Glycerin soap
Glycerin soaps are soaps that contain glycerin, a component of fat or oil. The soap is recognizably different from other soaps because it is translucent. The process for making glycerin soaps was well known as of 1857 in the Western world[1].
Production
Glycerin soap is made by melting and continuously heating soap that has been partially dissolved in a high percentage alcohol solution until the mixture reaches a clear, jelly-like consistency[2]. With home- and hand-made soaps that still contain glycerin left over from saponification,[1][2] the grating, melting and cooking can proceed without the addition of anything into the mixture, though sugar or more glycerin is sometimes added. Glycerin soap can also be produced without remelting soap through directly cooking raw home-made soap[2].
In industrial soap-making, the glycerin is then usually removed to be used in skin creams and more expensive soap products. Most brands of common bar soap leave the skin dry after washing because of this, while shaving soaps and moisturizers are valued for softening skin, largely through their high glycerin content.
References
- ^ a b Piesse, G. W. Septimus (1857), The Art of Perfumery And Methods of Obtaining the Odors of Plants, PHILADELPHIA: C. SHERMAN & SON
- ^ a b c Miller, Kathy (1997), Tips on Making Clear Glycerin Soap, Miller's Homemade Soap Pages, retrieved 2008-09-02