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Ingredients, Dehydrated skin, Dry Skin

5 Suprising Reasons Glycerine is the Holy Grail of Dewy, Glowing Skin

Posted on by Samantha Miller
Glycerin For Skin
25
Jan

Has a 7-step routine betrayed your heart?

That still leaves your skin dry and flaky.

Well, there’s no time for tears; instead, it’s time to take action.

With an understated beauty hero.

And that, my friends, is gorgeous glowy glycerine.

When we think of moisture boosters, we think of sexy humectants like hyaluronic acid.

And rarely does its less glamourous relative glycerine spring to mind.

But we folks at NC are on a mission to bring it into the spotlight.

So let’s take a deep dive and look at what is glycerine.

Contents
1. What is Glycerine?
2. The Humectant That Keeps on Giving
3. Glycerines Beautifying Benefits
3.1. 1. Improves Chronic Dry Skin
3.2. 2. Naturally Exfoliating
3.3. 3. Maintains Water Balance
3.4. 4. It Has a Protective Role.
3.5. 5. Promotes Skin Cell Maturation
4. Do Humid Temperature Have an Adverse Effect?
5. What Percentage Should You Use?
6. How is Glycerine Formed?
7. To Conclude. The naked truth
8. References

What is Glycerine?

Glycerine is often referred to as “Glycol” or “Glycerol”.

It’s a humectant and is part of your skin’s natural moisturising factor (NMF).

Glycerine has a molecular weight of approximately 92 g/mol; in layperson’s terms, it penetrates deep.

Why it may seem like the dull, poor relation to more glamourous urea or hyaluronic acid, glycerine’s slow and steady manoeuvre comes with lasting benefits.

It draws moisture deep into your skin’s layers, continuously releasing it throughout the day.

For all you dry-skin guys and gals, think tiny moisture magnets that keep your skin visibly hydrated.

All hail glycerine!

The Humectant That Keeps on Giving

The effects of glycerin last well beyond the usage of the product containing it, even in the wash-out period—thought to be two weeks after the end of the application has been completed,

This study that looked at what is glycerine and its effect on the skin (1) found that ten days of treatment on normal skin with 20% glycerine significantly increased the hydration in participants’ skin and improved the skin health of those whose skin was primarily characterised by xerosis and barrier impairment.

In other words, it keeps working on your skin long after you’ve stopped using it.

Glycerines Beautifying Benefits

Anti-Ageing: It stabilises collagen and accelerates healing.
Protective: It is often used in pharmaceuticals to treat dry skin, help with elasticity and repair the barrier function.
Moisturising: Glycerine is an effective moisturising agent helping to soften and lubricate your skin.
Anti-Irritant: It is thought to influence the protective function of your skin against irritation.
Hydrating: Glycerine absorbs its weight in water over a few days, making it the perfect ingredient for dehydrated skin.
Natural Exfoliant: It has a keratolytic effect, helping with desquamation—your skin’s natural exfoliating process, which breaks down skin cells to prevent dull and flaky skin.

As if that’s not enough, it’s also great for your hair, helping to retain moisture in the hair shaft; it’s also an excellent conditioning ingredient giving your hair a glossy sheen.

1. Improves Chronic Dry Skin 

It is important to remember that dry skin may result from mutated skin lacking in AQP-3.

Hence, a product formulated with glycerin is the perfect choice for those suffering from dry skin conditions.

This study (2) found that when applied to skin deficient in AQP-3, only glycerin could help restore the normal hydration levels in the participant’s outer layer of skin.

Increased skin elasticity and improved impaired barrier recovery were also discovered; other humectants, like propylene glycol, did not have the same effect.

Glycerine effectively treats several conditions associated with dry skin, including; psoriasis, ichthyosis, atopic dermatitis, and xerosis.

This is why understanding the mechanism of glycerine’s actions is the key to treating your skin if you have extremely dry skin or its associated conditions.

2. Naturally Exfoliating

Glycerine has been suspected to improve dry, flaky skin by facilitating the digestion of desmosome cells in the epidermis.

Desmosome cells appear as thick patches in the cell membrane between two cells; they contain specialised proteins like keratin found in fingernails and hair, increasing the rigidity of your skin’s tissues.

Glycerine possesses a keratolytic effect, which means it is slightly exfoliating; this reduces the formation of the scales on the surface of your skin, breaking stubborn cells apart, which means you won’t get those big flaky patches of skin, only nice smooth ones.

This is a very convoluted way of saying that glycerin can help exfoliate your skin, allowing your skin cells to shed quickly. Phew!

3. Maintains Water Balance

Glycerine deeply hydrates the stratum corneum, your outermost layer of skin.

Studies have found that it forms a persistent reservoir in the depth of the stratum corneum, thus reducing the evaporation rate of moisture from your skin’s surface.

Our article, “The clear skin difference“, explains water and hydration’s roles on your skin.

4. It Has a Protective Role.

Glycerine helps to rebuild an impaired barrier function, protecting your skin against environmental damage and harsh ingredients.

