I work in a school system in the science department. One of the best parts of my day job is making soap in chemistry classes at the high school. So when Seth Klein asked me if I was available to teach his classes, I quickly cleared my calendar said yes. I've made soap before with high school students. …
Chemistry
Soap Making in Chemistry Class
One of the things I do is teach Chemistry high school students how to make soap. I love it because it's a practical application of what they are learning in class. Saponification is a chemical reaction between a strong base (the lye) and a fat (the oil) which results in a salt. When we mix lye (Sodiun Hydroxide) with oil the salt that is …
Is there lye in my soap?
One of the questions I've been asked many times is "Is there lye in my soap?" I answer honestly that there is no lye in my soap but I did use lye to make the soap. This is pretty confusing to most people. If I used lye to make the soap, how can there be no lye in the soap? …