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So what is this ingredient called Glycerine?
Melt and Pour soap base is often called "glycerine soap base". So what exactly is glycerine, what does it do, and is it a safe ingredient for the skin?
What is Glycerine?
Glycerin, sometimes spelled glycerine, is a commercial product whose principal component is glycerol. Glycerol is a principal component of all fats and oils and a by-product in soap making. There are many complicated variations on removing glycerine from soap. Let's keep it very simple: You make soap out of fats and lye. The fats (either animal or vegetable) already contain glycerine as part of their chemical makeup. When fats and lye are mixed, this interaction created the by-product glycerine.
When making soap, this glycerine by-product is stirred into the soap batch. If you wanted just the glycerine by-product, salt would be added to the soap mixture. Salt causes the soap to coagulate and rise to the top. Then the soap is removed, you are left with glycerine.
The glycerine is then distilled to clean it of impurities (crude glycerin is usually designated for plastics, inks, resins, adhesives). It will go through a number of different processes before it is suitable for the commercial market. The end product is a clear, odorless, viscous liquid with a sweet taste.
What Does Glycerine Do?
Glycerin is one of the most versatile and valuable chemical substances known to man. It has over 1500 known end uses that include cosmetics, toiletries, personal care, drugs, and food products. For soap makers, it is best known for its ability to soften the skin. But it has many other uses unrelated to soaping world. Because it's a lubricant you will find it used in printing inks, as a anti-icing agent in a number of products, in cake and candy making, and even found in pharmaceutical formulations.
If you want to remove sticky food spills from your fridge, or have a stubborn adhesive label that won't come off... try a little glycerine. Like I said, it has hundreds of uses.
Is Glycerine Safe?
Yes. It is virtually non-toxic and non-irritating in its varied uses, and has no known negative environmental effects. It is on the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s list of ingredients that are Generally Recognized As Safe (GRAS).
* Denise Marks is the president of Nouveau Designs LLC which offers one of the most extensive selection of quality soap supplies and on the Net. She is an experienced soap maker and owner of one of the largest soap mold manufacturing companies worldwide. Visit GoPlanetEarth.com for a complete listing of soap making supplies.
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