Sensitive Skin Benefits From Using Vegetable Glycerin Soap

By Kerri Stout


Consumer preferences and buying trends are important to personal-care product makers. In a market filled with a vast number of choices, buyers have begun to avoid personal cleansing products containing irritating, damaging chemical additives, marking a genuine change in sentiment. Vegetable glycerin soap has become a significant alternative to standard formulas that often result in redness, dryness, and discomfort.

Glycerin is not a 21st century discovery. It has been used for many years in lotions and shampoo, and still provides more rapid healing to hospitalized burn victims, as well as making suppository use less problematic. The natural mixture of fatty acids is sometimes used as a substitute for alcohol, and is derived from palm trees, including coconuts, in addition to soybeans. Because it is sweet, it is also a food component.

In the cosmetic world, the substance is classified as a humectant, able to draw moisture to the outer layers of skin. This particular strength is useful in making and promoting beauty products for facial use, emphasizing the ingredients that help prevent dryness and discoloration. There are synthetic humectants used in some similar products, but vegetable glycerol is generally considered a natural substance.

Attracting and maintaining moisture not only makes skin look better, but also allows individual cells to mature properly by strengthening the outer membrane. Most commercially manufactured cleansing products have the opposite effect, primarily because they contain detergents derived in part from petroleum products. Some even contain lye in small quantities, requiring an additional lotion to counteract characteristic drying.

The substance draws and holds moisture near the surface of the skin, and in its purest form is considered hypoallergenic. The prevalence of environmental toxins can make life difficult for many people with skin allergies, or those who suffer from conditions such as psoriasis or eczema. Avoiding chemical irritants becomes part of the daily routine, especially as alcohol-based hand cleaner use spreads.

Even some commercially made glycerin soaps contain small amounts of fragrance, potentially setting off reactions in sensitive users. In order to find a product that causes no noticeable discomfort, it may be necessary to sample several brands. Higher glycerol content does not necessarily mean a superior product, but does mean that there will probably be fewer issues surrounding daily use.

Because they contain fewer chemical stabilizers than many bar soaps, vegetable-based products tend to melt away more quickly. Users should avoid long-term storage in spaces that are normally hot, and should make sure the soap dish has sufficient drainage. Lengthy air exposure can also lead to rapid evaporation. Most natural glycerin products do not lather as conspicuously as other soaps, primarily due to their chemical nature.

Many people have begun making their own product at home. There are Internet links detailing that relatively simple process, including the necessary materials, molds, and instructions on safe production. Those who prefer to buy the completed product can choose between liquid and bar forms, and there are even vegan-certified brands that use no peripheral animal products whatsoever. Properly hydrated skin not only looks better externally, but reflects good health internally.




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