NaOH was first collected by soap makers. Soap making recipe, noted in an Arab book (13th century) that compiled by king of Yemen.

The recipe was for passing water oft by a mixture of soda or in Arabic alkali. Soda ash got from salt-wort plants because this planets are rich in sodium. sodium alkali specially was impure sodium carbonate and quicklime (calcium oxide, CaO). This process was generate a solution of sodium hydroxide that also called Caustic Soda. In addition, European soap makers followed this recipe. In 1791 Nicolas Leblanc (the French chemist and surgeon), patented a process for mass-producing sodium carbonate, natural “soda ash” .

By the 20th century, the electrolysis of sodium chloride had become one of mostly method for producing NaOH.