From David Fisher,
Your Guide to Candle & Soap Making.
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Well, we're still making soap! Most of you (as far as I know, are not making lye from wood ashes. - so you're getting your lye from somewhere. There was some worry when Red Devil Lye was taken from the shelves over 3 years ago, but a number of local and online vendors took up the slack to make up for Red Devil Lye being pulled from the supermarkets.

Here are some stores, web sites and other solutions for you:

• Buy lye direct from one of the following online mail order vendors - you're guaranteed to get high quality pure lye that's appropriate for soap making, and you can buy it in whatever quantity you want:
  
  • Camden-Grey (Best price on 2lb. container!)
  • Bitter Creek Candle Co.
  • Texas Natural Supply
  • Lehman's Soapmaking Supplies
  • Snowdrift Farm
  • The Soap Dish
  • AAA Chemical
  If you know of another vendor that sells 100% lye, or know of a good mail order vendor, please post it in the Candle and Soap Making Forum

• Get together with other soap makers in your area and "go in" on buying a bag of lye from a local chemical supply house - (or one of the online vendors above), carefully splitting it between you. Lots of soap makers buy their lye in bulk. Most large cities have a solvent or chemical company that will sell lye (Sodium Hydroxide) in 35 or 50 lb. bags. You'll pay a fraction (per pound) of what the Red Devil cost, but, you've got to be able to safely store that much lye. Remember the cautions you go through with a 12 oz. jar of lye, now imagine 35 lbs. of it!

• Buy a whole bag yourself, knowing that it needs to be stored in an airtight container, safely away from children, pets or other unknowing people.

• Check your local hardware store - Lowe's hardware stores sell Roebic Crystal Drain Opener. One of their long-time employees recently wrote me assuring readers "...that this product is 100% lye and we have recently added that information to our label. It is available in a 2 lb. container and can be found at all Lowes stores." So that's good news! But, it's always best to check the manufacturers site and check the label for the product. I had one user write me and say that while the label (not Roebic's) said 100% lye, the MSDS sheet said otherwise.

Where ever you find your soap making lye, going with an experienced vendor selling lye specifically to the soapmaking trade is the safest, and believe it or not, usually the cheapest way to go.

Be sure to check out (and add your comments to) the Lye Suppliers thread on the Candle and Soap Making Forum.