"...I bought my lye from a chemical market so they sold it to me from a big sack of lye...."
Yes, I agree with Coffeetime. If it was "caustic soda" or "caustic lye" or "caustic soda lye", meaning pure sodium hydroxide (NaOH), it could never, ever be safely stored in an open bag. The lye would attract so much moisture from the air that the bag would eventually fill up with liquid and create a huge, dangerous mess.
I suspect you were given sodium carbonate (Na2CO3), also known as soda ash or washing soda. A very old name for sodium carbonate that might still be used in some places is just plain "soda lye".
You want sodium hydroxide. Nothing else will work correctly to make soap. Sodium hydroxide must be kept in an air tight container to keep moisture and air out. It will never be sold in an open bag.
Yes, I agree with Coffeetime. If it was "caustic soda" or "caustic lye" or "caustic soda lye", meaning pure sodium hydroxide (NaOH), it could never, ever be safely stored in an open bag. The lye would attract so much moisture from the air that the bag would eventually fill up with liquid and create a huge, dangerous mess.
I suspect you were given sodium carbonate (Na2CO3), also known as soda ash or washing soda. A very old name for sodium carbonate that might still be used in some places is just plain "soda lye".
You want sodium hydroxide. Nothing else will work correctly to make soap. Sodium hydroxide must be kept in an air tight container to keep moisture and air out. It will never be sold in an open bag.
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