Where Does Everybody Purchase Their Lye From?

[Smauf]

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?

 

[Lin]

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

 

[Susie]

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.

 

[PinkCupcake]

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.

 

[Dennis]

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.

 

[The Efficacious Gentleman]

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.

 

[Belinda02]

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

 

[Moody Glenn]

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.

 

[Dennis]

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:

 

[DeeAnna]

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

 

[songwind]

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.

 

[DeeAnna]

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.

 

[jkevin]

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

 

[Smauf]

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!

 

[heather s]

The Lye Guy. He has great prices!

 

[DeeAnna]

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.

 

[heather s]

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

 

[Dennis]

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.

 

[ilovesoap2]

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.

 

[DeeAnna]

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?