Soap Making: A Fun and Eco-Friendly Hobby – With a Focus on Safety
Soap making is a creative and rewarding hobby that can save you money while reducing your exposure to unnecessary chemicals—benefiting both you and the environment. However, one key ingredient in the process, lye (sodium hydroxide), is caustic and requires careful handling. Unfortunately, this causes many people to avoid making their own soap, often because they mistakenly believe that homemade soap is dangerous or filled with harmful chemicals. Fortunately, that’s not the case—as long as you follow the proper safety precautions.
Note: I’m not a chemist. If you’re unsure about any aspect of safety after reading this, I recommend consulting a professional.
Safety Equipment: Simple and Essential
Staying safe while making soap doesn’t require expensive gear—just basic protection for your skin, breathing, and eyes. The best protection comes from combining proper equipment with careful habits: work calmly, avoid splashing, and ensure your bowls and tools are stable on a secure surface.
Protecting Your Skin
- Wear thick, durable clothing. A waterproof apron is ideal to prevent spills from soaking through. I like to wear a rain jacket and closed-toe shoes—even indoors.
- Rubber gloves are a must to protect your hands.
Protecting Your Breathing
- Make soap outdoors if possible, or work under a kitchen hood with good ventilation.
- For extra protection, consider wearing a mask to shield yourself from the fumes.
Protecting Your Eyes
- Your eyes need proper protection with tight-fitting safety goggles. Regular glasses or loose eyewear aren’t enough.
When Is Soap Making Dangerous?
The main danger occurs when lye is mixed with water. This chemical reaction generates heat, and the mixture becomes highly alkaline and caustic. When you combine the lye mixture with oils (known as the fat phase), the soap batter remains very alkaline throughout the entire process.
Because of this, it’s crucial to keep your safety gear on until you’ve finished making the soap and cleaned up properly.
When Is the Soap Safe to Use?
Once your soap is made, it needs to cure for 4-6 weeks to reach a safe, neutral pH. Before using it, test the pH level with a strip of indicator paper (litmus paper is the most affordable option). Ideally, I aim for a pH close to 7, but anywhere up to 10 is considered normal for homemade soap.
By taking these simple precautions, you can safely enjoy the art of soap making while creating a product that’s healthier and more natural for everyday use. It does take a little extra care—but the results are absolutely worth it!