Lye, or sodium hydroxide, might sound harsh, but it’s actually what makes soap soap. In traditional cold-process soapmaking, lye is combined with oils and butters to trigger saponification—a natural chemical reaction that transforms those fats into a gentle, cleansing bar. Without lye, it’s not really soap—it’s just lotion or detergent in disguise.

At Simply Bliss, we use food-grade lye in our small-batch process, and we measure everything with precision to ensure a complete reaction. That means there’s zero lye left in the final product—just creamy, skin-loving soap with moisturizing oils that still shine through. We believe in being transparent about every ingredient, especially the ones that sound intimidating but serve an essential purpose. Lye might not be glamorous, but it’s a clean, honest part of making truly natural soap.