It is often found in pharmaceutical formulas promoted by dermatologists to repair extreme dryness and dehydration.

5. Promotes Skin Cell Maturation

Glycerine can fight the effects of topical skin conditions such as psoriasis.

Research (3) carried out by doctors Wendy Bollag and Xiangjian Zheng found that when glycerine is applied to the skin, it signals the cells to mature normally.

Psoriasis is a skin condition whereby the skin cells shed before they can adequately mature, resulting in thickened, scaly skin.

The doctors found that glycerine can interrupt this abnormal process, allowing skin cells to develop fully before shedding.

With all these benefits, it’s no wonder you can find vegetable glycerine in our H₂O Hydrating Complex or our moisture bomb formula Quench, where the list of ingredients reads like a drink for your skin.

Do Humid Temperature Have an Adverse Effect?

There is a school of thought that glycerine can harm your skin in humid climates; it is thought to pull moisture from the skin’s tissues. However, we believe this to be an urban myth as we can find no evidence to support this theory.

All the research points to glycerine being an excellent choice as a humectant.

Remember the earlier study that included glycerine in a skincare formula that keeps skin hydrated for as long as two weeks? Even after removing the product, it works its magic on the skin much longer than many other humectants.

What Percentage Should You Use?

The moisturising effects of glycerine depend on the quantity of the absorbed humectant. Therefore, the concentration and composition of your formula are essential.

This study (4) found that glycerine used between 2 and 5 % within a formula significantly improved skin’s hydration when used in an occlusive ‘oil in water cream’ base.

Participants with dry skin on their legs benefitted at 20 to 40% concentration.

For this reason, we supply a foot lotion with 25% glycerin in our clinic, and whilst it does feel tacky, it takes our client’s feet from really dry to extraordinarily conditioned and moisturised in just one night.

How is Glycerine Formed?

Vegetable glycerine is an organic compound traditionally made from vegetable fat, a thick, gelatinous, and odourless liquid that completely dissolves in water.

A complex extraction method known as hydrolysis is used to create glycerine and fatty acids used in skincare; the raw material is subjected to a temperature of around 400° C at constant pressure for approximately thirty minutes.

This process enables water to absorb the glycerol from the fatty acid phase, and once this phase is complete, the glycerol is purified by distillation to create glycerine.

To Conclude. The naked truth

So when asking the question, what is glycerine? There is a lot to know, and it seems we can all benefit from a little glycerine in our life.

The really great thing, it can be used in every single step of your routine.

It has a natural affinity with your skin and forms the backbone of many essential lipids found naturally within your skin, which is why it is found in many personal care products.

The moisturising effects of glycerin can last well beyond the use of the product that contains it, even up to two weeks after it is stopped.

It can help restore an impaired barrier, gently encourage natural exfoliation, help restore hydration, and possibly increase skin elasticity and hydration, even in those deficient in AQP-3.

Put simply; it’s an easy and quick-fire way to get super smooth and moisturised skin.

So we think you’d agree if you are suffering from dry, dehydrated, or mature skin, it could just become the holy grail ingredient you have been looking for.

References

1. The influence of a cream containing 20% glycerin and its vehicle on skin barrier properties.

Relationship between Aging-Related Skin Dryness and Aquaporins.

2. Glycerol — Just a Moisturizer? Biological and Biophysical Effects.

3. Glycerin may help skin disease, study finds.

4. The 24-hour skin hydration and barrier function effects of a hyaluronic 1%, glycerin 5%, and Centella Asiatica stem cells extract moisturising fluid: an intra-subject, randomised, assessor-blinded study.

Samantha Miller

Here at the Naked Chemist, we transform ordinary rituals into the extraordinary with beautiful, natural skincare, and expert beauty advice.

102 thoughts on “5 Suprising Reasons Glycerine is the Holy Grail of Dewy, Glowing Skin”

  1. Melody says:

    Hi, I have glycerine in my cupboard for baking purposes, can I use this as a skincare ingredient or do I have purchase a special type of glycerine instead?

    Reply
  2. Ha hyeon Kim says:

    Hi, I read it carefully and thank you for this useful information. And can I ask you a question? Today I apply vegetable glycerine for the first time. Before I put it on my face, I took some drops of it and rub them with palms and I felt “warm” and “a little hot”. And when I apply the glycerine on my face I felt a little hot. I wonder whether it is natural phenomenon or not. Thank you. 🙂

    Reply
  7. weir says:

    Radiation destroyed my right side salivary glands so have been using various preparations to ease the extreme mouth dryness particularly at night A friend has suggested a mixture of four teaspoons of water to one of glycerine might help.

    Reply
    • Kristine Charbonneau says:

      I’m very interested in seeing the answer to this dry mouth question. My mother had radiation shot through her mouth to reach her nasal cavity cancer and her nighttime dry mouth is terrible and nothing helps.

      Reply
  9. nan says:

    I’ve started using Corn Huskers Lotion on my hands with gloves at night. I’m going under the assumption that it’s a vegetable source of glycerine?

