Lye soap has been around for thousands of years. However, lye is a very harmful substance and proper precautions and safeguards should be taken before trying to make soap on your own. Here are a few safety precautions to be aware of when taking on homemade lye soap.
Protect your eyes. Wear protective eye gear or goggle to keep your eyes from harm. Goggles will shield your eyes from coming in contact with lye. Be sure the goggle completely cover the eyes.
Protect your hands. Never try to make lye soap with out wearing gloves. Sturdy rubber gloves work best, though latex gloves can also provide protection.
Wash out all pans that were used to make the lye soap thoroughly. If you touch the pans that are simply washed out and have any remnants of lye you can burn your hands. If you are making lye soap consider designating certain pots and pans for soap making and do not mix them with the rest of your kitchen items to prevent accidents.
Use the right utensils and tools when making lye soap. Use products that have less chance of causing a dangerous reaction when coming in contact with lye. Try using enamel, plastic, glass, or wood when mixing the water with the lye.
Always add lye to the water and not the other way around. If you pour the water in to the lye mixture there is a chance of a dangerous reaction where the lye may explode. This is dangerous because the explosion would cause the chemical to get all over you and anyone else around.
Keep your children out of harms way. Children have a habit of getting in the way when we least expect it. Make preparations to do your lye soap projects while children are asleep or out of the home to prevent unnecessary harm coming to them.
Store all unused lye out of reach of children. Be sure to properly label the lye and put it out of reach of pets or children. Lye can be very harmful to them if they find it, so it is important to take precautions when storing lye.