Teach Soap

I need to order more lye soon so I'm trying to find the best deal including shipping.
I have tried to find a local chemical company to see if I can buy a bulk container but have had no luck. If anyone knows of one in the Baltimore/DC or southern PA area please let me know. Or if you know of an online supplier located closer to me (so the shipping costs would be less) I'd appreciate that too.

I have ordered from The Lye Guy in the past and was happy with the product and the service as well as the price. But the packaging is not as air tight as I'd like and seems to absorb a bit of moisture over time.

I looked at essential Depot and for a 32# order including shipping the cost comes out to $2.40/#
This is a little better than The Lye Guy and they also seem to have better packaging.

Anyone know of a better deal?

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- Mickey!

I would have suggested the Lye Guy as well, but some people have had problems with the lids that loosen during transit. I hope someone from the east coast can chime in.

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Irena
Closed minds are like faulty parachutes; they refuse to open.

Hey Mickey I just returned from a trip cat sitting in HI. While there a friend asked me to help her make a batch of cp coconut milk soap. Ok and alrighty then! Couldn't find lye to save myself except 50 lbs from a chemical company.

Called my soap mentor and the recommendation was to buy a product from ACE Hardware called Rooto but be certain it is 100% lye. We we did and we did. The soap is curing right now and so far is a very lovely soap. Here is a photo of sample of it curing.

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~bytheSEAsoap~ Mella bythesea, bythesea, bythebeautiful sea

海の皂

Wow... all the way to Hawaii to cat sit? That's a good friend.
I like the mica brushed on your soaps.

I have purchased lye from ACE hardware as well as Lowes but that's only good in a pinch as it comes to between $3-$5 per pound.
I'm trying to get under $2 per pound including any shipping costs or even better if I can pickup locally and pay no shipping.

Thanks Soapbuddy!
The last order from The Lye Guy had the lids taped on with packing tape so they did not loosen. But the type of lids used (or maybe the bottles) don't seal as tightly as I think they should for lye. Even leaving them taped up the lye started to absorb moisture and get clumpy after a while. Still worked fine for soap though.

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- Mickey!

Your price beats my price. I think I'll have to look at Essential Depot. Thanks.

I buy 50 lb. buckets, but what worked for me is to use the heavy duty ziploc freezer bags to transfer into as soon as the lye is opened. Then all the bags go into a 50 lb. bucket that has been thoroughly cleaned from a soapmaking oil. I bought gamma seal lids for the buckets, so it stays moisture free.

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Irena
Closed minds are like faulty parachutes; they refuse to open.

I just checked out essential depot on their lye. They have tech grade and food grade? Which is better for soap? I never knew there was a difference.

Either one works. Food grade is cleaner. It's triple filtered. I've been using it since last fall. It's recommended for problems with batch consistency, formulating with hard-to-saponify oil blends, or if sensitive essential oils are used. Food grade is also normally certified Kosher. I haven't found that it makes any difference with essential oils. Really I haven't found any difference with it that can't be attributed to the moisture rentention problems I was having with the tech grade I used to buy.

Tech grade is less expensive. If it works well for you, I'd suggest using that.

I've been buying Lye and Potassium Hydroxide from Essential Depot in 10 lb packages, food grade, because of the free shipping offer. I love their lye, food grade, very pure. And their 2 lb bottle packaging is great, easier to pour and store.

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Shieh Design Studio
https://www.facebook.com/ShiehDesignStudio
http://soapandrestless.blogspot.com

I wanted to come back and update this thread for any soapers in the MD, DE, Southern NJ, and Southern PA area.

After several referals and dead ends I finally found a chemical company called Univar located in Middletown PA, near Harrisburg. They are a great company to deal with. I was able to buy a 50# bag of technical grade beads for $54.86 including tax. I picked it up at their warehouse so there were no shipping costs. They are about an hour drive from me but even with gas and tolls the price is still below $1.50 per pound. (If I lived in Harrisburg it would be about $1.05 per pound).

Of course if you only need small quantities there are many good options including BB.

I just broke down my 50# bag over the weekend and packaged it in doubled ziplocs and then placed those in a sealed 5 gallon bucket (one that has a rubber gasket) to keep out air and moisture. I weighed and labeled each bag so I won't have to do it later when I make up my pre-mixed 50/50 lye solution.

I will also say that wrangling a 50# bag of lye is not for the faint of heart. I took plenty of precautions... dust mask, goggles, thick clothing, and leather work gloves over top of rubber gloves. I worked outside with a bottle of vinegar and a garden hose nearby just in case. Still very cautious and a little nervous even with all that. I'm glad this will last me a few months!

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- Mickey!