Dallas County

Scented Lye Soap

Mary Duncan would rather buy soaps than shoes. This industrious woman was looking for a hobby when she remembered her grandmother saying, “it takes grease to cut grease”. So, nearly seven years ago Mary borrowed a library book and taught herself the ancient art of soap-making. She still remains fascinated by the chemical reactions involved and wonders how the first soap-makers made their discovery of joining lye with tallow.

Mary has made her own tallow (rendered beef fat), but prefers to purchase it from a restaurant supplier. She first mixes water with lye. This creates a chemical reaction that heats the lye. The lye is carefully added to liquefied tallow. The temperatures must be accurate to prevent premature hardening (seizing). After scents and textures are added, the mixture is poured into PVC pipe tubes, which are then wrapped in blankets. Once hardened, the soap is removed, sliced into smaller pieces and allowed to dry and cure for more than two weeks.

Mary’s soaps are also available at the Holiday House, the Southern Hub, and Southern Antique in Selma.