# Food Grade Vegetable Glycerin



## astrout

Hey all!

This question may sound crazy, but I am at a loss! I have always bought M&P for my soaps and just recently, a friend told me that there was a really great sale on Vegetable Glycerin so I looked into it and bought some.

I got 50 gallons for $50. I have never used this brand or kind of Glycerin before. It is clear and from Kosher. I received it yesterday in a pail and its liquid. I thought it was just like the M&P White Glycerin I always use, but I was wrong!

It stays very watery and doesn't thicken at all! I ruined a whole batch of soaps that was ordered and to top it off, I didn't purchase additional Glycerin so not only did I waste my money, I am going to be late on an order, wasted a bunch of my oils, colors and scents on this big batch of Soap and now I have to order the right stuff and probably cannot get my money back on this order!

What a mess!!

Can anyone tell me what I am doing wrong? Can this Glycerin not be used for Soap? Is there something I need to add to this Glycerin that I don't know about? 

Any suggestions/information would be much appreciated!!

Thanks!


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## Hazel

Glycerin is what is used to make MP Glycerin soap bases. You would need lye and other ingredients to create melt and pour bases. I've heard it's a bit of a pain but some people have attempted it and made their own MP bases. I remember one person commenting that it wasn't the same as commercially manufactured ones and didn't melt very well. She said she wouldn't try again and would just buy bases. 

Since it's food grade, you can use it as a sugar substitute. There are other food uses for it but you'd have to google for the info. I really don't know anything about what it's used for with cooking and baking. I just know it is used. Glycerin is an emollient and humectant and is often used as an additive in lotions, creams, scrubs, bath salts, etc. I've used it in lotions and bath salts. Supposedly, it also helps to add body or thickness to lotions and creams. I can't say I noticed a difference but I only used it at a low percentage - I think I only used it at about 5%.

Many people have been using glycerin in place of water for liquid soap. I tried one batch and it does make lovely LS. A word of warning - the glycerin gets extremely hot from heating it and the addition of the lye. Use a stainless steel spoon to stir it - don't use hard plastic! Ask me how I know.  :roll: (It was the same spoon I had been using to mix lye for CP so I was shocked when it started to melt.) 

Anyhoo, here's a link to a video about it on youtube. [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o6brP--yQpU"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o6brP--yQpU[/ame]

There is a a tutorial about it written by tarafotty on The Dish forum. There's also discussion about "glycerin method liquid soap" which is about 46 pages long in their Soap Talk section. You can easily find the discussion by typing glycerin in the search box.

I hope you can figure something out because I know how annoying it is to find you've purchased the wrong ingredient. I hope you can end up using it for something.


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## astrout

Hello Hazel!

Thank you so much for the information!!! This stinks!! I kind of thought it wasn't just ready for use when I opened the bucket, but was really hoping I was wrong! I do also make hand and face scrub so I guess I could use a little bit of it in those and I was thinking of making hand soap so maybe I could try that. 

I wonder if I could use it in Lip Balm, I was thinking of those too. Either way though, I wouldn't be able to use it for much so that really stinks! I am not experienced with Lye so making this Glycerin a M&P base, would not be an option for me I don't think.

I too, have only worked with M&P.  I wonder if I could return it and get my money back? Out of the 50lbs, I have only used about 4-6 cups.

So sad!


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## Hazel

Glycerin is nice in a scrub. The combination of sugar and glycerin causes a warming sensation which is quite an interesting effect. You could also add a little oil if you want or you could add an equal amount of liquid soap to make it more of a cleanser. 

You can use glycerin in lip balms and lip glosses. You could research the glycerin LS method and I think it's easier to make than making LS with water. I don't think you'd be able to return the glycerin since you've already opened it.


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## astrout

Hello Hazel!

Thanks for your response! I don't think I can return it either, but I WISH I could! All I want is some M&P base so I can get these orders done and out!! Many, the things we have to go through sometimes! Thank god it was only $50!!

