The Truth Behind Our Lye
a picture of ash
What Ash Makes the Best Potassium Hydroxide? A Guide to Choosing the Right Plant Material
What Ash Makes the Best Potassium Hydroxide? A Guide to Choosing the Right Plant Material When most people think about making traditional lye, they think about hardwood ash. While hardwoods... Read more...
How to Make Sodium Hydroxide from Washing Soda and Pickling Lime
How to Make Sodium Hydroxide from Washing Soda and Pickling Lime
A Traditional Alkali Conversion Process Explained Modern soap makers usually buy sodium hydroxide already manufactured and purified. It’s efficient, consistent, and convenient. But historically, alkali production itself was part of... Read more...
How to Make Lye from Wood Ash: The Traditional Chemistry Behind Real Lye Soap
At Real Lye Co., soap starts before the oil ever hits the pot. This article explains how wood ash is boiled to extract potassium salts, how pickling lime converts them into potassium hydroxide, and why handmade lye is the heart of traditional soap making. Read more...