Chandler's Soaps >> Glossary of Ingredients

Glossary of Ingredients

If you find a related word for which you can't find a definition, please let me know and I will add it to this glossary. Also, if you find a really good definition for a related term, I'd appreciate it if you would email me.

  A     B     C     D     E     F     G     H     I     J     K     L     M     N  
  O     P     Q     R     S     T     UV     W     XYZ  

~ A ~

Almond Oil, Bitter    An essential oil from the bitter almond tree. Typically used as a flavoring; it has a somewhat cherry scent.   Used in Chandler's Soaps products.

Almond Oil, Sweet   An oil expressed from the nuts of the sweet almond tree. It is used as an emollient in skin creams and is also used to soften ear wax. The tree is native to SW Asia but is widely grown in warm regions for its nuts. They grow to an average height of 7 m; they have attractive pink flowers and are grown for ornament in cooler regions.   Used in Chandler's Soaps products.

Aloe Vera   (Aloe barbadensis) a Caribbean aloe yielding a gelatinous substance. Used in cosmetics in creams, moisturizers, sun screens, refreshing lotions and tonics. It is emollient, demulcent, sunscreen and also a food.

FOLK MEDICINE: Used as a stimulant and an anti-spasmodic. In Chinese medicine it is used to treat headaches. It's been called "burn first aid" or "medicine plant" for centuries. When fresh gel is squeezed from the leaves it relieves burns and sunburns and promotes healing. Used directly on the skin as a moisturizer and for yeast infection in genital areas.

Arrowroot (Powder)    (Maranta arundinacea) A tropical, herbaceous perennial that grows 1.5 m high and has short-stalked white flowers and broad-bladed leaves with long narrow sheaths. The swollen rhizomes (underground stems) yield a highly digestible fine-grained starch, particularly useful in infant and invalid diets. The commercial cultivation of the arrowroot is essentially limited to the Caribbean island of St Vincent, although the plant is native to northern South America. Used in cosmetics, especially in powders, because of its very fine grain. It is also a source of the coating of carbonless paper, used for computer printouts.   Used in Chandler's Soaps products.

Avocado Oil    (Persea americana) Oil from the pulp of the fruit of the avocado tree. It grows up to 18 m tall, native to Mexico and Central America but now extensively cultivated in Florida, California, and South Africa for its fruit. These fruits--actually called avocado pears--may reach a weight of 2 kg: they have a green to dark-purple skin, a fatty flesh rich in fat, protein, and vitamins A and B, and a single hard seed. The oil is used as a massage oil, in creams, lotions and hair products.   Used in Chandler's Soaps products.

FOLK MEDICINE: the pulp has been used as a hair pomade to stimulate hair growth; used for wounds, as an aphrodisiac and emmenagogue*. Indians used the seeds for dysentery and diarrhea.

[* EMMENAGOGUE: A medicine that induces or hastens the menstrual flow.]

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~ B ~

Baking Soda    (Sodium Bicarbonate) A white, crystalline powder. Soothing, water softening, effervescent, deodorizing, stimulating. Draws oils and impurities from the skin.   Used in Chandler's Soaps products.

Beeswax    A substance produced by bees to build honeycombs. It is collected by heating the honeycomb in water (after removing the honey) so that the floating wax can be separated after solidification when cool. Beeswax (melting point 61-69°C) is used to make candles, polishes, inks, cosmetics, and ointments. In cosmetics, it is used as a thickener, emulsifier and stiffening agent in creams, lotions, lipsticks, etc.  Used in Chandler's Soaps products.

FOLK MEDICINE: In Chinese medicine, beeswax is dissolved in hot wine and taken as a treatment for diarrhea, hiccups and pain.

Bentonite Clay    A medium-fine textured clay is actually an off-white volcanic ash. The primary source is from Benton, Montana. When mixed with water, it becomes very slippery, almost gel-like. Widely used in commercially prepared facial make-up and masks, and as a thickener. In its natural form it can be used to treat pimples, as a tightening facial mask, and to treat poison ivy. Good for all skin types except the most sensitive. It is also widely used for industrial and construction purposes.   Used in Chandler's Soaps products.

Borax    (Sodium borate) also known as desert salt. Excavated mainly in California - remember 20 Mule Team Borax? Natural preservative, water softener, deodorizer, and mild astringent with a weak antiseptic action. Soothing and freshening to hot, tired feet and itchy skin. In cosmetics it can be used along with beeswax to emulsify creams. In a purified form, it is also used in making glass and china.

