Q: What is glycerin?
A: 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. I decided to take one of the better quality commercially produced soaps and compare it to mine. The first pic is after two uses in the shower. Then they have been left sitting in the bathroom for a couple of weeks. The second and third pics shows the commercially produced soap dried out while mine is the same, the glycerin is holding it together. This is why some people who have naturally dry skin really feel the drying effects of commercially produced soap. Palm Oil has been used to harden the commercial bar - this is a factor in why I choose not to use it. It might make the bar last longer but is promoting dry skin really worth it?
