liquid glycerin uses

[milky]

So I got some liquid glycerin and now I can't remember what I wanted to use it for. :think: hmm.. Is it for mixing with mica? Will adding it increase the risk of rivers? Does it improve soap in any way or should I keep it for other stuff?
Googled what to do with it and came up with a lot of things I'd never considered before. If I mixed it with oils and butters for a leave-on product, would it act like water and require a preservative?

 

[snappyllama]

I use glycerin for all kinds of things... sometimes as a humectant in lotion, to blend my micas and td before soaping (I like to mix in a smidge of water to thin it out). I haven't seen any increase in TD rivers using glycerin but I soap cool, rarely gel and use a water discount.

For any B&B, I always use preservatives (except in lip balm - mine is a really basic recipe with wax and oils only).

 

[ngian]

I think the glycerin amount in a recipe has nothing to do with the phenomenon of "glycerin rivers" , as this phenomenon is not glycerin at all.

 

[IrishLass]

Like snappyllama, I use glycerin as a humectant in lotion and also to blend/disperse the micas, ultramarine & oxide colorants I use in my soap, but the biggest thing I use it for is to make liquid soap via the glycerin method.

Will adding it increase the risk of rivers?

In my experience- no. I soap on the warm side (110F-120F) and gel all my batches in a 110F oven, and it's very rare that I ever get "rivers". The only time I ever seem to get them is when I'm working with a misbehaving, accelerating FO that causes my batter to go through a really hot gel.

If I mixed it with oils and butters for a leave-on product, would it act like water and require a preservative?

Yes- it would require a preservative in such a product.


IrishLass