Lye safety .... again.

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SunRiseArts

SunRiseArts

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So I was picking up after soaping, and I think (not sure if it was that, or salt) there could have been so lye pellets on the counter.

Since I had picked up, I had taken my gloves off, and now I am freaking out, so what is a girl to do? Come to the SMF forum ...... so I do a search and I found this thread:

http://www.soapmakingforum.com/showthread.php?t=57977&highlight=safety&page=4

Now I am even more worried ... Would you not know if you have a lye burn immediately? How can it got worst over time? How dangerous is lye if it has not been mixed with water? Same?

Seems lately I am so clumsy .... and thanks Susie because on the old thread I realized I should wear double gloves, so I can pull the first one. Brilliant!, and why did I not think of that.

:headbanging:

oh, I did take a 20 minute shower after soaping ..., and washed my cloth.
 
Dry granules will not hurt you and neither should the outside of the bottle. only when mixed with liquid is it dangerous. I am not saying to pour the dry granules into your hand! After all, your hands could be sweaty. But you can calm down about handling the bottle if you use a reasonable amount of caution.
 
To add, you'll know pretty quickly if you got a lye burn. Rinse until there's no more slipperiness and then rinse some more. I've gotten dry lye on me from a bottle and no issues because my skin was dry...luckily I realized it before I rubbed a (wet) eyeball!
 
You don't want the NaOH crystals sitting on your skin, as they will draw moisture from both the air and your skin to create lye that will then start turning your flesh into soap.

But that takes time. And it sounds like you washed it off before it got to that point.

The most important part of soaping to me is best said by Douglas Adams: DON'T PANIC.

NaOH will not instantly react and dissolve you like the Wicked Witch in the Wizard of Oz.

If you had not noticed any sore patches by the time you finish cleaning, showering and typing this up, you are fine.
 
Thank you all. These is so important, and I did not find information on the forum about dry granules.

Having said, I super freak about lye. I am always careful, and what I did was so dumb. But I think it was just some sea salt that I had gotten previously before the lye, to put in my distille water to help harden the bar.

My skin looks perfect 12 hours later, so I guess there is no damage if it was the naoh.

THANK YOU ALL. You guys rock.
 
I think I might have had one little lye bead on my leg. I was in the middle of making a batch when I felt stinging and then a really intense burn. I happened to have vinegar out because it's a neutralizer for lye and I put some on the spot. I really thought I'd been bitten by a red ant. I had four little bumps like I had. But then I read this the next day and looked at the spot on my leg. I have tiny scabs where it happened. So maybe it was stuck on me and the moisture from my leg activated it. I have to tell, you, if it was one tiny bead, I can't imagine what more would feel like. It really hurt.
 
Dlbroox said:
I think I might have had one little lye bead on my leg. I was in the middle of making a batch when I felt stinging and then a really intense burn. I happened to have vinegar out because it's a neutralizer for lye and I put some on the spot. I really thought I'd been bitten by a red ant. I had four little bumps like I had. But then I read this the next day and looked at the spot on my leg. I have tiny scabs where it happened. So maybe it was stuck on me and the moisture from my leg activated it. I have to tell, you, if it was one tiny bead, I can't imagine what more would feel like. It really hurt.
Click to expand...

Never, never, never put vinegar on a lye burn. It's an acid and will intensify the damage if any caused. It will cause a thermogenic reaction. Just rinse under water well. Generally it will itch before there is any burning in my experience. I've had it happen a time or two a few little bits got under my glove at the top.
 
Don't use vinegar (or any other acid) to neutralize lye on the body. Use only cool water and plenty of it to rinse the alkali off.

As many times as we've talked on this Forum about the reasons why using vinegar on a lye burn is not a smart thing to do, there must be many "authorities" who continue to spread this mis-information. I wish this dangerous myth would die. More: https://classicbells.com/soap/lyeFirstAid.html
 
Calm down! It's okay. You will notice a sort of burny itchy feeling - I would say it is comparable to sunburn or athlete's foot. As soon as you feel that, put your arm or hand (whatever) under cool running water. You will notice a sort of slippery feeling on your skin - rinse until that feeling is gone. If you think you've gotten some on a body part you can't easily put in the sink (like your leg) get a wet wash cloth (dripping wet, not just damp) and gently run that over the area.

I've gotten lye burns on my face from soap batter. Obviously it's not advisable, but it's not that bad either.
 
DeeAnna said:
Don't use vinegar (or any other acid) to neutralize lye on the body. Use only cool water and plenty of it to rinse the alkali off.

As many times as we've talked on this Forum about the reasons why using vinegar on a lye burn is not a smart thing to do, there must be many "authorities" who continue to spread this mis-information. I wish this dangerous myth would die. More: https://classicbells.com/soap/lyeFirstAid.html
Click to expand...

I'm sorry. I did not mean to spread mis-information. I am new to soap making and I guess I read one of those sites that said to use it.

I apologize for getting everybody so worked up.
 
Dlbroox said:
I'm sorry. I did not mean to spread mis-information. I am new to soap making and I guess I read one of those sites that said to use it.

I apologize for getting everybody so worked up.
Click to expand...


We are not upset with you. We understand how much mis-information is out there. We see it daily.

We ARE worried about your health and well being. We are glad that you were not seriously hurt and we want to educate you so in the future you know the proper way to react.

Have fun soaping!
 
kchaystack said:
We are not upset with you. We understand how much mis-information is out there. We see it daily.

We ARE worried about your health and well being. We are glad that you were not seriously hurt and we want to educate you so in the future you know the proper way to react.

Have fun soaping!
Click to expand...

Ok thanks. I feel better now!
 
I'm not upset with you, Dlbroox. Please accept my apologies -- I didn't choose my words carefully and I sent the wrong message.

I'm upset with the person who is speaking as an authority and is passing on bad advice that puts other people's health at risk. There is no excuse for that.
 
DeeAnna said:
I'm not upset with you, Dlbroox. Please accept my apologies -- I didn't choose my words carefully and I sent the wrong message.

I'm upset with the person who is speaking as an authority and is passing on bad advice that puts other people's health at risk. There is no excuse for that.
Click to expand...

THank you. I completely understand.
 
DeeAnna said:
Don't use vinegar (or any other acid) to neutralize lye on the body. Use only cool water and plenty of it to rinse the alkali off.

As many times as we've talked on this Forum about the reasons why using vinegar on a lye burn is not a smart thing to do, there must be many "authorities" who continue to spread this mis-information. I wish this dangerous myth would die. More: https://classicbells.com/soap/lyeFirstAid.html
Click to expand...

For me, the myth is associated with Fight Club. I will never forget that part of the book/movie and that the narrator is told he shouldn't put his hand under water and should use vinegar instead. Maybe someone should get Palahniuk to revise it. :)
 
Oh, gosh, I didn't know that, having never seen the movie nor read the book. I can't get far enough past the squick factor to get interested -- ewwwww. ;)
 
It seems like skin sensitivity to lye must vary a lot from person to person. I'm not immune to the stuff by any means, but I have to let batter sit on my skin for a good long while before I react to it- and even then it's just a little pink and a bit sting-y.
 
If folks would just reads the msds sheets it will tell you to use copious amounts of cool water :) What I hate is when I get a grain in my cuticle or under my fingernail. Seems to burn forever even with running water, but it never leaves any actual burn or damage. Don't ask me how or why but I manage to accomplish it quite often...
 

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