Glycerin soap is one of many safe personal care products that may be more appropriate for people with sensitive and/or delicate skin. In an increasingly toxic environment, more and more of us are finding our resistance strained to its limits. natural skin care products such as glycerin soap are one solution to maintaining a healthy level of hygiene while guarding one's health.

What Glycerin-Based Soap Is

You may have seen glycerin soap and even used it before without realizing what it was. You can recognize it however, because it is usually transparent and has a rich, dark amber color.

This particular sensitive skin care product is made with glycerol (hence the name), which is a naturally-occurring biochemical substance that is a component of fats and oils. It is in fact a form of sugar alcohol inside our bodies it acts as a solvent that helps to down the nutrients from the food we eat into a usable form of energy; without glycerol, we would literally starve to death even if we were full.

Glycerol is extracted from animal fats or (preferably) vegetable oils through the rendering process which involves the use of lye. Most manufacturers of mass-produced commercial soaps remove the glycerol. However, in most homemade and artisan-crafted soaps (such as you might purchase at a local farmer's market), glycerin is a primary ingredient.

Commercial Soap May Be Hazardous To Your Health!

If you are suffering from dry flaky skin despite the constant application of emollients and frequent bathing, it could be due to the nature of the soap you are using. In this case, the solution could very well be hypo allergenic personal care products such as glycerin soap.

Mass-produced commercial soap that is usually sitting on the shelves of your local grocer or department store is not actually soap - it's a form of detergent. Instead of natural vegetable oils, these "detergent soaps" are actually made from petroleum - which is the primary ingredient of the gasoline that fuels most motor vehicles! In addition, these types of "soaps" retain the caustic lye used in processing and often contain unhealthy forms of alcohol as well as potentially toxic dyes and irritating perfumes.

Why Switch to Glycerin?

If you've ever used rubbing alcohol on your skin, you know how it evaporates quickly (which is why it is useful as a coolant), carrying moisture off almost as fast and leaving your skin very dry.

Glycerin soap on the other hand is what is known as a humectant - it actually attracts moisture, leaving your skin hydrated and supple. It is also useful in relieving the symptoms of skin disorders such as eczema and psoriasis. Reputable firms who make this kind of soap use vegetable-based oils as well - not animal fats. Therefore, you can be assured that by using glycerin soap, you'll not only being doing something positive for your skin, but the planet as well.