Glycerin, just reading the word itself, you may be concerned at what this actually is. However, Glycerin is from plant sources and unlike other natural products used in moisturizers, it actually attracts moisture. In addition to that, Glycerin also prevents moisture from leaving your skin, providing a luxurious moisturization experience.
Glycerin is typically derived from vegetable fats and at Rocky Mountain Soap Company our Glycerin is 100% made from coconut oil. This makes it healthy for your skin and a great moisturizer. Dry skin is caused by your upper layer of skin losing water. In order to combat this, you typically used a moisturizing agent such as an emollient or a humectant. Glycerin is considered mainly a humectant, which means that instead of creating an oily layer to trap water in your upper layer of skin, it actually draws water into your skin. This makes it great for your dry skin.
Alternatively, Glycerin is created as a result of our soap making process. This can be sold off as a byproduct but we keep it in our soaps so they are ‘superfatted’ and more nourishing for the skin. As a natural humectant, the moisture is retained by the skin, helping to keep it hydrated for longer. It is also an emollient, so can lead to softer, more supple skin.
There are many things to think about when it comes to Glycerin and Glycerin based products. It is good to note there is also a synthetic version of Glycerin, which is derived from petroleum products. This makes is essential to read the labels when you are purchasing products with Glycerin to ensure you are getting the natural good-for-you version of Glycerin. We only use a coconut oil derived Glycerin.
Another thing to think about is that many things that Glycerin is derived from can be GMO such as soybeans, palm oil and canola - so you need to shop to ensure that you are getting non-GMO version from non-GMO oils. At Rocky Mountain Soap Company we never use any GMO ingredients. Our ingredients are completely natural. We only use simple natural ingredients.