Buttermilk    A slightly acid liquid left after churning butter.   Used in Chandler's Soaps products.

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~ C ~

Castor Oil    (Ricinus communis) A pale-colored oil extracted from castor oil beans, the seeds of the castor-oil plant. The shrub is a flowering plant up to 12 m high, native to tropical Africa and Asia. It is cultivated widely in the tropics for its seeds, from which castor oil is extracted, and in temperate regions as an ornamental shrub (seldom taller than 2 m). The oil, when used in cosmetics, acts as a humectant; it attracts and retains moisture to the skin. It is also a thickener and an emollient. Medically, it is used as a laxative and industrially it is used as a drying oil in paints and varnishes.   Used in Chandler's Soaps products.

China Clay    (also called "kaolin clay" or "fine white clay") One of the purest clays, comprising a white powdery material arising from the decomposition of feldspar in granite. It is composed mainly of kaolin, the main constituent of which is kaolinite. The texture is very fine and it is naturally absorbent. It is used in cosmetics in face and body powders, liquid powders, and makeup. Recommended for all skin types, especially sensitive and dry. Known first in China and worked in Cornwall, UK, since 1746, china clay has long been used in the manufacture of fine porcelain. France and several places in the USA are other sources. It is also used as a filler in paint and paper-making, and in plastics and fertilizers.  Used in Chandler's Soaps products.

Clay   A sedimentary deposit that has plastic properties when wet and hardens and cracks when dry. See China Clay and Bentonite

Cocoa Butter    (Theobroma cacao) A pale yellow fat obtained from dried and naturally fermented cocoa beans. The beans grow on a small, spreading, evergreen tree which grows up to 8 m (26 feet) tall. Originally from the South and Central American rain forests, it is now cultivated principally in Ghana, Nigeria, and Côte d'Ivoire (Ivory Coast). Fifty to sixty percent of the cocoa bean consists of cocoa butter, which is used as a base for chocolate manufacture. The residue, after extraction of the butter, is used to make cocoa powder. In cosmetics, it is used as an ointment base, emollient, skin softener and protectant. It is moisturizing; it lays down a protective layer that holds moisture to the skin making it a good skin softener. It has a slight scent of chocolate.   Used in Chandler's Soaps products.

Coconut Oil    Oil obtained from the fruit of the coconut palm, (Cocos nucifera) one of the most important tropical crops. The tree has a slender trunk, up to 25 m high, which bears a crown of giant feather-like leaves. The coconuts, 30-45 cm long and 15-20 cm in diameter, take a year to ripen and have a thick fibrous husk surrounding a single-seeded nut. The hollow core contains coconut milk; the white kernel is eaten raw or dried to yield copra. Copra is produced from the white, oil-rich (60-65 per cent) kernel of the coconut palm. Cup copra is produced when freshly harvested nuts are split open and either sun-dried or kiln-dried. It is then pressed to yield the coconut oil. The major producers are the Philippines and Indonesia; lesser amounts come from India, Sri Lanka, and Mexico. Coconut oil is used in the manufacture of soaps, cooking fats, and margarine. It is a preferred oil in soaps because it helps produce a hard bar which has a quick, fluffy lather, even in cold or salt water. Coconut oil is an emollient and is moisturizing, conditioning and protecting to the skin, although large quantities can sometimes be drying.   Used in Chandler's Soaps products.

Colorants    Ingredients that can be used to alter the color of a product. A dye. Colorants are either a dye or a pigment. There are both natural and synthetic dyes and pigments.

Cornstarch    Derived from dried corn kernels. Absorbs water, soothing to the skin. It is the primary ingredient in commercial baby powders. Cornstarch can cause allergic reactions in people who are sensitive or allergic to corn or corn products.   Used in Chandler's Soaps products.

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~ D ~

Dyes    Any type of colorant that transfers color by dissolving in a solution. There are natural dyes, from plants such as beet root or walnut husk, and synthetic dyes. Colorants with names like "FD&C Red" are dyes that are approved for use in Foods, Drugs and Cosmetics. There are a limited number of dyes approved for use in cosmetics; some are natural, although most are synthetic.

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~ E ~

Emollient    Something that has a soothing or softening effect.