    Reply
    • Samantha Miller says:

      An interesting question, but i don’t think this is a great combination, even from just a texture view point? I never work with H.Peroxide so i don’t feel qualified to answer apologies…Samantha

      Reply
    • Nan says:

      I tried it on my nose Mai. We got big pores and the only thing we can do about it tell ourselves it may bother us but other people don’t seem to care, really. My Mom had big pores.

      Reply
  12. Laura says:

    I have used glycerin to moisturize my nosals and makes my breathing much easier. Is this safe to use alone? on a regular basis? Thanks

    Reply
    • Samantha Miller says:

      Laura there is mixed reviews about glycerine and I personally wouldn’t use it alone for one it is to sticky? And I think it maybe an irritant? But certainly try it if you feel your skin will tolerate it. All the best Samantha

      Reply
  14. Alliyah says:

    Hi,can I ask your opinion on what I should do about my skin problems?even though I have a fair skin sometimes my skin look really dull and dry.i do moisturise my skin.hope you could help me.

    Reply
  15. Rajesh Agrawal says:

    If your skin is dry in winter season you use glycerine in mixer of water or rose water mixer solution is 10ml glycerine and 90ml water or rose water it is best preaparation for your skin your skin is never dry in winter or cold season, if this solution is not enough you can add more glycerine but anyhow this mixer is absolutely sure and safe

    Reply
  16. Rukia says:

    Hi!i bought glycerine but when i put in my hands for application i feel it hot.is it supposed to be hot and do i use it ,do i mix it with something else.

    Reply
  17. Anonymous says:

    Hi my leg is very dry and dry because my leg broke and crack my friend ask me to buy glycerine, do you think it is it going to work

    Reply
    • Samantha Miller says:

      Hi No glycerine is not enough, you need healing and repairing ingredients at a cellular level ..think tissue repair like rosehip seed oil co2 extract only, helichrysanth, sea buckthorn, comfrey urea for hydrating. samantha

      Reply
  18. Hannah says:

    If u make a mixture of equal quantities of rose water and glycerine and the. Add half quantity of lemon for example 1Tsp rose water and 1Tsp glycerine and half Tsp lemon mix them well and keep it safe in a spray bottle and use it every night on hands face and feet or even whole body and wash it the next it…it’s the best moisturiser for winters I have ever used 🙂

    Reply
    • Samantha Miller says:

      Hannah, I once went to a beauty salon for a massage and my therapist was Indian and she had the softest hands, when I asked her she told me she rubbed lemon neat on her hands. not sure about using this on the face as it would certainly upset the pH but certainly on areas that have calluses like the feet. Thanks for the tip.

      Reply
    • Samantha Miller says:

      Hannah
      I love this tip and sure my readers will to. It is the citric acid in the lemon that is acting as a gentle exfoliant, rose is slightly astringent and tonifying. Thankyou so much Samantha

      Reply
  19. April says:

    Can you over use glycerin in your daily skincare routine? I recently purchased rose water with glycerin. It made my face feel tacky, but it really helped with some rosacea on my cheeks. Before I continue use, I wondered if this is a product I only need 1 to 2 times a week instead of daily?

    Reply
    • Samantha Miller says:

      April I have to admit i am not 100% sure of the answer to this, great that you had a good result, maybe try blending it with a beautiful gentle oil like calendula or camellia oil perfect for sensitive skin types…good luck

      Reply
        • Pat says:

          I was researching about my skin condition today and found out I have Ichthyosis vulgaris. Apparently there is no cure. However, I have been applying glycerine+water in the affected areas for years. It helps a lot, better than loads of heavy duty moisturizers that I have used. I apply before bed as it gets tacky and warm, and shower in the morning. You have to scrub the dead skin off though. Immediately after shower I apply moisturizer (I would use glycerine but it gets tacky). It does not cure totally but at least improves the appearance of that scaly skin.

          Reply
  20. teresa tejano says:

    if glycerine is one of the ingredients in beauty care products can this eliminate melasma or skin pigmentations on face?

    Reply
    • Anonymous says:

      No glycerin will not in fact lighten hyperpigmentation but you will find a lot of great results by taking a vitamin A supplement in minimal doses so that you don’t reach toxicity it will help internally lighten hyperpigmentation I know because I suffered from very bad acne and also vitamin C serums as well as retinol acids will help to lighten hyperpigmentation but the number one protector that you should always use is sunblock and remember you must reapply sunblock every 90 minutes that means if you’re driving in your car and hour and a half after you put on your makeup spray your face with an ultra-fine sport mist sunblock that will help prevent hyperpigmentation from reoccurring on the surface of your skin

      Reply
    • MICHAEL WILEY says:

      I have been dealing with Diabetic Ulcers for quite some time. I have extreme dark spots on both of my feet and of course very coarsed areas on them as well as the toes. I wonder will glycerin make a difference in the dry aspects of my feet?

      Reply
      • Samantha Miller says:

        Hi Michael no i donlt think it will. I trained with Shirly Price aromatherapy in the UK and they I am sure will be able to help you, they have some amazing results with diabetis also. Samantha

        Reply

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