Homemade Glycerin - How To Make Glycerin Soaps

One by product of soap-making process is Glycerin. It looks colorless and is sweet to taste in its pure form. Most of the time, this glycerin is again integrated back into the soap as it has high moisturizing quality. But it is not often used in its purest form; this is because the pure form is glycerin is highly soluble in water and will make the bar of soap too soft.

It is very easy to make homemade glycerin; but it can become dangerous as it involves the usage of some chemicals that need to be used with utmost care. So if you are careful enough, only then should you try to manufacture some homemade glycerin.

As for its ingredient, you will need about 3.29 oz of pure lye, 24 oz of olive oil or rendered tallow (i.e. animal fat), 11 oz distilled water, candy thermometer and .5 oz of kosher sea salt. For your safety, you should wear neoprene gloves and safety goggles.

1.First create brine by mixing the kosher sea salt with 2 oz of the water and microwave it till it boils. Let it cool normally.

2.The next step involves the use of lye which is a very highly dangerous substance. It will cause severe burn and skin irritation if you donot take proper care. So put on your safety goggles and gloves.

3.In a stainless steel container, slowly add lye to 9 oz of water. It should never be the other way round. Stir to mix the solution. Due to chemical reaction, the mixture will heat up very quickly. Let it cool till it reaches the temperature of 110 Fahrenheit.

4.Now in another uncoated stainless steel pot, heat the tallow or oil in medium low temperature. When it reaches the same temperature, add the lye to the oil. Be careful about not splashing it. Stir for about 15 minutes.

5.As you stir the mixture, it will start to trace. To know whether you have reaches that state or not, just pass a spoon through this mixture and see if it leaves a path. If yes, then this is called tracing. At this stage your mixture for homemade glycerin will look like custard.

6.Lastly add the previously prepared brine mixture to this lye mixture. Stir to mix and then place the whole thing into the refrigerator overnight.

7.The next day, there will be a hardened soap layer on top. Remove that and you have your homemade glycerin which is totally unrefined below. Now you can further purify it by boiling to remove excess water and then straining it to remove impurities. Or you can use this homemade glycerin as it is in your creams, lotions, hair products and of course in soaps.