Emulsion    A mixture of two normally un-mixable liquids in which one liquid is dispersed in the other liquid as very fine droplets. Many synthetic food products are emulsions: for example, French dressing is an emulsion of vegetable oil in vinegar. An emulsion can be attained by vigorous shaking (as in oil and vinegar dressing) although emulsifying agents are often used to help form the emulsion and stabilizing agents are used to help maintain it and keep it from separating. Many cosmetics are also emulsions: some are oil-in-water emulsions (where the oil is dispersed in the water, such as foundation creams or some lotions); others are water-in-oil emulsions (where the water is dispersed in the oil, such as cold creams). Emulsions can be broken up by heat or mechanical agitation: butter is formed by de-emulsifying milk.   Note: All of our creams are water-in-oil emulsions.

Epsom Salts    (Magnesium Salts) Gets its name from Epsom, England. Can be used as a soak for the relief of pain from minor sprains and bruises. Often used in commercial bath salts. Caution: daily use can be drying to the skin.

Essential Oils    Pure plant distillates and extracts derived from the flowers, leaves, stems, berries, rinds, resins, or roots of plants. These oils are the essence of the plant's smell; they make the plant smell the way it does. Essential oils have long been used in folk medicine and aromatherapy for their many healing qualities.   Used in Chandler's Soaps products.

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~ F ~

Fatty Acids   A natural organic compound each molecule of which consists of a carboxyl group (oxygen, carbon and hydrogen) attached to a chain of carbon atoms with their associated hydrogen atoms. The chain of carbon atoms may be connected with single bonds of hydrogen between them, making a 'saturated' fat; or it may be connected with double bonds, making an 'unsaturated' fat. The number of carbon and hydrogen atoms in the chain is what determines the qualities of that particular fatty acid. Animal and vegetable fats are made up of various combinations of fatty acids (in sets of three) connected to a glycerol molecule, making them triglycerides. For more information on how this pertains to soap-making, see The Chemistry of Soap.

Fragrance Oil   A blend of synthetic and/or natural ingredients creating a specific fragrance.   Used in a few Chandler's Soaps products

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~ G ~

Glycerin    Also called glycerol. A colorless sweet viscous liquid derived from vegetable fats. It is a by-product of the soap-making process, which separates the glycerin from the fatty acids in the whole oil. The naturally-occurring glycerin stays in handmade soaps, but is usually removed from commercial soaps (see Commercial vs. Handmade Soaps). Glycerin is used in foods, cosmetics and pharmaceuticals. It is also used in cryoprotectants, explosives and other industrial products. In cosmetics, it is valued because of its emollient and humectant qualities. Used in Chandler's Soaps products.

Glyceryl Monostearate    A natural emulsifier prepared from glycerine and stearic acid (which is a fatty acid found in palm oil). It is used in cosmetics to create oil-in-water emulsions.   Used in Chandler's Soaps products.

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~ H ~

Herbs    Any of various often aromatic plants used especially in medicine or as seasoning.

Humectant    A substance added to another to help it retain moisture.

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~ I ~

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~ J ~

Jojoba Oil    (Simmondsia chinensis) Emollient, similar to natural human oil secretions, antioxidant. Technically not an oil, but a wax. Will not turn rancid. Edible, nontoxic, generally nonirritating, makes a superb skin conditioner.   Used in Chandler's Soaps products.

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~ K ~

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~ L ~

Lye    The common term for a caustic alkali used to make soap. The term is fairly general, and can refer to either potassium hydroxide (also known as potash) or to sodium hydroxide (also known as caustic soda).   Used in Chandler's Soaps products.

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~ M ~

Mineral Oil    Any of various light hydrocarbon oils, especially a distillate of petroleum. Used medicinally as a laxative.

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~ N ~

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~ O ~

Oatmeal    The ground grain from an annual grass (Avena sativa). This common oat was first cultivated in Europe and is grown in cool temperate regions. Up to 1 m high, it has a branching cluster of flowers. The grain is used as a livestock feed, especially for horses, and for oatmeal, breakfast cereals, etc. It is used in cosmetics and soaps because of its soothing qualities. Commercial products are available for use in baths to help relieve itchy, irritated skin.   Used in Chandler's Soaps products.

Olive Oil, Pure    Oil pressed from the fruit of the olive tree (Olea europaea). It is an evergreen tree native to W Asia but cultivated throughout Mediterranean and subtropical regions for its fruits. Up to 12 m high, it has a gnarled grey trunk and lance-shaped leathery grey-green leaves. Small greenish-white flowers produce fleshy oval berries containing a hard stone. Olive oil is one of the finest edible oils and can be consumed without refining or processing (when it is known as virgin olive oil). It is also used in making soaps, cosmetics, and textiles. Olive wood resists decay and is used for furniture and ornaments. Since olive oil is an excellent moisturizer (because it attracts and holds moisture close to the skin and forms a breathable film to prevent loss of internal moisture) it is widely used in cosmetics. It has been used alone as a cleansing agent in place of soap. When used to make soap, the bars produced have a slow, stingy lather, but the soap is mild and cleans well. Traditionally "Castile" soap was made using only olive oil, but the term has loosened now to include soaps that have olive oil as one of the oils in them.   Used in Chandler's Soaps products.

