'Soap' that you buy in the store has had the glycerin extracted from it as the glycerin is worth more money than the soap.Glycerin is a byproduct of soap making. Then there is a further step of added chemicals such as sodium laurel sulfate which is a lather enhancer and will give you a beautiful lather but will also dry out your skin.... so you have a double whammy of extra drying.. one by extraction and one by addition. Most people find they need to use a lotion after using this 'soap'. The lotion is based on glycerin.... I have not had to use lotion since I started using homemade soap! My skin is moist and beautiful for my age just using homemade soap and water alone. Some of those lotions cost quite a bit of money and I feel the glycerin should have remained in the soap, allowing me to not have to spend the extra money to undo the damage that the 'soap' has caused.. drying and aging my skin. Here is a terrific article I found on the internet..... Cold Process Soapmakers have it down to a litany. When asked why their soap is better than store-bought, they say (among other things), "Because of the natural glycerin. Glycerin is a humectant, meaning it attracts moisture to your skin. Glycerin is a natural by-product of the soapmaking process and while commercial manufacturers remove the glycerin for use in their more profitable lotions and creams, handcrafted soap retains glycerin in each and every bar." Melt and Pour Soapmakers have a similar line, "Commercial soaps remove the glycerin for use in more profit producing lotions and creams, my soap has extra glycerin added to it. This helps make it clear, and also makes it a lot more moisturizing." But what is glycerin, really? Glycerin is a neutral, sweet-tasting, colorless, thick liquid which freezes to a gummy paste and which has a high boiling point. Glycerin can be dissolved into water or alcohol, but not oils. On the other hand, many things will dissolve into glycerin easier than they do into water or alcohol. So it is a good solvent. Glycerin is also highly "hygroscopic" which means that it absorbs water from the air. Example: if you left a bottle of pure glycerin exposed to air in your kitchen, it would take moisture from the air and eventually, it would become 80 per glycerin and 20 percent water. Because of this hygroscopic quality, pure, 100 percent glycerin 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 glycerin attracting moisture to your skin, there is heated debate as to whether or not the glycerin has some other properties all its own which are helpful to the skin. Summed up, the current thinking is "We know glycerin softens the skin. Some people think its because it attracts moisture, but there could be other reasons.") Where does glycerin come from? Up until 1889, people didn't know how to recover glycerine from the soapmaking process, so commercially produced glycerin mostly came from the candlemaking industry (remember, back then candles were made from animal fats). In 1889, a viable way to separate the glycerin out of the soap was finally implemented. Since the number one use of glycerin was to make nitroglycerin, which was used to make dynamite, making soap suddenly became a lot more profitable! I have an untested theory that you could trace the roots of most big soapmakers (and the "fall" of the small, local soapmaker) to about this time in history. The process of removing the glycerin from the soap is fairly complicated (and of course, there are a lot of variations on the theme). In the most simplest terms: you make soap out of fats and lye. The fats already contain glycerin 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 glycerin is left out as a "byproduct". But, while it's chemically separate, it's still blended into the soap mix. While a cold process soapmaker would simply pour into the molds at this stage, a commercial soapmaker will add salt. The salt causes the soap to curdle and float to the top. After skimming off the soap, they are left with glycerin (and lots of "impurities" like partially dissolved soap, extra salt, etc.). They then separate the glycerin out by distilling it. Finally, they de-colorize the glycerin by filtering it through charcoal, or by using some other bleaching method. Glycerin has lots of uses besides being used to make nitroglycerin (note: glycerin is not an explosive substance by itself. It has to be turned into nitroglycerin before it becomes explosive, so it's safe to work with in your kitchen). Some uses for glycerin include: conserving preserved fruit, as a base for lotions, to prevent freezing in hydraulic jacks, to lubricate molds, in some printing inks, in cake and candy making, and (because it has an antiseptic quality) sometimes to preserve scientific specimens in jars in your high school biology lab. Glycerin is also used to make clear soaps. Highly glycerinated clear soaps contain about 15% - 20% pure glycerin. 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 fairly rapidly. Because of their high glycerin content, the soaps are very moisturizing to the skin. Unfortunately, this high glycerin content also means that the soaps will dissolve more rapidly in water than soaps with less glycerin, and that if the bar of soap is left exposed to air, it will attract moisture and "glisten" with beads of ambient moisture. These downsides, however are more than compensated by the emollient, skin loving and gentle nature of this soap which is especially good for tender skin and children.
