A Sweaty Soap Is A Gem Of A Find. Here's Why...

April 3, 2024

Handmade soaps will sweat if made well and comes from a good source. It doesn't look very sexy but trust me when I say the sweat shows its quality.

Here's a simple experiment. Take a commercial soap, any commercial soap and leave it on the counter untouched. That bar stays the same, looking the same, for a long long time.

Now take a melt&pour handmade soap bar and place it right next to the commercial bar. Leave both exposed for a few days. Notice the handmade soap start to sweat mini beads, like it's coated with fine sugar.

Sweet!

This is what all soap makers are looking for to know if your soap base is prime quality.

The sweating is also called 'glycerin dew' and this happens when the moisture in the air condenses on the surface of a bar of soap. But why does this occur? Well, it all comes down to one key ingredient: glycerin.

Glycerin is a natural humectant, which means it attracts moisture from the air. When you use a good quality bar of soap, some of the glycerin remains on the surface of your skin. This glycerin attracts moisture from the air and onto your skin, creating a moisture barrier that's great for keeping your skin moist and supple.

This is why a well made soap does not dry out your skin. In fact, it can help replenish skin moisture and protect your skin.

So, in essence, soap sweating is a sign that your soap contains plenty of glycerin - a good thing!

But here's the kicker: not all soaps sweat. Ever wondered why those mass-produced, commercially available bars of soap or sub-quality melt&pour bases don't exhibit this phenomenon? Well, that's because many soaps undergo a process called "glycerin stripping."

During the manufacturing process, glycerin is often removed from soap to be used in other products like lotions and creams. This results in a bar of soap that's less likely to sweat but also less moisturizing for your skin. So, while your soap may not sweat, it might also be lacking in quality ingredients.

So you want your soap to sweat. It looks fugly but it's a good thing.

However, you can avoid the ugly sweat marks by cling wrapping your soaps, keeping it in an air tight container or adding silicone gel to draw in the moisture.

Or like this video suggests, just wash all that good ol' glycerin onto your skin to settle the issue.