Beneficial Ingredients in Soap

Beneficial ingredients in soap and how they work with our bodies.

Glycerin is an humectant.  It attracts moisture to your skin.  Glycerin is a natural result of saponification. Most modern soaps are detergents that strip your skin of protective oils.  The glycerin has been separated and sold as a separate commodity.  The label on your soap might tell you that glycerin was added.  That's interesting.  It is a cause for further research into how commercial soap is made.

Several acids are created in the saponification process of soap making.  When you are choosing soap for a specific purpose it helps to know the qualities that each type of oil brings to the soap.   Some soap is better to treat acne while heavy use of olive oil can promote acne but still be excellent for the rest of your skin.  

Lauric acid (dodecanoic acid) can be found in breast milk.  It is an anti-bacterial, anti-viral, and often called an anti-acne acid due to these qualities.  It is created naturally in the saponification process of making soap.   Lauric acid is used a huge quantity of medications especially to fight viruses.  It is used to protect babies from getting the AIDS virus from their mother. 

Myristic acid (tetradecanoic acid) is created naturally in the saponification process of soap making. Myristic acid is used in cosmetics where good absorption of liquid in the skin is desired.

Palmitic acid (hexadecanoic acid) is one of the ingredients created in the saponification process.  It causes a molecule of water to be added to a substance. 

Stearic Acid is a natural element in fats and oils.  It is a waxy solid that helps to retain the shape of the soap.  It is also used to help harden candles, and add a gloss to hair conditioners.

Ricinoleic Acid  has analgesic and anti-inflammatory  properties.  It is found in castor oil.

Oleic Acid and Linoleic Acid have been proven to increase inflammation in wounds.  Inflammation increases healing time so this is a good thing for skin abrasions.

Linolenic Acid is an omega 6 fatty acid.   It is frequently used for skin problems like psoriasis and eczema.

I have gleaned this information from the Internet.  Everything I've stated can be substantiated on more than one website.  I'm not a scientist.  I am a soap maker with real experience with people who have splits in their fingers and eczema.

This document is an ongoing compilation

2014 copyright Carmen Davis-Stevens