Although somewhat undervalued, glycerin is one of the best natural moisturizers used in skincare for the treatment and prevention of skin dryness. A lot of factors such as exposure to harsh environmental conditions including cold, dry winter weather (as is typical with Canada’s weather) or frequent washing with soap and hot water, amongst others, can cause severe barrier damage and increase the rate at which moisture leaves the skin.
Glycerin aids restoration and prevention of dry skin through the improvement of the skin’s barrier, resulting in decrease in the skin’s moisture loss. This, it does, by attracting moisture and helping to retain the moisture that has been attracted in the skin’s uppermost layer. The effect of glycerin also remains visible for days even after stopping the use of the product. Products with high glycerin content tend to create a “reservoir” of moisture-holding ability within the skin, which empowers the skin to be more resistant to drying conditions.
At a glance, some of the benefits of glycerin include:
- It helps improve the skin’s texture and appearance by strengthening the skin’s barrier and reducing the extent of moisture that the skin loses.
- Due to its ability to retain moisture, glycerin helps plump and hydrate the skin which makes it ideal in anti-ageing products as it helps to reduce the visible signs of aging. It also helps to improve the skin’s elasticity and firmness due to its stabilizing effect on collagen.
- Glycerin helps to soothe, soften and calm irritated or inflamed skin. It is also non-irritating and suitable for all skin types, including sensitive skin.
- Due to its antimicrobial properties, it can restrict the water activity in formulations and reduce the amount of water available for microorganisms to thrive. While the water in the products will still be available for the skin’s benefit, this restriction is only to inhibit the growth of microorganisms.
As beneficial as glycerin is, it is not recommended that it is used as leave in moisturizer undiluted (100% in its natural form) as this can lead to severe dryness of the skin. Why is this? Due to its moisture attracting property, glycerin will draw water from wherever it can access it. If it is unable to access the water from outside the body, it will draw it from within the body to the skin’s surface. This will, invariably, reduce the amount of moisture within the skin over time and continuous use of undiluted glycerin when there is reduced moisture to draw from can lead to extreme skin dryness characterized by dehydrated look, scaly and flaky skin.