Soap Safety Guidelines - Just Don't Get Burnt!

By Steve Paul

Soap making is a wonderful craft that can be enjoyed safely if you adhere to these vital soap safety instructions. In order to make soap, a chemical known as sodium hydroxide (lye) must be combined with various oils to create a reaction called saponification. Lye is an extremely caustic and dangerous substance that should be treated with the utmost of respect.

Although working with lye is definitely the most intimidating aspect of the soap making process there are other potential hazards that you must be aware of.

Please do not be scared away from this fun and addicting craft! There are potential risks involved in everything you do, including getting out of bed in the morning! As long as you follow some of these simple soap safety instructions, you will be absolutely fine:

Rule 1: Get to know your ingredients. At this point, you already realize the hazards of lye, but don't underestimate some of the other components like essential oils, soap making dyes and even all natural skin care nutrients. Are they allergens? Can they burn the skin? Are they poisonous? Make sure you know all about every ingredient you incorporate into your soap.

Rule 2: Keep a bottle of vinegar close by your side. When poured over lye, vinegar will neutralize the chemical and render it harmless. This is a must have in order to control potential lye spills.

Rule 3: Be sure to wear protective gear. This should include rubber gloves, goggles that completely enclose the eye and thick outerwear. If you want to practice soap safety to a tee, you can even wear a rubber rain coat for further protection.

Rule 4: Make sure to label all your soap making tools. Much of the equipment used during the soap making procedure is found in the common kitchen. If you use a particular utensil for soap making, never use it again for cooking. In order to avoid confusion label all equipment "for soap making use only". Even if you feel that it's not contaminated, it's just not worth the risk of touching your food with a utensil that's been in contact with harmful chemicals.

Rule 5: Get rid of your distractions. Pets, kids, spouses, TV, music etc. can all become distractions. When making soap, you need to give the craft your sole attention.

Rule 6: Find a safe place to store your soap making supplies. Make sure that you store all chemicals up high where children or pets can't get to them.

Rule 7: Educate your family about soap making and its potentially hazardous elements. Knowledge is power!

As long as you keep these simple rules in mind, you will have a wonderful experience making soap! You'll find that the initial stress is well worth the reward - beautiful all natural skin care products that your friends and family will love! After your first few batches, the fear will diminish revealing a true passion for this craft that will demand to be fed.

To learn more about soap safety and other vital soap making information, please visit Steve's site http://www.soap-making-resource.com/. Here you will learn everything you ever wanted to know about this exhilarating craft.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Steve_Paul