# Is Melt & Pour the same thing as glycerin soap?



## WeaversPort (Mar 16, 2017)

I was telling my stepmom about my beginning adventures in soap making, and she asked me if I was going to be making glycerin soap. According to her, it's the only soap that doesn't make her skin react. 

I watched some videos of people making "clear soap", but that seems FAR more advanced than anything I could do anytime soon; plus I'm not sure if that's what glycerin soap is. I'm also not sure if glycerin soap is the same thing as melt and pour base I could buy pre-made? 

Her birthday is coming up, even if I can't make her glycerin soap from scratch - I could at least do a melt and pour batch for her.


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## shunt2011 (Mar 16, 2017)

If it helps glycerin is a byproduct of making your own soap.  But, yes, typically they call MP glycerin soap.


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## IrishLass (Mar 16, 2017)

I would ask her to give you an example of a brand of glycerin soap that she likes to use, then you can look at the ingredients and know for sure what her definition of 'glycerin soap' is. To me, glycerin soap is the same thing as melt & pour, but other folks might think of it differently.


IrishLass


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## dixiedragon (Mar 16, 2017)

Probably. "Glycerin soap" isn't an official name or anything - I could call my CP soap "glycerin soap" and it would be legal. And it would not be inaccurate - soap has some natural glycerin and I also use glycerin to mix my colors so my soap usually has some added glycerin.

From my Googling, I think (somebody here my correct me), that MP is about 50% soap and 50% glycerin. However, some MP is actually no soap - it is detergent. You may want to ask her to name a brand she likes and look at their label.


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## WeaversPort (Mar 16, 2017)

Thank you! I'll see if she can take a picture of the ingredients, assuming it's labeled. I know she's been using this one brand for at least 20*cough*ormore*cough* years


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## WeaversPort (Mar 18, 2017)

My stepmom sent me a link to the company she buys her soap from, all it says is "100% glycerin soap". She's been sad because after buying it from them since 1981, they've discontinued all of her favorite scents. 

http://www.bodytime.com/glycerin-soap-bars.html

I'm hoping that I can find a batch of melt and pour and make her several bars for her birthday, but haven't been able to find anything that says 100% glycerin.


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## DeeAnna (Mar 18, 2017)

Your stepmom's soap CAN'T be soap if it's supposedly 100% glycerin. It would be glycerin in that case, not soap. This bar might be 100% all "glycerin soap" but that's different. I know I'm arguing semantics, but I think a play on words is what's really happening here.

From the appearance, it's a transparent soap and very possibly M&P. This type of soap often has glycerin added -- it's a solvent that works to make the soap transparent -- so the soap would qualify as being made "with 100% pure vegetable glycerin."


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## WeaversPort (Mar 18, 2017)

DeeAnna said:


> Your stepmom's soap CAN'T be soap if it's supposedly 100% glycerin. It would be glycerin in that case, not soap. This bar might be 100% all "glycerin soap" but that's different. I know I'm arguing semantics, but I think a play on words is what's really happening here.
> 
> From the appearance, it's a transparent soap and very possibly M&P. This type of soap often has glycerin added -- it's a solvent that works to make the soap transparent -- so the soap would qualify as being made "with 100% pure vegetable glycerin."



Thank you, DeeAnna! I think talking semantics is valuable, especially times like this. It helps explain the difference between the product claim and the physical or chemical properties. With this in mind, I'm going to see if I can find a small loaf or two of M&P and give her two different kinds to test. She will have the Body Time available still, but if either brand works out she'll have some nice options for fragrance as well


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## Zany_in_CO (Mar 18, 2017)

DeeAnna said:


> Your stepmom's soap CAN'T be soap if it's supposedly 100% glycerin .... From the appearance, it's a transparent soap and very possibly M&P. This type of soap often has glycerin added -- it's a solvent that works to make the soap transparent -- so the soap would qualify as being made "with 100% pure vegetable glycerin."


DeeAnna is SO correct! ... what we have at issue here is semantics, and sneaky semantics at that! Tsk tsk.   :smallno:  Here's what they wrote:



> Glycerin Soap Bars
> 
> Our gentle, transparent, glycerin soaps are *made with* 100% pure vegetable glycerin, a traditional moisturizer that actually attracts moisture to the skin from the surrounding air, helping to keep skin soft and smooth. *Other added emollients *provide increased moisturizing and skin softening effects. 3-oz. bar.


