Shampoo bars/ Lye?

[kally]

I got really excited about shampoo bars even placed an order with chargin valley and then started to look into making my own. However many of the recipes I have come across state that Lye is used. For those who use shampoo bar is the lye harmful to the hair. I am natural and want to avoid harsh chemicals..

If you have some from Chargin are hers lye free? TIA.

 

[nelli711]

Hi Kally, I found this on a soap making website.

Sodium Hydroxide (Lye)

The most misunderstood ingredient we use! Dreaded and feared by many with good reason, but used with a bit of care and common sense, this salt creates bar soap. All bar soap is made with lye - again, all bar soap is made with lye. It is the chemical reaction between lye, water and fats that create soap. Glycerin is the natural by product of this chemical reaction. When people think of "lye soap" most think the old time hard white soap that left hands and faces red. A soap maker controls the level of lye used and thereby creates harsh or mild soaps. Sometimes a stronger solution of lye is used to make effective laundry soaps - one would never use a strength for laundry the same as a facial bar.

Here is a website that you can read about the use of lye in soap:

http://www.botanicalearth.com/Shopping/Handmade_soap/handmadesoapfacts.htm

 

[kally]

Whew!!! thank you so much. This really helps.

 

[nelli711]

Your welcome!!