Glycerin isn’t just a cosmetic ingredient. Apart from preserving the consistency and freshness of products, it has an amazing skin-hydrating and repairing effect. There’s more to its power, though. Keep reading to see more benefits and uses of glycerin.
Types of glycerin and their properties
Glycerin is a trihydroxy alcohol, a by-product of soap production. Thick, colorless and odorless liquid that is dissolved in water and alcohol. It’s divided into:
- Natural glycerin – obtained from vegetable oils (palm or coconut oil).
- Synthetic glycerin – produced from petroleum.
Glycerin is a popular material used for production of cosmetics. It is valued for hygroscopic properties – it absorbs water very well. It’s not soluble in oils.
Glycerin – cosmetic uses
It makes a great ingredient in creams and lipsticks, lessens the effect of ethyl alcohol which has dehydrating properties. Glycerin improves the consistency of cosmetics, prevents them from drying, works as a stabilizing agent in emulsions. It allows combination of oils with water.
What’s more, glycerin is a good preservative which neutralizes microgerms. Thanks to tiny molecules, it easily reaches the epidermis and helps transport nutrients into deeper skin layers.
How is glycerin used in the cosmetic industry?
Glycerin makes a brilliant ingredient in the following products:
- Moisturizing body and face creams – glycerin stores water and locks in its molecules in the epidermis, hydrates the skin, works for up to 24 hours since the application, adds resilience, smoothes out and softens the skin.
- Hand and foot creams – it softens even extremely calloused skin, alleviates irritations.
- Antiaging creams – glycerin makes the skin plumper and tighter while wrinkles are reduced and less visible. It also intensifies nighttime skin repair. Glycerin is a great hydrating agent for dehydrated skin.
- Winter creams – glycerin is one of the best ingredients protecting the skin from the wind and freezing weather.
- Hair care products – glycerin is a perfect strengthener for thinning hair, it adds gloss and smoothes out the entire hair structure.
Note!!
If you avoid animal-derived products, you must search for “Glycerin vegetal” on the INCI list of cosmetics.
Pure glycerin – jewel in your beauty kit!
You can buy pure form of glycerin at the chemist’s. It’s budget and will surely enrich your beauty products.
- add glycerin to your homemade hair masks
- use it as a base for loose eyeshadow (mix it with water in a 1:3 ratio)
- mix it with hand or foot creams
- use it as a protective lip balm
- apply it to the face skin in winter, freezing weather (mix it with oil)
Remember that 5-15% of glycerin is an optimal amount in a product so that it can provide hydration to skin. When its content goes beyond 25%, the product has disinfecting and dehydrating effect.
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