 _"Made with"_ 100% glycerin is NOT the same thing as _"made of"_ -- sneaky! AND they don't list the "other added ingredients.   Tsk tsk.   :smallno:      So I searched the site further... and came up with this -- which may be the answer to your M&P wish ? Use this link to check it out...

http://www.bodytime.com/glycerin-soap-bars.html

 ...and scroll down a bit and click on the Olive Oil Glycerin Soap Log on the left.


> 33.6 oz. Olive Oil Glycerin Soap Log    $19
> 
> *Made with the same gentle, vegetable-glycerin based formula as our regular Glycerin Soaps with the addition of 20% pure olive oil* that acts as an effective, natural moisturizer. This economical log equals 11 of our regular Glycerin Soap Bars.
> 
> ...


Can you believe that? Sheesh


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## Steve85569 (Mar 18, 2017)

http://www.hobbylobby.com/Crafts-Hobbies/Candle-Soap-Making/Soap-Making/c/9-173-1347?quickview=21819

Also has M&P bases.
I'm sure there are others so you could most likely find Mom some soap without breaking the bank. Make sure you label it for her. You could make her a very nice personal brand....


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## cmzaha (Mar 18, 2017)

I find people like to call m&p "Glycerin Soap", because it sounds better to customers. I just call mine transparent soap when I have them available, which is not often since daughter quit her end of the business. I agree that calling it melt and pour is a real deterrent to sales.


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## WeaversPort (Mar 18, 2017)

CeeMoor said:


> ...and scroll down a bit and click on the Olive Oil Glycerin Soap Log on the left.
> 
> Can you believe that? Sheesh



So at $19 for roughly 2 pounds of olive oil melt and pour, that's a pretty good margin. And here I was just thinking about Mother's Day, Birthdays, and Christmas.. 

I'm in the wrong business... 




Steve85569 said:


> http://www.hobbylobby.com/Crafts-Hobbies/Candle-Soap-Making/Soap-Making/c/9-173-1347?quickview=21819
> 
> Also has M&P bases.
> I'm sure there are others so you could most likely find Mom some soap without breaking the bank. Make sure you label it for her. You could make her a very nice personal brand....



I will do this! Thank you!! I know she loves things like jasmine, rose, gardenia, and wisteria..


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## Zany_in_CO (Mar 18, 2017)

> So at $19 for roughly 2 pounds of olive oil melt and pour, that's a  pretty good margin. And here I was just thinking about Mother's Day,  Birthdays, and Christmas. I'm in the wrong business...


Hahaha... I was afraid you would figure that out! When I saw the ingredient list, to my mind, it doesn't get any closer to made-from-scratch than that ... and I was sorely tempted to give it a go!   :silent:   In any case, it is a good value, and a convenient option for playing with fragrance & color.  :???:   Maybe...


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## Steve85569 (Mar 18, 2017)

Tempting to get out the crock pot and a jug of glycerin...



CeeMoor said:


> Hahaha... I was afraid you would figure that out! When I saw the ingredient list, to my mind, it doesn't get any closer to made-from-scratch than that ... and I was sorely tempted to give it a go!   :silent:   In any case, it is a good value, and a convenient option for playing with fragrance & color.  :???:   Maybe...


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## WeaversPort (Mar 18, 2017)

LOL 

Though as a mentor once told me, there is a difference between selling something at a price.. And someone actually buying it at that price. 

Though I'll be the first to admit I don't know much about the glycerin soap market.


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## cmzaha (Mar 18, 2017)

To make your own m&p is not really cheap if you want to make a decent m&p. Using high glycerin & soribtol for the solvent also does not work, it will cry itself into a puddle of gooo... Here is a video for making remelt-able [ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xHS1V8HIwoE[/ame] it does work but is a bit hard to work with when re-melting. I find it overheats quickly and can wrinkle. I started with this recipe and did some tweaking. It really is a nice soap


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## WeaversPort (Mar 19, 2017)

cmzaha said:


> To make your own m&p is not really cheap if you want to make a decent m&p. Using high glycerin & soribtol for the solvent also does not work, it will cry itself into a puddle of gooo... Here is a video for making remelt-able https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xHS1V8HIwoE it does work but is a bit hard to work with when re-melting. I find it overheats quickly and can wrinkle. I started with this recipe and did some tweaking. It really is a nice soap



That is incredible! And complex. 

Probably something I'll be ready to do... Um... In a while from now. After I can make normal soap, consistently without worrying about ME crying


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