Glycerine Bar DIY

Weekly DIY

Glycerine Bar DIY

Explore soaps made gentler - without handling caustic soda. A creamy, sulfate-free soap alternative designed to foam beautifully while feeling less harsh on the skin and hair - and set in 3 days.

20 Minutes (Active Time) - 1-3 Days To Firm
Beginner - Intermediate
Concerns
Dry Skin • Easily Stripped Skin • Sensitive Skin
Benefits
Creamy Foam • Soap-Free Cleansing • Sensitive Skin Friendly • Quick Soapmaking
Format
Soap Bar
Shelf life
6-12 months

What You'll Need

Vegetable Glycerine
3 teaspoons
Helps the bar feel less drying on skin

Stearic Acid
2 level tablespoons
Hardens the bar and creates a creamy, soap-like glide

Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate (SCI)
6 heaped tablespoons
Mild coconut-derived cleanser, produces a rich, satisfying foam without traditional soap

Don’t Forget:
A silicone mold and spatula / spoon to shape your bars

How to Make

  1. Put on a mask, goggles and heatproof gloves.
  2. Add the SCI, stearic acid and vegetable glycerine to a heatproof jug. Add the optional lauryl betaine now for a richer foam.
  3. Heat the mixture in the microwave for 10–15 seconds at a time, stirring thoroughly between each burst. Alternatively, heat it over a double boiler.
  4. Continue heating and mixing until the stearic acid has melted and everything forms a thick, smooth, cookie-dough-like paste. It may not become fully liquid. Work carefully - the jug and mixture will become extremely hot.
  5. While still warm, spoon the mixture into your mould. Press it down very firmly with the back of a spoon or spatula to remove gaps, then smooth the top.
  6. Place it in the fridge for 30–60 minutes, or until firm enough to unmould.
  7. Remove the bar from the mould and leave it somewhere cool and dry for 1 to 3 days. This allows it to become harder and last longer in the shower.

How to Use

Guidance

Wet the bar and your skin, work it between your hands to create a creamy lather, then cleanse and rinse well.

Keep dry between uses and store away from heat and humidity. If adding a water-based surfactant like lauryl betaine, use within approximately three months without added preservatives.

Make It Yours

  • For Extra Foam:
    Add 2 teaspoons lauryl betaine for a fuller, creamier lather while helping soften the cleansing feel.
  • For A Creamier Glide:
    Replace part of the stearic acid with cetyl or cetearyl alcohol to reduce drag and give the finished bar a smoother, more conditioning feel.
  • For Dry, Delicate Skin:
    Add a sprinkle of colloidal oatmeal. It gives the lather a creamier feel
  • For A Longer Lasting Bar:
    Add about a teaspoon of wax of your preference - that can be beeswax, sunflower wax or kahlwax
  • For A Conditioning Shampoo Bar
    Replace 1 tablespoon stearic acid with 1 tablespoon cetyl alohol. Add ¼ teaspoon panthenol and 2 teaspoons cocamidopropyl betaine, reducing the glycerine by 1 teaspoon. This gives the bar better glide, softer foam, and a more hair-friendly finish. Add ½ teaspoon castor oil for very dry hair.

Pro Tips & Storage

  • What is a syndet bar?

    A syndet bar is a solid cleanser made with mild surfactants rather than traditional soap. Unlike true soap, it does not rely on oils reacting with caustic soda and can be formulated at a more skin-friendly pH.

  • Is a syndet bar good for sensitive skin?

    Syndet bars are often chosen for sensitive or dryness-prone skin because they can be less alkaline than traditional soap. That being said, still keep the bar fragrance-free, patch test before use, and discontinue use if irritation occurs.

  • Can I make soap without caustic soda?

    True soap requires sodium hydroxide or potassium hydroxide. However, you can make a soap-free cleansing bar like this one without personally handling caustic soda.

  • Does a syndet bar need to cure?

    No lengthy soap cure is required. Once moulded, leave the bar somewhere cool and dry for one to three days so it can firm up and last longer during use.

  • Can I use this cleansing bar on my face?

    It may be used on the face if your skin tolerates it, but test it on a small area first and avoid the eye area. For facial use, keep the formula fragrance-free and avoid adding absorbent clays.

  • Why is my glycerine bar not transparent?

    Transparency does not determine how well the bar cleans. This formula is naturally opaque because it contains powdered SCI and stearic acid rather than a specialised transparent soap base.
Essentially Natural Vegetable Glycerine

Essentially Natural Vegetable Glycerine

R 39.00
Essentially Natural Stearic Acid

Essentially Natural Stearic Acid

R 59.00
Essentially Natural Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate Powder - Sulfate Free

Essentially Natural Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate Powder - Sulfate Free

R 59.00

Aiden van Wyk

Aiden is an eccentric explorer of ideas, endlessly curious and always eager to share his discoveries. His mind is a maze of rabbit holes, each leading to new insights (and occasionally pure chaos). In all honesty - he's a little impulsive, he's easily distracted, delightfully scatterbrained, and unapologetically himself. But through every deep dive and misstep, his mission remains the same:

To make the world a teeny tiny little better, one lesson at a time :)