Vegetable glycerin (also called glycerol), is a clear, sweet, and syrupy liquid that is derived from triglyceride-rich* vegetable fats, like coconut, palm, olive, and soybeans.
A Swedish chemist, K.W Scheele, accidentally discovered glycerin in 1779 while experimenting with heating a mixture of olive oil and lead monoxide. The reaction from the heat caused the glycerol molecules to split away from the fatty acids and mix with the water, forming a sweet, syrupy liquid. This was originally named “sweet principle of fat,” which thankfully, we now call vegetable glycerin.
Today, glycerin can be made in a few different ways:
Is your glycerin sourced from the coconut or the soybean?