Why do wood ashes mixed with water burn? Yet when the mixture is dry it doesn ?
Lye is Sodium Hydroxide. NaOH As a solid, the Na and OH are bonded and unreactive. When you mix with water, you break the bond and voila, you’ve got Na+ and OH- floating around. For neutral pH water, the number of OH- and the number of H+ are equal. When we have more OH- around, we say this is a base. When we have more H+ around, we say this is an acid. Both OH- and H+ are reactive with (burn) lots of stuff – like skin. • soapwort plant • fireweed plant • just use water and sand as an exfoliant…. • Yucca: Loaded with saponin, a well-known lathering substance, the large root of the various yuccas has been the principal source of soap for the Indians living throughout the southwest, both past and present. When pounded, the roots froth with suds. In the old days yucca root suds undoubtedly were employed for all manner of cleaning jobs; hair shampoo stands out as the most enduring use. Among other native peoples, the Navajo say a yucca shampoo will make your hair long, shiny, and black,
