Everything You Need to Know About Glycerin, the Unsung Hero of Skincare

In the world of skincare, it's often the most complicated, exotic, and otherworldly-sounding ingredients that capture our attention. While a long name doesn’t necessarily guarantee results, our minds tend to think otherwise. However, there’s one hardworking, sleeper ingredient here to prove us wrong: glycerin for skin, a staple found in many of our favorite face washes.

When we think of moisture boosters in skincare, hyaluronic acid usually comes to mind first. Yet, glycerin, its less glamorous but highly effective sister, deserves its own spotlight. It’s probably already hiding in some of the products you use, making now the perfect time to get acquainted with this unsung hero. To give you the full lowdown on what glycerin is and why glycerin is beneficial for your skin, we spoke with the experts.

Keep reading to learn how you can reap all of this ingredient's benefits. 

What Is Glycerin?

According to Engelman, "Glycerin is a naturally occurring compound in the body. In topical skincare, it is derived from plants," she says. In other words, after you apply glycerin, the magic happens deep inside the skin. Once it's absorbed, it can get to where it's needed, replenishing the moisture your skin loses.

"Glycerin works as a humectant, it attracts moisture from the air into the stratum corneum (top layer of skin), and due to its low molecular weight, will continue to draw moisture to the deeper layers of the dermis. It has a molecular weight of approximately 92 g/mol, which means it is able to penetrate deep into the skin," Polowyj explains. 

We know that your skincare dictionary is already bursting at the seams but trust us, this is one that you need to save and file. 

Benefits of Glycerin for Skin

• It's an effective moisturizer: Chances are, glycerin is already a mainstay in your medicine cabinet. According to Polowyj, "cosmetic chemists will use it in most formulations because of how effective it is in terms of moisturizing." When you're battling dry, dehydrated, or cracked skin, you'll take some added moisture wherever you can get it. 

• It helps protect skin against harsh products: Polowyj says glycerin is "used a lot in pharmaceutical creams, promoted by doctors to treat extreme dryness and repair skin elasticity. It keeps your skin soft, supple, and hydrated, which is essential as we use harsh soapy products, which strip away our natural oils." 

• It prevents the loss of moisture: The difference between glycerin- and non-glycerin-based products? "Oils and serums are meant to penetrate the skin barrier and be absorbed by the skin. Thicker products, like those that include glycerin, are meant to support the skin barrier by covering the outside," says Engelman. "They prevent loss of water in the skin, which allows natural oils to nourish and repair."

What Types of Products Contain Glycerin?

Glycerin is a common ingredient in many skincare and beauty products due to its hydrating and skin-protecting properties. You can find glycerin in facial cleansers, moisturizers, serums, body lotions, hand creams, and even some hair care products.

Side Effects of Glycerin

There are no known side effects of glycerin when used as an ingredient in skincare products; however, it may cause an allergic reaction if used in high concentrations: "In general, glycerin is a super safe skincare product," says Tzu. "However, as with any product, allergic reactions or irritation are possible, albeit rare."

How to Use It

Almost everything can benefit from a healthy dose of glycerin, which means it can be added to almost every single step of your routine.

"Usually glycerin should already be premixed with a number of other ingredients that form the vehicle of a moisturizer or other moisturizing skin care product," says Tzu. "A cosmetic chemist is the professional who usually does the necessary work to create the perfect ratio of ingredients for a moisturizer. I would not do too much [in terms of] DIY chemistry projects by mixing glycerin with other compounds. This should be the work of a chemist. Just sit back, relax, and apply the moisturizer on mildly damp skin."  

As Polowyj explains, "It's one of the most commonly used raw materials in the cosmetics and pharmaceutical industries and in chemistry, glycerin is the basic backbone of most essential lipids, which are oils found within your skin, so it has a great affinity to the skin." As a result, you'll see it as an ingredient in a lot of skincare products, especially in moisturizers, cleansers, and serums. It's an easy and quick-fire way to get super smooth and moisturized skin without needing a separate product. 

When you're looking for key actives you'll want them to be nearer the top, but for glycerin, you might need to look a little further down. "It can be quite a sticky material, so you don’t want to see it too high up on the ingredients list as it will affect the way the product feels. Generally speaking, it’s ideal to see it around the third or fourth ingredient down, with a typical usage level of 10 percent," Polowyj explains.