Glycerin soap usually refers to real soap that keeps the glycerin created during saponification or to clear melt-and-pour soap, made with added glycerin and other ingredients. We make cold-process soap and leave its naturally produced glycerin in the finished bar.
That distinction matters because "glycerin soap" can mean different products. Some people use the term for transparent soap. Others use it for natural soap that retains the glycerin created during soapmaking.
What Is Glycerin Soap?
Glycerin is a natural by-product of the soap-making process. When oils and lye react during saponification, they create soap and glycerin. In cold-process soap, that glycerin remains mixed throughout the finished bar unless it is removed later.
Some commercial soap manufacturers remove glycerin for use in other cosmetic products, including creams and lotions. We don't remove it at Botanie Soap. The glycerin created during our cold-process soapmaking stays in the bar.
Our cold-processed natural soap bars for private label use retain their naturally produced glycerin. Our organic Unscented Bar Soap, for example, has a simple formula made without added fragrance.
What many people call glycerin soap is actually transparent soap. Transparent soap starts with real soap, then adds ingredients such as sugar, alcohol and extra glycerin. The mixture is heated until it becomes clear or translucent.
You can't make cleansing soap from glycerin alone. Transparent glycerin soaps still start with oils, water and lye. Alcohol helps prevent crystallization so the finished soap stays clear. Added glycerin helps offset the drying feel alcohol can create.
When Glycerin Soap Is Natural
Glycerin soap can be natural when it's made from saponified plant oils and keeps the glycerin created during soapmaking. Clear glycerin bars can also contain alcohol, added glycerin, fragrance, colorants or other ingredients. If you're comparing natural glycerin soaps, read the full ingredient list rather than judging the soap by its clear appearance.
Glycerin Soap Benefits
- Attracts and retains moisture, which can help skin feel soft.
- Helps reduce the dry feeling some cleansers leave behind.
- Works well in formulas designed for many different skin types.
Glycerin is a neutral, sweet-tasting, colorless and thick liquid that can be derived from plant-based oils. Karl Wilhelm Scheele isolated it in 1783 while working with olive oil and lead oxide. French chemist Michel Chevreul later named it glycerin, from the Greek word "glykys," meaning sweet.
Glycerin acts as a humectant. It attracts water and helps hold moisture at the skin's surface. In soap, that can help reduce the tight or dry feeling that sometimes follows washing.
We've found that the amount of glycerin isn't the only thing that affects how a soap feels. The oils, fragrance, colorants and other ingredients all matter. A well-made natural soap can clean effectively while leaving skin feeling comfortable after rinsing.
Glycerin soap formulas can vary quite a bit. Even homemade bars may contain artificial fragrances or synthetic colorants. Some commercial bars also use surfactants such as sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS) or sodium laureth sulfate (SLES), which can change how the soap lathers and feels on skin.
More glycerin doesn't always make a better bar. Natural cold-process soap will contain at least 5% glycerin if none has been removed, making it the perfect soap for skin care. Soap with a high concentration of added glycerin may feel sticky. High-glycerin bars can also soften faster when they're left sitting in water.
At Botanie Soap, we use a traditional cold-process method and keep the glycerin created during soapmaking in the finished product. That process also gives us control over the oils, scent and other ingredients used in a formula. Brands that need a custom bar or liquid soap can work with us on a custom formulation.
Two Ways Glycerin Soap Is Made
There are two different processes people often mean when they talk about making glycerin soap. A simple melt-and-pour project starts with a prepared soap base. Making transparent soap from scratch starts with saponification and requires extra steps to create the clear appearance.
How to Make Glycerin Soap with a Melt-and-Pour Base
- Melt a glycerin soap base sold in blocks.
- Add natural colors or scents.
- Pour the mixture into molds and let it cool.
Glycerin Soap Making Process From Scratch
Making translucent glycerin soap from scratch is a two-part process. First, soapmakers make soap from oils, water and lye using a cold-process or hot-process method. That chemical reaction is called saponification. It creates soap and glycerin.
Next, the saponified mixture is partially dissolved in a high-percentage alcohol solution. The soap is melted and heated until it reaches a clear, jelly-like consistency. A sugar solution is added after the soap dissolves. Heating continues until the soap becomes clear or translucent.
What to Remember About Glycerin Soap
All natural soap contains glycerin because glycerin is created during saponification. A cold-process soap that retains that glycerin could technically be described as glycerin soap.
What people commonly call glycerin soap is usually transparent or translucent soap. It also begins with saponified oils, then uses ingredients such as alcohol, sugar and added glycerin to create its clear appearance.