Cold Processed Natural Soap
Why not try our Handmade Natural Glycerine Soaps - from £2 per bar / slice - FREE POSTAGE
What is Glycerine?
When asked why hand made soap is better than shop bought, they say (among other things), "Because of the natural Glycerine. Glycerine is a humectant, meaning it attracts moisture to your skin. Glycerine is a natural by-product of the soap making process and while commercial manufacturers remove the Glycerine for use in their more profitable lotions and creams, handcrafted soap retains Glycerine in each and every bar."
Melt & Pour Soap makers have a similar line, "Commercial soaps remove the Glycerine for use in more profit producing lotions and creams, KarmAroma Handmade soap has extra Glycerine added to it. This helps make it clear, and also makes it a lot more moisturising."
Glycerine is also highly "hygroscopic" which means that it absorbs water from the air. Example: if you left a bottle of pure Glycerine exposed to air in your kitchen, it would take moisture from the air and eventually, it would become 80 per Glycerine and 20 percent water.
Because of this hygroscopic quality, pure, 100 percent Glycerine placed on the tongue may raise a blister, since it is dehydrating. Diluted with water, however, it will soften your skin. Note: While people say this softening is the result of the Glycerine attracting moisture to your skin, there is heated debate as to whether or not the Glycerine has some other properties all of its own which are helpful to the skin. Summed up, the current thinking is "We know Glycerine softens the skin. Some people think it is because it attracts moisture, but there could be other reasons."
Where does Glycerine come from?
Up until 1889, people did not know how to recover Glycerine from the soap making process, so commercially produced Glycerine mostly came from the candle making industry (remember, back then candles were made from animal fats).
In 1889, a viable way to separate the Glycerine out of the soap was finally implemented. Since the number one use of Glycerine was to make nitro-Glycerine, which was used to make dynamite, making soap suddenly became a lot more profitable!
The process of removing the Glycerine from the soap is complicated (and of course, there are many variations on the theme). In the simplest terms: you make soap out of fats and lye. The fats already contain Glycerine as part of their chemical makeup (both animal and vegetable fats contain from 7% - 13% Glycerine). When the fats and lye interact, soap is formed, and the Glycerine is left out as a "by-product". However, while it is chemically separate, it is still blended into the soap mix.
While a cold process soap maker would simply pour into the moulds at this stage, a commercial soap maker will add salt. The salt causes the soap to curdle and float to the top. After skimming off the soap, they are left with Glycerine (and many "impurities" like partially dissolved soap, extra salt, etc.). They then separate the Glycerine out by distilling it. Finally, they de-colourise the Glycerine by filtering it through charcoal, or by using some other bleaching method.
Glycerine has many uses besides being used to make nitro-Glycerine. Some uses for Glycerine include, conserving preserved fruit, as a base for lotions, to prevent freezing in hydraulic jacks, to lubricate moulds, in cake and candy making, and (because it has an antiseptic quality) sometimes to preserve scientific specimens in jars.
Glycerine is also used to make clear soaps. Highly glycerinated clear soaps contain about 15% - 20% pure Glycerine. Known as "Melt and Pour" soaps, these soaps are very easy for the hobbyist to work with. They melt at about 160 degrees Fahrenheit, and solidify rapidly. Because of their high Glycerine content, the soaps are very moisturising to the skin. Unfortunately, this high Glycerine content also means that the soaps will dissolve more rapidly in water than soaps with less Glycerine, and that if the bar of soap is left exposed to air, it will attract moisture and "glisten" with beads of moisture.
These downsides however are more than compensated by the emollient, skin loving, and gentle nature of this soap that is especially good for tender skin and children.