How to tell if a soap is glycerine or tallow based?

[amdamsky]

Hey there.

I need some help in knowing how to determine which soaps are tallow based and which are glycerine based? I'm not really able to tell off the bat by reading the ingredients list on the back of the box etc since to me it looks the exact same for all my soaps, from Arko to Edwin Jagger and even the regular hand soap I use for showering.

Is there a trick for determining which is which since I don't want to ruin one when grating it down and accidently boiling a tallow one.

Thanks

 

[SydneyShaver]

I would strongly suggest checking the ingredient list to be absolutely sure. Glycerin soaps are usually translucent but it doesn't always have to be the case. The vast majority of soaps/creams contain glycerin but are not glycerin based (the brands you've listed are not glycerin based soaps). Brands like Col. Conk are a good example of a glycerin based soap.

 

[NorthernSoul]

Soaps may contain a mixture of animal and vegetable fats. The ingredient list can specify this with either the names of the fats used, or the names of the salts produced when the fats are saponified.

The ingredient list may indicate "potassium tallowate" and/or "sodium tallowate". Alternatively, it can indicate the animal fat used such as "beef tallow", "sheep tallow", "lard", etc. plus potassium hydroxide, sodium hydroxide, etc.

Most soaps that contain tallow also contain other fats, such as coconut oil (or potassium cocoate and/or sodium cocoate), palm oil (or potassium palmate and/or sodium palmate), palm kernel oil (potassium palm kernelate and/or sodium palm kernelate). Most shaving soaps will also contain stearic acid.

A soap that contains only vegetable fats is not necessarily a "glycerin" soap. All types of soaps can contain glycerin.

What's usually meant be glycerin soap are transparent soaps that have a high glycerin content. However, it is possible to have a "glycerin soap" that contains animal fats. For example, Ach. Brito makes a pre-shave soap called Glyce that contains pig fat (aka Adeps Suillus).

You don't want to boil most vegetable oil soap either. A soap that is based on coconut oil and palm oil can easily be ruined. The soaps that can be melted are a special type known as melt & pour soaps.

To reform your soaps, it is easier and safer to grate them into shreds and pack the shreds into a new container with a little warm water. Smooth the surface with the back of an old spoon.

 

[amdamsky]

Soaps may contain a mixture of animal and vegetable fats. The ingredient list can specify this with either the names of the fats used, or the names of the salts produced when the fats are saponified.

The ingredient list may indicate "potassium tallowate" and/or "sodium tallowate". Alternatively, it can indicate the animal fat used such as "beef tallow", "sheep tallow", "lard", etc. plus potassium hydroxide, sodium hydroxide, etc.

Most soaps that contain tallow also contain other fats, such as coconut oil (or potassium cocoate and/or sodium cocoate), palm oil (or potassium palmate and/or sodium palmate), palm kernel oil (potassium palm kernelate and/or sodium palm kernelate). Most shaving soaps will also contain stearic acid.

A soap that contains only vegetable fats is not necessarily a "glycerin" soap. All types of soaps can contain glycerin.

What's usually meant be glycerin soap are transparent soaps that have a high glycerin content. However, it is possible to have a "glycerin soap" that contains animal fats. For example, Ach. Brito makes a pre-shave soap called Glyce that contains pig fat (aka Adeps Suillus).
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You don't want to boil most vegetable oil soap either. A soap that is based on coconut oil and palm oil can easily be ruined. The soaps that can be melted are a special type known as melt & pour soaps.

To reform your soaps, it is easier and safer to grate them into shreds and pack the shreds into a new container with a little warm water. Smooth the surface with the back of an old spoon.

What about with hand soaps such as imperial leather, palmolive, dove ect? can they be melted in a pan?

 

[NorthernSoul]

What about with hand soaps such as imperial leather, palmolive, dove ect? can they be melted in a pan?

Bear in mind, Dove is more of a detergent bar than a true soap.

You don't want to put most soaps directly on the heat or they may scorch. If you want to soften them, you may be able to shred them, add a few tablespoons of water and then heat them in a double boiler. They generally won't go back to a liquid form, but it may be possible to soften the soaps so they can be pressed into a mold. Shredding breaks them up into small pieces to increase the surface area, which makes it easier to soften them.

You can search on the Internet for info from people who do soap crafting as a hobby. Look for info on reforming or rebatching soaps.