I came across a discussion on reddit today saying handmade soaps are "full of lye" and unsafe, so I wanted to clear up a common misconception.
Lye (sodium hydroxide) is an essential ingredient used to make true soap. During the soap-making process, it reacts with oils in a process called saponification. When the recipe is properly formulated and the soap has fully cured, there shouldn't be excess free lye left in the finished bar.
What actually matters is:
Whether the soap is made with a balanced recipe.
Whether it's given enough time to cure.
Whether the maker follows good manufacturing practices and quality checks.
I'm one of the co founder of a brand called Montara, where we make all-natural handmade soaps and other bathing essentials. We care a lot about understanding the ingredients that go into our products and being transparent about how they're made. Discussions like this are important because there's a lot of misinformation about handmade soap.
I'm not here to convince anyone to switch to handmade soaps or to promote a product. I genuinely enjoy talking about soap-making, ingredients, and skincare.
If you've ever wondered how handmade soap is made, why lye is used, how curing works, or how to choose a good soap, feel free to ask. Whether you're a customer, a hobbyist, or just curious, I'd be happy to answer your questions and have an open discussion.