Soap: PDA and first aid

Soap is basically made from drain cleaner and oil.  There is no way to do it otherwise; melt-and-pour soap means you just buy the stuff after the drain cleaner has reacted with the oil.

This means that it is a very bad idea to eat raw soap.  Which my "baby" (approaching 30!) brother discovered this weekend.  Fortunately this batch was a remilling of cold-process that went wrong, therefore it was cooked, thus way less hazardous than it could have been (i.e. he didn't end up burning out his entire GIT).  But hey, what a nasty way to wake up.  He turned out fine, but foamed at the mouth all day.  Now that I know he's fine, and the adrenaline has cleared out, it's kinda funny.

So: if you get raw soap on your skin, or other surfaces, the best thing to do is to rinse off with vinegar.  Caustic soda is alkaline; the vinegar neutralises it.

BUT if you eat it drink milk, not acidic fluids like orange juice; the reactions of the acid & alkaline will exacerbate any burn.  DO NOT INDUCE VOMITING.  Call a doctor.

All things considered, it's best to leave internal cleansing to nettle or buchu teas.