Bath and Body Works Glycerin Soap is sold online and in their retail stores. It comes in many different scents and colors, but all are made up of approximately the same ingredients. Other than water and fragrance, there are eight ingredients in this soap.
Sorbitol
Sorbitol is a sugar substitute that is usually a flavoring but in soaps is used to prevent moisture loss. It is a naturally occurring alcohol, according to CosmeticsInfo.org. The Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives deemed it safe to use.
Propylene Glycol
Propylene glycol is on the safe-to-use list from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, or FDA. It is an organic alcohol that works as a moisturizer by attracting water to the skin and reducing flakiness. It can also stabilize formulas.
Glycerin
Glycerin can be natural or synthetic and works as a humectant, attracting water from other sources into the skin. In a low concentration, glycerin is a great moisturizer, but it can be drying or even blister the skin in pure concentrations, according to CosmeticsCop.com.
Sodium Stearate
Sodium stearate is deemed safe by the Cosmetic Ingredient Review, or CIR, expert panel. It is a lubricant and emulsifier that helps keep liquids and oils together. Sodium stearate can also reduce the transparency of a compound and thicken it up.
Sodium Laureth Sulfate
Sodium laureth sulfate is a detergent that is used as a cleansing agent and has alternate uses as a surfactant. It is deemed safe by the CIR expert panel. Surfactants make for a smooth surface so the product glides on and covers better. Sodium laureth sulfate can foam well even in hard water.
Sodium Myristate
Sodium myristate is deemed safe to use in cosmetics by the CIR. It works as a cleansing agent and an emulsifier, keeping the formula mixed properly.
Sodium Laurate
Sodium laurate is another cleansing agent and emulsifier, according to Environmental Working Group’s Skin Deep database. It mixes liquids and oils together in a solution and keeps them bound together; it also acts as a detergent.
Triethanolamine
This is a pH balancing agent when used in personal care products and cosmetics, keeping the pH of the solution from getting too alkaline or too acidic.
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