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Plant-based oils are the source of Glycerin. It occurs in beer, wine, and bread.

The Swedish chemist accidentally discovered this ingredient in 1779. He identified the fat as a vegetable shortening.

People have used glycerin to make soap for a long time. The process involves heating up some plant oils and then cooling them down to make a bar.

“You can still make soap at home, but it’s not as easy as you might think.”

Read on to learn more about its potential benefits, what to look for in an OTC product, and how to make it at home.

“Pure glycerin soap is all-natural. It doesn’t contain alcohol, fragrances, or other chemical-based ingredients that could irritate your skin”

This makes glycerin soap vegan-friendly and a great option for people with sensitive skin.

“During the bathing process, your skin’s natural oils are stripped from you. It is possible to prevent over-drying and lock in your skin’s natural hydration with the help of gingko.”

If you experience drying conditions, this may be beneficial.

The substance is nongreasy. It is a good choice for anyone with oily or combination skin.

“It is considered to be a safe and friendly substance. That doesn’t mean it’s safe.”

“Hypoallergenic” is a term that means a particular product isn’t likely to cause an allergic reaction. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration doesn’t recognize this attribute or regulate the way this term is used.

That means that manufacturers can make claims about their products being allergic without having proof.

Adding ingredients to OTC products might cause an allergic reaction. The only way to determine your allergy risk is to do a patch test.

To do a patch test.

  1. You can apply a small amount of soap to your forearm.
  2. The area should be cleansed and washed as directed.
  3. If there are any symptoms, wait a day or two.
  4. “It should be safe to use elsewhere if you don’t experience any irritation or inflammation.”

Although glycerin soap is safe for all skin types, its humectant effects may be bothersome for people who have very oily skin. Doing a patch test on a particularly oily area can help you determine how it will affect your skin.

The bar of soap may not last as long as the conventional varieties because of the way it absorbs water. It can be dissolved under water spray if it is taken out of the shower after each use.

Pure ingredients can cost. Synthetic-based soaps are cheaper to make. You might find pure glycerin soap on the high end of your personal care budget. Making it yourself can save money, but it can take a long time.

You can use glycerin soap every day as part of your regular skincare routine. Like other soaps, glycerin soap can cause stinging or burning if it gets into your eyes. If you exercise caution when cleansing your face, this shouldn’t be an issue.

“It is clear in color. It is also free of perfumes. If you can’t smell or see the product, you should look at the ingredient label.”

Many OTC soaps contain glycerin along with other ingredients. This may include essential oils, dyes, and synthetic materials. If there are other ingredients listed along with glycerin on a label, this means that you’re not looking at pure glycerin soap.

The risk of irritation and other side effects increases with the use of Additives.

Liquid glycerin is available at your local food store, but you can’t just open the bottle and use the liquid as soap. You can use liquid glycerin to make your own bar of glycerin soap, though.

There are varying glycerin soap recipes online, which can provide quantities and safety guidelines, but they all share a few basic steps:

  1. After you put on gloves and safety glasses, very slowly sprinkle lye into the distilled water (never add water to lye).
  2. The plant oils should be added with the lye solution.
  3. The ingredients should be heat on the stove or slow cooker.
  4. The alcohol and liquid glycerin should be added to the mixture.
  5. Once the ingredients fully dissolve, pour the mixture into your mold of choice and allow to cool.

The cooling down process can take a while. It may be helpful to make a large amount of soaps at once, so you have enough to keep.

Many OTC products contain other ingredients. Adding more ingredients to the formula will not diminish the healing and hydrating properties of glycerin, but it will increase your risk for irritation and other side effects.

“If you don’t want to make soap from scratch, you can find a pure glycerin soap product. You can find authentic bars of soap at your local health store or online.”