Glycerin soap is made primarily of Glycerol, a natural substance that is used for many wonderful things including a thickening agent in foodstuffs, a lubricant, a sweetening agent, a preservative, and most importantly in regards to soap - a humectant - a substance that draws moisture from the air. It is this last ability of Glycerol that makes it such an amazing additive to soap and skin care products.
In fact, Glycerol is such a valuable additive to skin care products that during the process of manufacturing commercial soap the Glycerol is almost always removed! It is far more profitable for companies to use the Glycerol that is a natural by-product of soap manufacturing in the various skin creams and other lotions they produce. The result is that many commercial soaps will often leave you with dry, rough feeling skin.
By using Glycerol as the primary base for soap you can see a whole host of benefits including a natural gentleness on sensitive skin, wonderful moisturizing properties, and of course the beautiful look of a translucent soap.
To learn more about Glycerin, Glycerin Soap, and view an ingredient list and more, please visit the About Glycerin page on The Blog by clicking here. Are Glycerin Soaps a Vegan Product?
The strictest definition of Vegan is that set down by Donald Watson in 1944 when he started the world's first Vegan Society: no animal products are allowed. Period. All of the Glycerin Soaps that I make here at Simply Ducky are Vegan (that is, I have verified that no animal products are used in their creation) except for my Honey and Honey-Beeswax soaps.  All of the products on this site that are Vegan can be identified with this symbol. If you have any questions about a particular product and how it relates to Vegan dictates, please contact me. Glycerin Soap Ingredients
Of course Glycerin Soap in its most basic form isn't terribly attractive as it generally ends up a smokey orange or amber color - that's why most soap makers who work with Glycerin Soaps use a select group of ingredients to do everything from adding a specific color or scent to even helping with general soap characteristics like how well the soap lathers or holds its shape.
I've listed here the most common ingredients you may find in the Glycerin Soaps I make. I say generally as I don't use all of the below ingredients with every recipe - there is a little bit of 'pinch of this' and 'pinch of that' to soap making.
The Glycerin I use is a natural by-product from the production of bio-diesel created from soy bean oil. The mass production of bio-diesel has resulted in a tremendous increase in the amount of quality Glycerin that is available to soap crafters.
What can I say? It's good old H2O.
Is found in coconut and palm kernel oil. It is used as a natural foaming agent in most of my Glycerin Soap products.
Stearic Acid & Sodium Stearate
While Stearic Acid is obtained from the hydrogenation of unsaturated vegetable oils, Sodium Stearate occurs when you combine Stearic Acid with Glycerol. Both are important in soap production to ensure a hard (that is, non-liquid) result.
A sugar substitute commonly found in sugar-free chewing gum and is used as a humectant and thickener in soap making.Cornstarch is the primary source of the Sorbitol found in my soaps.
Also known as plain old Salt, this is the same stuff you find in the sea.
Is commonly found in shampoos and toothpaste and is a popular foaming agent. Sodium Laureth Sulphate helps my Glycerin Soaps lather beautifully without resorting to harsh chemicals.
Food Safe Dyes Not present in
undyed soaps
To achieve the kind of vibrant colors that I enjoy, I only use Food Safe Dyes in my Glycerin Soap. This type of dye is more formally known as FD&C (Food, Drug, & Cosmetics) Dye and they are certified safe by the FDA.
Fragrance Oils Not present in
unscented soaps
The majority of my scented products are made with Fragrance Oils - a blend of natural and synthetic oils that are formulated as skin safe. This is the same type of scent used in foodstuffs, many perfumes, skin care products, and shampoos. Please see the Scent Sensitive page for more information.
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