All real glycerin is a relatively viscous, clear liquid made from vegetable fats/oils like olive oil, canola oil, coconut oil, etc. Synthetic glycerin is made from petroleum is an entirely different chemical and is a jelly-like consistancy.
Most glycerin is a byproduct of soapmaking. The soapmaking process produces soap, glycerin and water. Commercial soapmakers extract the glycerin to sell separately, while amateur soapmakers leave the glycerin in their soap, as it does no harm and they have no means and no reason to remove it. Glycerin is added to some toilet soaps as a moisturiser.
If soap is made from vegetable oils, the extracted glycerin is sold as vegetable glycerin. Some soap is or used to be made from tallow (animal fat). The glycerin extracted from tallow soap is chemically the same, but obviously canât be sold as âvegetable glycerinâ.
Synthetic glycerin is not a different chemical, it is the same chemical synthesised by a different route from propylene. If it is gel-like, it is because it is impure.
Glycerin is a trade name for glycerol, but the two terms are used interchangeably. For the most part, only chemists
Glycerin is not a trade name, it is the original name given to the substance by a French chemist in the early 19th century. Chemists today generally call it glycerol, with the âol suffix indicating an alcohol, while the commercial product, which contains a little water, is still sold as glycerin(e).
Glycerin soap base is glycerin with a lot more additives than the suppositories. Again, these are to keep the product in a solid state. The instructions I've read say to melt it in a double boiler, so 212° (F) is the upper limit for not damaging it. Actual melting point is 131° (F) so it would not melt inside a person.
Soap base is soap. Nothing else. Often called âmelt & pour soapâ, it is sold in bulk form to amateur soapmakers, who melt it, add colour, scent, exfoliants, or whatever else they add, pour it into moulds, and sell it as toilet soaps. Buying ready-made soap base saves them the trouble of making their own soap by reacting vegetable oils or animal fats with alkali.
Glycerin soap base is soap base, i.e. soap (see above), with enough added glycerin to make it transparent. Note: glycerin is the additive here. Glycerin soap base is not âglycerin with additivesâ, it is soap base (soap) with added glycerin.
Trying vainly to damp down the wildly propagating confusion.