Glycerol

Glycerol, also called glycerin or glycerine, is a humectant that’s present in all natural lipids (fats), whether animal or vegetable. It can be derived from natural substances by hydrolysis of fats and by fermentation of sugars; it also can be synthetically manufactured, which is usually the case with modern-day skin care products, as doing so results in highly purified glycerine.

Glycerol is a skin-replenishing and skin-restoring ingredient, meaning it is a substance found naturally in skin, helping to establish normal balance and hydration. It’s one of the many substances in skin that helps maintain a healthy look and feel, defending against dryness and working to maintain skin’s moisture level. Essentially, glycerol is a master at hydration, and works best when combined with other replenishing and emollient ingredients.

Some people wonder whether using products with glycerol takes too much water from skin when there isn’t enough humidity in the air. This can occur with pure glycerol (that is, at a 100% concentration - an amount that’s never used in skin care products). Any humectant (including glycerin) used in pure form can increase water loss by attracting water from the lower layers of skin into the surface layers when the climate is too arid (low humidity). For this reason, glycerol and humectants are typically used in concentrations of 5% or less and always combined with other ingredients to soften skin. In fact, glycerol combined with other emollients and/or oils is a fundamental cornerstone of most moisturizers. However, amounts of 10% or greater can be used in clinical circumstances for skin healing.