Lye “Alternatives” Still, some soap-makers make a point of positioning themselves as lye “alternatives,” insisting – for example – they use glycerin instead, or make their soap without the involvement of lye. Second, why exactly are you looking for shampoo without potassium hydroxide in it? However, the True Soap we see for sale in stores, is made by combining fat from plants or animals and an alkali, called lye. That is the original all natural method for soap, and potassium hydroxide actually creates a soap that’s superior to the sodium hydroxide version. First, potassium hydroxide is natural -- it's just a fancy name for lye made from wood ash. In both these cases, misinformation seems to be a factor. Green cremation is a gentle, eco-friendly alternative to flame-based cremation or casket burials. Both science and history document that, although rare, soap is indeed found in nature. Glycerin is a natural result of saponification. It is a quiet process that uses water and potassium hydroxide to reduce the body to its basic element of bone ash. But instead of flame, alkaline hydrolysis uses water and an alkali solution of potassium hydroxide (KOH) commonly found in household products, which when heated, dissolves the body, leaving behind bone fragments and a sterile liquid. The ashes are then returned to the family. Lye refers to sodium hydroxide or potassium hydroxide . Alkaline hydrolysis is the natural process a body undergoes after burial, which can take up to 25 years. Potassium hydroxide is another type of lye, and it is easily obtained from hardwood ashes and water.