Best Lye?

[CraftedRoots]

Hey everyone! My husband and I are finally getting into soap making (cut wood pieces for our molds the other day!), but we're wondering what is the best lye to use. Our local hardware store had what it said was 100% lye, but I've read that some bottles will say that, and then the MSDS information sheets will say something a little different. I couldn't find ingredients for that brand, so I didn't buy it (Betterbilt Chemicals, I believe was who made it). On Amazon, the top two seem to be Pure Lye (by ComStar, I think?) and Red Crown, but Red Crown is 98.5% sodium hydroxide, 0.5% sodium carbonate, and 1% inert ingredients (whatever that could be).

So, can anyone recommend a brand? Has anyone tried the brands I mentioned? And is it okay for lye to have that small amount of extra ingredients that the Red Crown brand has? Thanks!!

[Larissa]

I wouldn't buy anything that had ANYTHING other than sodium hydroxide in it (or potassium hydroxide for liquid soap).  Why risk it?  Anything other than 100% is unnecessary.  And for those of us who believe in transparency and label every ingredient in ever bar of soap or other item (under the correct FDA labeling requirements/terms, not just "lye, olive oil, essential oils, etc" like you see on some handmade soap sales sites), this stuff is REALLY important.  All that would have to go in the label.  No thanks.

Not sure the brand we have; our jugs are home & I'm at the day job.

[CraftedRoots]

Good points. Thanks for the tips! We did manage to find a brand at our local Lowe's that was 100% lye (according to the container and the MSDS sheet). Roebic is the brand. Can't wait to try it out!

[Larissa]

Perfect!  And of course I keep forgetting to look at ours.