Recipe for Glycerin Soap

Glycerin is a very common base used for making soap. It is much safer to handle than lye, another soap-making base. Glycerin is actually the bi-product of mixing lye and animal fat. By using a straight glycerin recipe, in place of the traditional lye recipe, the soap-making process becomes much simpler and safer.

Here is a list of ingredients and supplies needed to make glycerin soap:

• Blocks of glycerin


• Rubbing alcohol


• Coloring (optional)


• Essential oils for fragrance (optional)


• Molds to shape the soap


• Spray bottle


• Spoon


• Double-boiler


• Dropper

Glycerin can be purchased from your local arts and crafts store. The amount of soap you want to make determines the amount of glycerin you need to purchase. Since very few ingredients are added to the glycerin, the yield of soap is almost directly proportional to the amount of glycerin used.

Use a double boiler to melt the glycerin. It should be heated to between 150 and 170 degrees Fahrenheit. Have your soap molds prepared by spraying them lightly with rubbing alcohol (this prevents the soap from bubbling and producing air bubbles in the soap when it dries). Add a few drops of coloring and/or essential oils, to your liking. Keep in mind that a little essential oil goes a long way, so it's best to just start with one or two drops. Stir quickly, but gently, to mix the coloring and/or essential oils into the melted glycerin, then pour the mixture into the prepared molds. After filling the molds, you may want to lightly mist the top with additional alcohol to prevent bubbles from forming on the surface. To make soap with multiple layers, pour different colored melted glycerin on top of each other within the mold. Spray each layer with a little alcohol and let it set up a little before adding the next layer. Repeat with different color glycerin until the mold is full. When the soap is fully hardened, you may remove it from the mold.