I will just set it aside and use it for lotions, lip balms and other products it will be beneficial to!

Thanks again for your help!

Ann


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## Hazel

You're welcome!


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## Hazel

I found info on how to make your own glycerin soap. http://www.millersoap.com/glycerinsoap.html


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## astrout

Awesome Hazel, I will check it out!!

Thanks!

Ann


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## Genny

You could use it to make your own Melt and Pour.  Soapbuddy (Irena) posted her own project of making it on another forum.  She used the recipe & directions from this video [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2nw4CBN_RC0&feature=youtube_gdata_player"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2nw4CBN_ ... ata_player[/ame]


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## astrout

Hello Genny!

Thank you so much!!! That is def what I will have to do! Then I could still use the Glycerin to make my batch of Soap! The only question I have (not sure if you or anyone knows the answer) do I have to use Lye? 

I never use it so I don't have any.

Thanks again!

Ann


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## Genny

Yep, lye is necessary in that recipe.  That's what makes it soap.


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## MrsPine09

Maybe someone else could chime in here in case I'm wrong...but couldn't some glycerin be used in MP soap to make it more flexible? If you wanted to make a jelly roll or some other type of bendy soap the glycerin would allow for you to mold the soap as needed.


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## astrout

MrsPine09,

Thank you for your suggestion! I am stressing over this because I have never dealt with anything but M&P and I have never worked with Lye. Its kind of frustrating at this point because I bought 50lbs of it and now cannot use it right away. I have a huge batch of Soap I need to make and am on hold.

I can order Lye but I am not crazy about having to do it. I am not experienced with Lye so having to be very careful is scary. If I mess this up, I wasted my money on this bucket.

I wish there was an easier way to utilize this Glycerin for my Soap order.  :? 

It stinks to be looking at a huge bucket of Glycerin and cannot make my any Soap. I also have a huge local fair I am attending next month and need to get my bars made for that also.  UGH I hate it when things go wrong close to a deadline!


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## birdcharm

I find this thread very interesting ... don't ask me why!!
It's what happens when we make a "mistake" ... we learn 
more than we ever thought we would!   :wink: 

Ann ... don't fret about it if your budget can handle it, 
just move along quickly.  You'll get back to this glycerin 
project to be sure!  You've got a lot of it, but there are 
things you can do with it and it won't go bad on you. 

If you make lotions and creams, a pinch of glycerin makes 
a big difference in how the end product feels on the skin. 

Also, you could make glycerites!!  For the amount you have, 
you could make all kinds of them!  I made a juniper berry 
glycerite and I love it ... it smells great, plus the properties 
of the juniper berries carry over into the product.  Glycerites 
are similar to tinctures or extracts, but instead of using 
oil (tinctures) or extracts (alcohol), you use glycerin. 
I took about a cup of the berries and put them in a mason 
jar, then covered them with glycerin, capped it, placed it in 
a dark place, and let it sit for about three months plus. 
You can do this with just about any herb, as far as I know. 

Plus, what Hazel said about the combination of sugar in a 
scrub for a warming sensation has be very interested!!

Never fret over a perceived mistake ... you will 
ALWAYS learn from it and often it will take you down paths 
you did not know you would have the opportunity to find! 

You'll meet your deadline and your craft fair ... then, you will 
come back to your glycerin dilemma and create something new 
that you may really like!

 

Kathy


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## astrout

Kathy,

Thanks a bunch for your encouragement! You are right, I will get my deadline and fair done and then be more relaxed and find time to be creative with the Glycerin I purchased!

I have not heard of Glycerites before? can you tell me what that is exactly or if there are videos on YouTube? I only make candles, hand and face scrub and Soap bars. 

I am working on Lip Balms and researching more on Liquid soaps, shampoo, conditioner and lotions, so I would be very interested in learning this too! Anything I can do to use some of this Glycerin immediately would be great!!

Thanks again!


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