Ingredient Recommendations for Glycerin Soap

Thank you for your questions regarding adding ingredients to your glycerin soap formulation. Based on your interest and the previous discussion, it's important to understand that while many beneficial ingredients can be added to soap, their effectiveness for targeted skin concerns (like moisturizing, acne treatment, or whitening) is often limited. This is because soap is a wash-off product with very short contact time on the skin, and the alkaline pH of traditional soap can also affect ingredient stability and skin barrier function. The primary role of soap is cleansing.

However, you can still incorporate ingredients to potentially enhance the user experience or provide some supplementary benefits. Here are some suggestions based on your questions:

1. Ingredients for Extra Moisturization

For adding moisture to soap, consider humectants that help attract and retain water. While they won't provide the same deep or lasting hydration as leave-on products, they can help counteract the drying effect of soap.

• MOIST24, MOIST72™, and TransMoist™ are humectants that help retain moisture.
• TreMoisture™ (Trehalose) and Natural Moisturizing Amino Acids mimic the skin's natural moisturizing factors.
• Natto Gum and Hyaluronic Acid are also known for their strong moisturizing properties.

2. Ingredients for Acne and Dark Spots

Ingredients targeting acne and dark spots are most effective in leave-on treatments. In soap, their impact will be minimal, but some options include:

• Pep®-Acne (Oligopeptide-10) has anti-microbial properties that can help fight acne-causing bacteria.
• Actin AC is a complex with multiple anti-acne properties, including sebum regulation and anti-inflammatory effects.
• Licorice Extract (Licochalcone A) can help reduce skin inflammation and redness associated with acne.
• For dark spots, ingredients like GlyciWhite™, ChromaWhite™, and Hexylresorcinol AF are used for their melanin-inhibiting properties, but their effectiveness in a wash-off product is questionable.

3. Ingredients for Skin Whitening

Similar to acne and dark spots, whitening ingredients require longer contact time to be effective. Ingredients used for skin whitening include:

• GlyciWhite™, CosmoWhite™, ChromaWhite™, and Hexylresorcinol AF are designed to reduce pigmentation.
• Sodium Lactate is mentioned as potentially helping to gently whiten the skin and can also help solidify bar soap.

4. Ingredients for Odor Control

Ingredients that help control body odor can be more effective in soap as they act on the bacteria present on the skin surface during washing.

• Zinc Ricinoleate is effective at absorbing odor molecules.
• Citromask™ is a natural deodorizer.
• Odor-Kill DO™ is an effective ingredient against odor-causing bacteria.

These can generally be used with other ingredients, but ensuring the overall soap formula is not overly drying is key to preventing skin issues.

5. Sodium Lactate for Whitening

Yes, Sodium Lactate is described as having properties that can help gently whiten or lighten the skin. It also functions as a humectant and can help solidify bar soap.

6. Natto Gum vs. Hyaluronic Acid for Moisture

Both Natto Gum and Hyaluronic Acid are excellent humectants. The description for Natto Gum states it is highly effective in providing moisture and research suggests it can moisturize more than Hyaluronic Acid. It contains Polyglutamic Acid. Hyaluronic Acid comes in various molecular sizes (like Large Molecule, Super Low Molecule, Nano Molecule) which affect penetration depth. Both are good choices for adding moisture, but Natto Gum is highlighted for its potentially superior moisturizing ability.

7. Ingredients for Soft, Fine, Gentle Foam

To improve the foam quality of your soap base, you can add gentle surfactants or foam boosters:

• Creamy Foamer™ (Sodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate) creates a soft and smooth foam and is gentle.
• IseFoam™ (Sodium Lauroyl Methyl Isethionate) is highly gentle and produces good foam.
• Cond-Foam™ (Sodium Lauroyl Sarcosinate) is a gentle detergent with good foaming and a conditioning effect.
• Powderly Foam™ (Potassium Laureth Phosphate) provides a soft feel and can be mixed with other foaming agents for more bubbles.
• Mild-Wash L™ (Sodium Lauroamphoacetate) and Mild-Wash C™ (Sodium Cocoamphoacetate) are extra gentle, biodegradable detergents that can be used in soap formulations.

When formulating, always consider the recommended usage rates and mixing instructions for each ingredient.