Good information, Sue. I'm not too familiar with the ingredients in glycerin bases, so I can't respond about that. I do know that they are not all created equally and some glycerin bases contain syn-dets which can be drying for some. You get rave reviews on yours, so I'm sure you're very aware of that also and go with the best. Never looked in to the process of commercial soap making or how they separate glycerin from the soap (soap is by its nature salt). I do know that the glycerin extracted is then used in lotions!! I know that in the old days when folks used potash for their lye, salt was added to firm up the soap. Potash is more similar to KOH (potasium hydroxide) used to make liquid & cream soaps where as NaOH (sodium hydroxide) is used to make bar soap. Some oils produce more glycerin than others. Tallow & Lard produce high amounts of glycerin and are favored by those making homemade liquid soaps for their clarity of the finished product
That was very educational and fun to read... ::mat again what to tell about commercial soap makers.. quite criminal what they do but im not surprised if they can make an extra dime on my body leave it to the big companies to make it happen.
I've got some questions for you soapers concerning bath soaps [bars]. [1] Can you ladies discuss or elaborate on 'Super Fatted' soaps? What exactly does this mean, and is it good or bad? I've been super-fatted most of my life...LOL...but should my soap be as well? [2] I am sure that the amount of 'fats' or 'oils' in a soap must somehow directly relate to its moisturizing qualities, but is there a point that 'too much' becomes detrimental to the soap making process? [3] What makes a bath soap lather really well or really poorly? [4] How do you arrive at what size you want to make your bars? Enquiring minds want to know!
OK, Superfatting first. I suffer from this myself.. There is a specific ratio of oils to alkali (lye) that create soap by the chemical reaction saponification. If you use too little oil, you will end up with too high of a lye ratio and it will burn the skin off your body... like storys of grandma's soaps centuries ago. If you use too much oil, you will have a lump of something that won't clean you.... However, there is a capability of adding a certain percentage of additional oils and still have a good bar of soap. the extra oils are not saponified (turned into soap), but are still part of the soap bar. This will be a bar of soap that not only cleans but moisturizes also. Different skin types like different oil percentages.. I have combination skin, but I find using superfatted soaps (higher percentage of oil) that I do not have to use any mosturizers... Cyndi does not like highly superfatted soaps.. I don't like soaps that aren't superfatted.... it is totally a question of personal taste.
different oils do different things in soaps.. this is a subject that Cyndi is a pro at! Cyndi can we discuss the different properties of different oils here??
I now there is at least one glycerin base that doesn't contain syn-dets (and figured YOU use that one.) I've heard it is SO much better than the rest that are offered. I KNOW you have a high quality product. :chores026
Oh, I have done my homework.... :chores016 I have also added extra glycerin, aloe vera butter, shea butter and natural vit e to the mix and what I have is quite good... I have seen many of the other glycerin soaps out there and some of them are quite scarey.. mine is all natural and it works great!
All my soaps are superfatted 5%-7% not accounting for the fat in the extra cream of the fresh, whole milk that I use. I can only address soaps made with oils & lye (cold or hot process) since I do not use glycerin based soap. Different oils required a different amount of lye to fully saponify them. Like Sue stated, if you do not use enough oil, you create a soap that contains extra lye - great if you are needing extra cleansing power for clothes or floor, NOT great for your skin. Some soapmakers still measure their ingredients using volume instead of weight, this :angry021 because some folks will stop buying homemade soap after using one of these bars. It only takes .2 oz of lye in 1 pound of oil to make the difference between a soap that is superfatted 5% or lye heavy 5%. Different oils lend different elements to the final soap. Oils such as coconut & palm kernel oil have high amounts of the lauric fatty acid which contributes to large bubbles. Palmitic and stearic fatty acids will make the lather more stable, i.e. last longer. For me, palmitic fatty acids dries my skin too much and I keep it as low as I can get it, relying on the lauric & stearic fatty acids to create a hard bar of soap. The oleic fatty acides (Oleic, Linoleic, Linolenic) contributes to the conditioning and the moisturizing - different elements. Men and teens seem to like the Oleic fatty acids - they are skin conditions without leaving too much moisturizing. Linoleic & Linolenics are also conditioning but they leave more moisture on your face/body. Too much of the Linoleic & Oleic fatty acids in a soap recipe will make the soap soft and it won't last as long. Likewise, a soap that is superfatted too much will result in a soft soap and the extra oil will reduce lather. The size of my bars are directly related to my soap molds. I use both slab molds with dividers to ensure each soap is the same size and a vertical log mold for customers that want logs of soap and to cut their own.