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~ P ~

Palm Oil    Oil from the fruit of a palm tree, (Elaeis guineensis), native to tropical West Africa and cultivated in Africa, Indonesia, Malaysia, and tropical America as the source of palm oil. Growing to a height of 15 m, the palms produce fleshy fruits, 3 cm long, containing a white kernel within a hard black shell. Palm oil is extracted from the pulp and kernel and used in making soaps, margarine, lubricants, etc. When used in soaps, palm oil creates a hard, long lasting bar of soap that is mild and cleanses well. Palm oil has similar characteristics to tallow in soaps, and has been used in soap-making since about 1850 when the quantity of available tallow was insufficient to meet the demand for soap.   Used in Chandler's Soaps products.

Palm Stearic    Stearic Acid is one of the fatty acids contained in several animal and vegetable oils. It is separated out from the oil and then used by itself as an additive to soaps and other products. Our Stearic Acid is specifically derived from Palm Oil (see above) which contains about 5.5% stearic acid. We add it to our bar soap in order to make the bar harder and therefore longer-lasting.   Used in Chandler's Soaps products.

Paraffin    A white or colorless petroleum-derived solid wax. It is often used in making candles and cosmetics. This is the wax commonly found in the grocery store and used to seal canning jars.

Pigments    A substance, usually mineral, that imparts color to something else. Pigments do not dissolve in liquid, but are tiny particles of color that are suspended in it.   Used in Chandler's Soaps products.

Polysorbate-20    A solubizer derived from corn. When an oil or essential oil is first mixed with the solubizer, it will then mix with water and not separate.   Used in Chandler's Soaps products.

Potassium Hydroxide    Also called potash. Originally derived by filtering water through hardwood ashes, potassium hydroxide is used as the caustic alkali in soft and liquid soaps. (see How Is Soap Made?).  Used in Chandler's Soaps products.

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~ Q ~

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~ R ~

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~ S ~

Saponification    The reaction between a caustic alkali (lye) and the fatty acids in a vegetable oil or animal fat which results in soap. (see How Is Soap Made? and The Chemistry of Soap)

Sea Salt    (Sodium Chloride) Salt made by evaporating the water out of sea water.   Used in Chandler's Soaps products.

Shea Butter    Also known as African karite butter; A solid vegetable fat obtained from a West African tree, Vitellaria paradoxa, bearing nuts containing a large amount of fat. It is highly emollient. Traditional uses of shea butter include: treating dry skin, blemishes, skin discoloration, scars and wrinkles.   Used in Chandler's Soaps products.

Sodium Bicarbonate    (Baking soda) a white crystalline powder. Soothing, water softening, effervescent, deodorizing, stimulating. Draws oils and impurities from the skin.

Sodium Hydroxide    A caustic alkali used in making hard soaps. It is now produced by processing salt water but was earlier obtained from the ashes of a particular kind of seaweed. (see How Is Soap Made? and The Chemistry of Soap)  Used in Chandler's Soaps products.

Spices    Any of several vegetable substances, such as clove, cinnamon, nutmeg, pepper, etc., used to season food: spices are usually dried for use and have distinctive flavors and aromas.  Used in Chandler's Soaps products.

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~ T ~

Triglycerides   A particular molecular structure found in animal and vegetable oils. It is made up on three fatty acid molecule chains connected to one glycerin molecule. (see How Is Soap Made? and The Chemistry of Soap)

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~ U V ~

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~ W ~

Water-In-Oil Emulsion    A particular type of emulsion in which tiny particles of water are suspended in an oil.

Wheat Germ Oil    (Triticum vulgari) Oil from the embryo of the wheat grain of the cereal species of the genus Triticum which has been cultivated for at least 10,000 years. The germ is extracted from the wheat as a source of vitamins and is a known source of pure Vitamin E. Wheat germ oil is emollient, anti-oxidant and rich in natural vitamin E. It also serves as a natural preservative. Vitamin E is known for its healing effects and is proven to help prevent scarring and speed healing.  Used in Chandler's Soaps products.

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~ X Y Z ~

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