Natural Nerd
Potassium Hydroxide (For Liquid Soap)

Ingredients: Potassium Hydroxide (KOH).

Potassium hydroxide (KOH) is a strong alkaline chemical (pH 14) that is used to make liquid soap from scratch, including organic and castile liquid soap. Potassium hydroxide is an essential ingredient for the saponification reaction which converts oil into soap.

Following Natural Nerd's liquid soap recipe, 500g of potassium hydroxide will allow you to make approximately 5 litres of liquid soap.

Potassium hydroxide should not be handled by anyone who does not understand the safety of soap-making. Although it is perfectly safe when used correctly for soap-making, by itself it is a hazardous substance that is harmful to touch, ingest or inhale. Therefore, it should be handled and stored far out of reach of children and pets. Protective clothing should be worn when handling potassium hydroxide (i.e. gloves, dust mask, safety glasses). After the soap-making reaction is complete, there is no presence of potassium hydroxide in the final liquid soap (when measured correctly).

Storage:

• Ensure that the container is securely sealed between uses to prevent it from reacting with oxygen.
• Store in a cool, dark place, and clearly labelled.
• Store far out of reach of children and pets.

How to use:

• Always measure potassium hydroxide in weight with a scale. Never in volume.
• Always follow a trusted recipe, unless you know how to formulate your own soap recipes.
• Don't allow potassium hydroxide to come into contact with any other metals except stainless steel.
• Plastics that are resistant to potassium hydroxide: Polypropylene (PP), High Density Polyethylene (HDPE), Low Density Polyethylene (LDPE).
• If you accidentally touch potassium hydroxide, rinse the skin thoroughly with cold water first, and then wipe with vinegar to neutralise the base.

Learn How to Use This Ingredient:

• If you would like to learn more about soap-making, enroll in Natural Nerd's online soap-making course which covers lye safety (click here for info).
• Alternatively, follow Natural Nerds step-by-step recipe on how to make liquid soap from scratch using potassium hydroxide (click here for instructions).

Packaging: Recyclable HDPE tub with a paper label.