When Cyndi says fresh, whole milk, she really means it.. Cyndi makes soap using the milk from the cows on her farm... it doesn't get any fresher than that! :eatdrink004
A Jersey cow to boot. We store our milk in glass gallon jars, when the cream rises to the top, there is a full 1/3 of the container that is cream. Most of that is thick, heavy cream. I used goat's milk in my soaps for years, but found that soaps made with our Jersey milk are much creamier than the ones I made with goat's milk. Then again, I'm a bit prejudiced and Paul says no self respecting cowboy will milk a goat!!!
Sample Packs Sue (Mama Bear) and Cindi, do you have bath soap sample packs I can purchase? Just little bars 1 oz. or so. Too many great choices for me to buy on a budget considering my other ADs. :sad024
Stupid question: how are shower gels different? I personally use shower gels with a glosser and they all contain sodium laurel sulphate.
SLS I think this fits right here. this was in a conversation from SCS Sue and me when I had my concerns about her using SLS in her soaps this is what she responded . I didnt ask her if its ok to publish here but im sure im not hurting anyone its all good info I hope if not well the pro soap makers here can certainly chime in.... " SLS means different things depending on the person. There are several different ingredients that are said to be SLS and are very different. Here is Sodim Sodium lauryl sulfo ACETATE. Derived from coconut and palm oils; a safe, skin-friendly surfactant (foaming agent) for both skin and hair. This mild plant derived surfactant creates a rich, luxurious lather that effectively removes surface oil, dirt and bacteria, without stripping or drying sensitive skin. Sodium Lauryl Sulfoacetate is also hydrophilic. This means it is attracted to water, which enables it to dissolve more readily in water, thus providing superior rinseablility. Sodium laureth sulfate Sodium laureth sulfate are synthetic cleansing agents that are small molecule ingredients. They are capable of penetrating the skin, which can increase the occurrence of skin irritation. Sodium lauroyl lactylate Derived from palm kernel and sugar; a safe, skin-friendly cleanser for both skin and hair that effectively removes surface oil, dirt and bacteria, without stripping or drying sensitive skin. Sodium lauroyl sarcosinate Derived from coconut oil; a safe, skin-friendly cleanser for both skin and hair that effectively removes surface oil, dirt and bacteria, without stripping or drying sensitive skin. Sodium lauryl sulfoacetate vs. Sodium lauryl sulfate Although an ingredient's name may sound similar to another, it does not mean that the molecules are similar with respect to shape, size, performance or even function. Sodium Lauryl Sulfoacetate sounds similar to Sodium Lauryl Sulfate, however, the two molecules are quite different from each other. Sodium Lauryl Sulfoacetate is a large molecule ingredient. Large molecule ingredients are considered to be mild, gentle, and non-irritating, as they cannot penetrate the skin. In contrast, Sodium Lauryl Sulfate is a small molecule ingredient, and is capable of penetrating the skin, which can increase the occurrence of skin irritation.
"He who asks is a fool for 5 minutes, but he who does not ask remains a fool forever." (Chinese proverb)
"...And he who asks and doesn’t get answered remains a fool who will use Google." (Franco-Nippo-Luxembourgian proverb)
SuperFatting and bar size Sorry not a gal here but superfatting is where you use more fats/oils than the lye can turn into soap. That leaves oils leftover for moisturizing. It depends on the oils also. As far as bar sizes goes Im a guy...I like BIG bars of soap..Issy
