Glycerin, also known as glycerol and glycerine, is a substance known as a humectant that moisturizes and increases the general health of your skin in many ways. You can find glycerin at most pharmacies and grocery stores. It can be applied in its pure form or as an ingredient in lotions and skin creams.
Helps Against Some Skin Diseases
In an article in the December 2003 edition of the Journal of Investigative Dermatology, Drs. Xiangjian Zheng and Wendy Bollinger Bollag cite glycerin as a helpful and important component in skin cell maturation. According to their findings, it may help people combat such skin diseases as psoriasis and non-melanoma skin cancer by normalizing the proliferation and maturation of cells. This property may also boost the skin’s natural ability to heal wounds.
Functions as a Moisturizer
The Mayo Clinic lists glycerin as a humectant, which is a substance that absorbs moisture from the air and holds it in the outermost layers of the skin. Because of this property, it is very effective as an ingredient in moisturizers. You may also find it useful as a softener for thickened or scaly skin.
Strengthens Skin's Natural Barrier
The Mayo Clinic also notes glycerin’s effectiveness as a skin barrier. A protective coating of glycerin both protects your skin from exposure to harmful chemicals and traps water in. The stronger your skin barrier, the less likely your skin is to become dry in the future, so glycerin’s properties as a skin barrier and its ability to pull moisture from the air are important in treating dry skin.
Exfoliates Skin
Glycerin breaks down proteins called corneodesmosomes, which make dead skin cells clump together with live cells, according to Skincare-news.com. Once corneodesmosomes are broken down, the dead cells on your skin flake and fall off more easily. This exfoliating process gives you cleaner, healthier skin.
References
- Mayo Clinic: Moisturizers 101: The Basics of Softer Skin
- Skincare-news.com: Glycerin: A Go-To Ingredient for Skin and Hair
- Nature.com; Journal of Investigative Dermatology; Aquaporin 3 Colocates With Phospholipase D2 in Caveolin-Rich Membrane Microdomains and Is Downregulated Upon Keratinocyte Differentiation; Xiangjian Zheng and Wendy Bollinger Bollag; 2003
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