Glycerin
Glycerin and uses for skin
Glycerin – Plain Jane
The cosmetics industry likes to talk about exciting new products that have ingredients with long chemical names. Though some of them may work to rejuvenate skin, often the point is simply to impress you. If you are impressed with what you read, it is hoped you will buy the product. But sometimes it is best to use those products that have reliable and tested ingredients. Glycerin has been used for years in a variety of products.
Products with glycerin make no false promises and are happy to be considered the ‘Plain Jane’ of the product lines. Why? Because glycerin works well and it is a key component in skin structure. These are facts, not boastful claims.
Rags To Riches
The skin is made of three layers – the epidermis, dermis and subcutaneous. Cushioning the layers, and giving the skin its soft appearance, is collagen and lipids. Glycerin is in the layering also. Glycerin is not only between skin layers; it is there is abundant quantity. It serves very specific purposes.
- Glycerin is one of the components in fats and oils or, as they are also called, triglycerides.
- Glycerin enters the bloodstream when the body needs energy and uses stored fats
- Glycerin is contributor to cell metabolism
- Glycerin is hygroscopic. It absorbs water from the air.
Glycerin has been used as a commercial product for many years. It is versatile and can be mixed with many other substances without losing its chemical stability. It is also non-toxic. Glycerin is a substance than has no negative side effects when mixed with water or some other delivery system. It should never be used in its pure form though because of its incredible water-drawing properties. It is used in food, cosmetics and personal hygiene products. Glycerin is sweet tasting and is used for flavoring and as a humectant. Unlike sugar, glycerin will not increase your blood sugar. But the most common knowledge about glycerin is its use in personal care products. This plain and common substance changes dry skin to richly moisturized.
Humble Origins
Glycerin for commercial uses comes from the fats and oils used to make soap. It has humble origins as a by-product. But this by-product is first concentrated and then purified. Glycerin can also be synthesized. One the glycerin is purified; it can be used in a variety of products.
- Clear soaps for moisturizing
- Lotions for moisturizing
- Creams for emollients
- Toothpaste
- Shaving Cream
- Hair Care products
Glycerin uses for skin
Glycerin products are gentle and do not cause irritation. Because of this, they are very good to use on children’s skin. It acts as a humectant, attracting water to the skin to restore suppleness. One of the primary causes of wrinkling is the loss of elasticity and moisture in the skin. Aging depletes skin resources and many are not restored by the body. Glycerine is water retaining and application on the skin forms a barrier against moisture loss and an attractant for new moisture. It is so commonly used and so unappreciated. And because of its large commercial use, glycerin is not expensive.
There is no reason to not moisturize your skin daily. Glycerin is inexpensive and available in all personal care products. It is a substance that is greatly unappreciated, but in reality is one of the best skin care substances available on the market. So try the Plain Jane – humble glycerin!
Can i apply glycerine on my face & hands as it is without using it with any other thing (cream,lotion,moisturiser etc.) for removing tanning…Will it make my skin fair & shiny??…
Plz reply on my above stated mail id…will be curiously waiting for your reply…
Thanking You for the rest information…take care.
Hi,
Thanks a lot for sharing wonderful info.
Please tell me how exactly i need to use glycerine on my skin and for my hair(dry and little curly). Can I apply it on skin just mixing with water?
Also, for hair shall I apply it after bath as a hair gel or use it as conditioner?
Thanks!!!
According to http://www.natural-health-information-centre.com/glycerin.html, glycerine moisturizes skin by bringing up moisture from the basal layers of the skin to the top layer. So, it actually DRIES skin, if that’s true, but it is drying the skin sub-layers, while moisturizing the top layers. If these are the newly formed skin cells under the epidermis, then drying them would be harmful, right?
Hi Lisa,
From what I understand you mix Glycerin with an equal amount of water, so therefore it will not search out and absorb water from any other place (the air, skin sub-layers), it will only keep the water already has, on your skin. It sounds like a rather tame attempt at rejuvenating the skin, especially when we are bombarded with so much data (commercials), but Glycerin (same as glycerol) may not be so tame. Here is some research on it that seems to point out that Glycerin may have an effect on the entire skin layer & its development, I mean at its cellular level even. When the skin gets dry on the outside it starts to dry on the inside and that affects how the new skin cells develop hence wrinkles & thickening skin. Read this: http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/4790.php
I wrote to mix glycerin & water in equal amounts but further research on the net finds most use much more water to glycerin.
Does anyone know the glycerin to water ratio that one should use?
Another way to ask it would be…
Does anyone know how much water (H2O) does each glycerin molecule absorb?
Try mixing glycerin with lemon juice. Astringent will seal the skin and glycerin can only absorb water from the air?
I dont use glycerine with water i mix it with another lotion because i like it shiny on the skin, is it okay to mix it with lotion? i cant find research on it anywere
I don’t have a website or any reliable source other than my cousin who recently finished her cosmetology courses. She told me the ratio is 3 parts water,1 part glycerin. I have yet to start using the mixture but will let you know the results as soon as I do.
My hairs are shoulder length but dry & curly too.It falls down also. I also use curd on my hairs before the hair wash should i add glycerin in it for shine? My face skin is normal. What should i use for glowing skin? Can i use it directly on my skin?
hi
can you suggest me whether can i use glycerin with rose water or how should i use it?
and should i be using soaps and face wash or not after it or should i use after my face wash? and can you write me to my mail stating the benifits of glycerin and how can be used?
hi,
i have been using glycerine and lemon mixed together for a period of 3 months now. my skin is so soft and i didnt get any irritation or discomfort. i apply it through my whole body. and my skin is always soft and not sticky.
I mix glycerin with shea butter, jojoba oil, and sweet almond oil to make my own skin moisturizer. Sometimes I would combine this mixture with regular lotion bought in the store and apply on my body.
The mix is actually good for hair, too.