodium hydroxide (used for bar soap) or potassium hydroxide (used for liquid soap).

ANY lye will be very bad for ANY skin unless and until it has completely turned to soap! PLEASE use proper safety precautions when handling lye!

 

[jessiecms]

Thank you so much! We hadn't run across that rule anywhere, so didn't know (and it certainly wasn't in the directions we were following). We were worried that the whole batch was ruined, so thanks for putting our minds at ease. We will be sure to use proper precautions from now on!!

 

[IrishLass]

Hi Jessie!

Ditto what new12soap said.

If you just made the soap today, then what your friend experienced is actually what is to be expected. Soap will not be safe to touch (or wash)with bare hands until the lye reaction is complete, which can take up to 72 hours or so, depending on if the soap gelled or not. Before that, the lye is still very active.

As long as you are using 100% pure sodium hydroxide with no added ingredients (such as what is found in some drain cleaners), then there should be no problem with the lye.

For what its worth, there's no such thing as different kinds of lye for different kinds of skin conditions. The lye used for soap should say on the label "100% sodium hydroxide" (used for making hard soap), or "100% potassium hydroxide" (used for making soft or liquid soaps). If it lists any other ingredients, don't use it for making soap.

Soap needs to test out lye-neutral before using. Wait about 72 hours and then apply the zap test to check for unreacted lye. If it tests out neutral, it is safe to use, but still needs to cure in order to come to full maturity where it will be more mild to the skin, harder, longer-lasting, and bubblier. I let mine cure for at least 4 weeks before I even think of washing with it.

Always use gloves when cleaning up after making soap (and during making soap, too, of course), even if you don't have psoriasis, and especially if you do!

IrishLass

 

[navigator9]

If the soap you used was in a fairly large mold, the mass may have promoted gel, which causes the soap to heat up, and the saponification process to move faster. This is why I like to gel, I can get it out of the mold the following day, and it's useable at that point, meaning the lye isn't active any more, but it still has to cure to be at its best. The soap your partner tested from the soap bucket was a thin layer, I'm guessing, not enough mass to produce gel, so the lye was still active. Ungelled soap takes longer to go through the saponification process, but it will eventually. And no question is silly, we were all beginners once. :-D Good luck with your beer soap!

 

[The Efficacious Gentleman]

Aye - there is a big difference between 'safe' and 'ready' when it comes to soap.

Safe is easy to define - no more lye. All of it is now soap.

Ready is much harder to define - for some it is after 4 weeks, others 8 weeks. Also depends on the recipe, as if you made something with more than 50% olive oil it will need a longer cure. 100% olive oil soaps are often left for a whole year before people say that they are ready!

For you and your partner and your soaps, you all (or y'all if you prefer) will need to find your 'ready'.

I would also suggest, before making more soap, spend a lot of time on here reading through old threads in the beginners and cp forums - there is a lot of experience to benefit from, especially other newbies that have made mistakes that you can avoid.

Also, don't be afraid to ask for people to check over a recipe - not all the ones found out there are any good and it is better to find out before you make it that it is a dud. Or worse, out-and-out dangerous!

 

[Susie]

Hey and welcome! What everyone else said is correct, so I am not repeating good advice.

A suggestion, however, is for you to learn to use a good lye calculator, and get some basic safety precautions in practice. It won't be long before you are proficient!

Here is an excellent tutorial by LunaSkye on how to use soapcalc.net:

http://www.soapmakingforum.com/showthread.php?t=49627

 

[jessiecms]

Thanks everyone! Your kind remarks make feel a bit less stupid, not to mention much more prepared.

 

[Susie]

Thanks everyone! Your kind remarks make feel a bit less stupid, not to mention much more prepared.

Honey, you are exactly where every last one of us were at some point in time. You stepped out and did something new. Which is awesome in and of itself. But then you were smart enough to find a truly awesome group of people to help you improve what you are doing. Which is truly smart. It is MORE remarkable to step up and ask a great question. Lots of people never, ever get brave enough to ask questions in a public forum. They may lurk and read, but never get brave enough to ask their questions. So, not only were you not stupid, you were brave, smart, and resourceful. AND you probably helped provide the very answer several people needed. So, good for you! And welcome to the club!

 

[jessiecms]

Oh my gosh you guys are so nice! I am sooooo glad I found you!!:smile: