I didn’t realise how many soap makers are using drain cleaner until recently… and it definitely raised a few eyebrows for me.

And what surprised me even more is how normal this has become in some soap making groups.

It shouldn’t be.

First — what customers need to know

All real soap is made using sodium hydroxide (lye).

It reacts with oils in a process called saponification, and when done properly, there is no active lye left in the final bar.

That’s how soap has always been made.

So the issue isn’t lye.

The issue is what’s being used

You’ll see drain cleaners labelled “100% sodium hydroxide”.

But that doesn’t mean it’s been produced, handled, or packed to a standard suitable for skin products.

Drain cleaner is made and packaged as a cleaning chemical.

That means:

it may be packed in general chemical facilities

it can sit in storage absorbing moisture

packaging environments are not controlled for cosmetic use

traceability is limited

labelling focuses on hazard, not formulation quality

It’s designed to unblock pipes — not to be used as a controlled raw ingredient.

A simple way to understand it

Sodium hydroxide is also used in food — pretzels, for example.

But no pretzel maker is allowed to use drain cleaner.

They must use food-grade sodium hydroxide, because of how it’s handled, stored, and supplied.

Same chemical.

Completely different standard.

DIY vs selling — this is where it matters most

If you’re making soap at home for yourself, you get to choose what you’re comfortable using.

That’s your call.

But the moment you’re selling a product to someone else, the standard changes.

You’re no longer just making something for your own skin — you’re responsible for what goes on someone else’s.

And that’s where using a product designed to clean drains instead of a properly supplied raw ingredient becomes a serious issue.

Where we stand

We only use pure sodium hydroxide from a proper cosmetic/raw ingredient supplier.

That gives:

known purity

consistent quality

proper documentation

full traceability

Why this matters

By the time soap is finished, the lye is gone.

But how your ingredients are sourced and handled before that point still matters.

A professional manufacturer doesn’t formulate skincare using cleaning products.

They use ingredients supplied and handled to the correct standard for that purpose.

This isn’t about fear — it’s about standards

Lye isn’t the problem.

Lowering standards is.

And normalising the use of cleaning products in skin formulations — especially for products being sold — is something that needs to be questioned, not accepted.