Glycerin has long been known to be beneficial to the skin. That is why its presence can be seen on the label of cream, soap and even detergent.
Such a popular hobby now as homemade soap making involves the use of glycerin as a base. Therefore, homemade soap is much he althier than store bought.
What are the benefits and harms of glycerin soap? Is it really better?
Glycerin as soap base
This is a substance of a chemical nature, but despite this fact, it has a beneficial effect on the skin. Glycerin improves the penetration of beneficial components into the deep layers of the dermis, and also contributes to moisture retention, as a result of which the skin does not dry out.
This substance is part of many cosmetic care products, the action of which is aimed at moisturizing the skin. Since glycerin is oily to the touch, products containing it can be used in winter to avoid chapping.
What's specialin glycerin soap?
Glycerine-based soap is superior to conventional toilet soap in many ways. Both of these products wash off dirt and greasiness from the skin well, but the glycerin product also envelops the skin with a protective film that saves from drying out.
The benefits of glycerin soap are also as follows:
- smoothes fine wrinkles;
- suitable for all skin types, unless, of course, there is intolerance to the glycerin component;
- gives skin freshness;
- nourishes;
- contributes to the fact that other useful components of soap penetrate the depths of the dermis better and faster;
- Areas with rough skin (elbows, heels) become softer with the use of soap.
The benefits of the remedy are great. Therefore, glycerin toilet soap, designed for daily use, is completely safe and suitable for baby's delicate skin.
What is in this product?
If we talk about soap as a conglomerate of various components, then we can conclude that it is more natural.
The composition of glycerin soap contains 4 constituent groups of components:
- Soap base.
- Dyes.
- Caring supplements.
- Perfume fragrances.
Soap base - this is the soap itself with glycerin, but only without dyes and fragrances. It makes up 95% of a bar of soap. But the soap base itself also has ingredients - these are chemicals that are not harmful to the skin. Of the 100% soap base, 25-50% is water, 10-25% is glycerin, everything else is various sulfates, chlorides, laureates, etc.
Dyes - this is the whole color palette in which pieces of glycerin soap are painted. The amount of dyes in 1 piece does not exceed 1% of its total composition. Thus, special industrial dyes are used for mass production of soap, and food dyes are often used for home soap making.
Fragrance additives are used to give the bar of soap a pleasant scent. Thanks to them, glycerin soap makers can create different series of fragrances: berry, floral, herbal, sweet, and even perfume fragrances. The content of aromatic additives in one piece does not exceed 0.3%. Each manufacturer adds their own perfume additives, of various compositions. But most of them are synthetic.
Caring ingredients - natural substances that are added to glycerin soap. These are extracts, extracts and essential oils from various plants. Their content in factory-made soap is extremely small, from 1% to 1.5%. But the homemade product contains from 15 to 20%.
How to use glycerine soap?
Glycerine-based soap is seemingly easy to use. But even it has a number of rules for proper use:
- During the period of winter colds, it is worth abandoning the regular use of glycerin soap. It can be used every day, but not multiple times a day.
- Before you buy a bar of soap with glycerin, you should pay attention to its composition, or rather the amount of glycerin in the soap. It should not exceed 5%.
- For soap to do the most good, soap should be used in high humidity areas.
Glycerin creates a protective film on the skin. But if you often use soap based on it, then this film contributes to the fact that the pores are clogged, and the skin will breathe with difficulty.
Possible harm
Glycerin soap is not suitable for anyone who is allergic to any of the additives that make up its composition. It can cause clogging of pores. As a result, the following troubles may appear:
- oxygen poorly enters through the pores into the skin;
- metabolic processes slow down;
- skin becomes oily due to accumulated sebum;
- inflamed pimples appear;
- cells of the upper layers of the epidermis are poorly updated.
How to make soap at home?
Soap making is one of women's favorite hobbies. This is not only a good reason to "use" the remnants of toilet soap, but also the use of a proven and natural skin remedy. In addition, this is a good gift for yourself and others, as well as a way to earn extra money.
What you need to make homemade glycerine soap:
- Soap base, available from hobby stores or remnants.
- Glycerin,alcohol, alkali and water. The type of alkali will affect the consistency of the future soap. If there is a desire to prepare liquid soap, then they take KOH, and if lumpy is meant, then NaOH.
- Base oils that can be either liquid or solid (butter).
- Essential oils, the purpose of which is to give aroma and some caring properties. Essential oils can be purchased at pharmacies. The most commonly used oils are tea tree, citrus, rose.
- You can add (but not necessarily) scrubs. It can be anything: ground coffee, oatmeal, ground berries with seeds, honey, and more.
- Hand-made herbal decoctions: chamomile, rosemary, mint, etc.
- Since homemade soap is more often transparent, you can add decorations to it: dry flowers, small souvenirs, etc.
Here is one simple recipe for homemade glycerine soap. You will need:
- a glass of soap base;
- a teaspoon of glycerin;
- a teaspoon of spirulina;
- essential oils - 10 to 15 drops;
- base oils - 2 teaspoons for every 100 grams of future soap.
- The soap base is cut into smaller pieces and melted in a water bath until a liquid mixture is obtained, remembering to stir.
- Glycerin is combined with spirulina and added to the melted soap base.
- The oils are sent next. If these are butters, melt in a water bath and send to the general mixture.
- Add dyes, flavors, scrubs. Allmix, cool slightly and pour into molds. If there is a desire to add a souvenir to the soap, then it is first put into the mold, and the soap is poured on top.
The presented video will help you visually understand the essence of cooking glycerin soap at home.
Reviews
Reviews of glycerin soap contain a lot of positive statements about this tool. And many use this soap daily, despite warnings.
Why did people like this tool so much?
- The first benefit that a huge number of people mention is that the soap does not dry the skin, making it much softer and more pleasant to the touch.
- The price is very attractive, so everyone can afford soap with glycerin.
- Pleasant, unobtrusive fragrance.
- Skin-friendly consistency of the product itself.
Reviews do not recommend using glycerin soap for facial skin, it was not created for this.
As for the presence of negative statements regarding the described remedy, they also exist, but they are in the minority. Some did not like the appearance of soap, its smell seems intrusive. Other soap did not fit because of the type of skin. People say it creates a feeling of tightness, and some have no effect at all.
Result
Use glycerin soap often is not worth it. For daily use, it is better to use ordinary alkaline toilet soap. It is preferable to use the described agent not as a detergent, buta caregiver that will help take care of the skin, not harm it.
