Topic summary
Soapmaking
Extracted from the Wikipedia article Soap.
Soapmaking
The production of toilet soaps usually entails the saponification of triglycerides, which are vegetable or animal oils and fats. An alkaline solution (often lye) induces saponification whereby the triglyceride fats first hydrolyze into salts of fatty acids. Glycerol (glycerin) is then liberated. The glycerin is sometimes left in the soap product as a softening agent - making the soap itself softer - although it is sometimes separated. The addition of glycerol and the processing of this soap produces glycerin soap.