Glycerin soap is often favored as a gentle cleanser, valued for its moisturizing benefits and perceived purity. Consumers frequently ask if this product possesses antibacterial properties. The answer lies in understanding the chemistry of soap itself, rather than focusing solely on the single ingredient that gives this bar its distinctive characteristics.
The Chemistry of Glycerin Soap
Glycerin, or glycerol, is a naturally occurring compound that is a direct byproduct of the saponification process, the chemical reaction between a fat or oil and a strong alkali that creates soap. In traditional soap making, the glycerin is often separated from the finished product and sold for other uses, such as in lotions and cosmetics.
However, a defining feature of glycerin soap is that the glycerol is either retained in the final product or added back in to enhance its moisturizing qualities. Glycerin is known chemically as a humectant, meaning it draws moisture from the air to the skin. This is why this type of soap is valued for being less drying than many commercial bars. The clear or translucent appearance that consumers associate with “glycerin soap” is typically achieved by adding solvents like alcohol and sugar to the mixture.
How Standard Soap Cleanses and Kills Germs
All true soaps, including glycerin soap, work through a dual mechanism of physical removal and chemical disruption, making them highly effective against pathogens. Soap molecules are amphiphilic, meaning they have a water-attracting (hydrophilic) head and a fat-attracting (hydrophobic) tail. This unique structure allows soap to interact with both water and the greasy film on the skin where dirt and germs reside.
When soap is mixed with water, the hydrophobic tails wedge themselves into the lipid (fatty) outer membranes of certain bacteria and enveloped viruses. This action pries the pathogen’s protective layer apart, causing the structure to dissolve and rendering the microbe inactive.
Simultaneously, the soap molecules surround particles of dirt, oil, and damaged microbes, forming tiny spheres called micelles. The hydrophilic heads of these micelles face outward toward the water, allowing the entire structure, with its trapped contaminants, to be easily rinsed away from the skin.
The mechanical action of scrubbing for 20 seconds is also a necessary part of the process, as the friction helps to detach the germs from the skin’s surface so the soap can encapsulate them. This combination of physical removal and chemical breakdown provides the hygienic benefit of handwashing.
Standard Soap Versus Chemical Antibacterials
Glycerin soap does not require special chemical additives to function as an effective cleanser because its inherent soap base disrupts and removes pathogens. Products marketed specifically as “antibacterial” historically contained chemical agents, such as triclosan or triclocarban, intended to chemically kill or inhibit bacterial growth.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) ruled in 2016 that over-the-counter consumer antiseptic washes containing many of these ingredients, including triclosan, could no longer be sold. The agency concluded that manufacturers had failed to demonstrate that these chemical additives were any more effective at preventing illness than washing with plain soap and water.
Furthermore, there were concerns regarding the long-term safety of these ingredients. These concerns included the possibility of contributing to bacterial resistance and hormonal effects.
For general daily hygiene, the robust cleansing action of any standard soap, including glycerin soap, is sufficient to remove germs and prevent the spread of infection. The presence of glycerin merely ensures the skin is moisturized during this cleansing process, while the basic soap molecules perform the necessary work of washing away bacteria and viruses.