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You may have heard about Vegetable Glycerin and its popularity in the skincare industry. Known for its inherent moisturizing properties, many people don’t know what exactly it is.
What Is Vegetable Glycerin?
When glycerin is derived from plant oils, it is known as Vegetable Glycerin. It is a sugar alcohol produced by subjecting heat to soy, coconut, or palm oil rich in triglycerides. Its chemical formula is C3H8O3. It has a consistency like syrup, has a mildly sweet taste, and is odourless.
Vegetable Glycerin is mostly used in the pharmaceutical, food industries, and skin care products such as Toner, Cleansers, Sunscreen, Moisturizers and many other cosmetic raw materials. Today, we will be talking about its uses and benefits from a skincare point of view. Let's start with the uses first.
Vegetable Glycerin Uses For Skin Care Products
Being a natural emollient, Vegetable Glycerin is added to both body care and face care applications. Skin specialists prefer it because it is gentle and safe to use. The main uses of Vegetable Glycerin for skincare are listed below:
- Toners: Applying Vegetable Glycerin on the face makes it look fresh and lively. It gives a toned look to your face without leaving a sticky or greasy residue. It manages to give a firm yet soft appearance to your face by tightening the skin pores. Therefore, it is added to face toners that provide a refreshing feel to the face alongside hydrating it.
- Cleansers: Adding Vegetable Glycerin to face cleansers lets them remove the dirt, dust, and grime without being harsh on the skin. Also, it does not clog pores or create excess oil in them. Therefore, it is also suitable for making face cleansers meant for oily or acne-prone skin. Moreover, it also does not make your skin dry or rough after cleansing.
- Sunscreen: Vegetable Glycerin is added to sunscreen to make them more slideable. Adding it enhances the spreadability of these products. By doing so, it enhances the performance and effectiveness of sunscreen. Also, being an emollient, it maintains the skin's moisture level even in extreme heat and dry conditions. All these properties make it an excellent ingredient in sunscreen lotions.
- Moisturizers: One of the noteworthy properties of Vegetable Glycerin moisturizer is its ability to hydrate your skin. It penetrates deep in the skin cells and fills in the cracks and gaps to provide a smooth and soft texture. Moreover, being a humectant, it draws moisture from the surroundings to maintain the hydration level of your skin cells. Therefore, it is a popular ingredient in moisturizers, lotions, and creams.
- Soaps: The gentle nature of Vegetable Glycerin makes it an ideal component of body washes and soaps. The soaps made from pure Vegetable Glycerin enhance your skin's ability to retain moisture. Also, it helps the other soap-making ingredients blend or gel with each other. Vegetable Glycerin is in demand in the soap-making industry because of its ability to create transparent and crystal clear soaps.
- Face Masks: Vegetable Glycerin is included in face masks for hydrating the skin cells quickly. It also freshens up your skin cells and provides a glowing and smooth complexion. Therefore, it provides anti-ageing results when added to these products. It also enhances the complexion and makes your skin brighter and smoother. Regular application of face masks containing Vegetable Glycerin protects your skin from regular wear and tear.
- Anti-Ageing Solutions: When applied on the skin, Vegetable Glycerin fills in the gaps and eliminates issues such as wrinkles and fine lines. It also shields your skin from external factors by creating a protective film around it. This protects your skin from damages, and your skin looks younger due to the moisturizing effects of Vegetable Glycerin. It also aids in replacing dry and damaged skin cells.
7 Effective Benefits Of Vegetable Glycerin In Skin Care
Glycerin offers several benefits to your skin, irrespective of the texture and skin type. When you utilize Vegetable Glycerin, it provides natural protection and nutrition to your skin. Also, it does not have any environmental hazards and is considered a safe ingredient for the skin. The top 7 benefits of Vegetable Glycerin are listed below:
- Reduce Acne: Vegetable Glycerin not only cleanses your skin to eliminate excess dirt and oil but also moisturizes it deeply. Therefore, people who have acne-prone skin can incorporate it into their skincare regime without any worries. Also, due to its non-comedogenic nature, it does not clog pores that may result in breakouts in the case of acne-prone skin. Glycerin is also gentle and treats acne in the right way.
- Heals Eczema: Vegetable Glycerin acts as a natural skin healer by repairing damaged and cracked skin cells. These properties make it effective against eczema that causes extreme irritation due to cracked skin cells. It also soothes conditions like psoriasis and speeds up the wounds resulting from these skin ailments. It also improves skin function and treats damaged skin without being too harsh.
- Moisture Retention: Including Vegetable Glycerin in the skincare routine helps to keep your skin moist, smooth, and supple. It prevents moisture from escaping from the outer layer of the skin by creating a film over it. Also, it draws moisture from the surroundings and keeps your skin hydrated for longer hours. It also prevents the skin from drying in excessive dry and cold conditions.
- Keeps Skin Young: By regulating the oil content of your skin cells, Vegetable Glycerin prevents the skin from getting excessively oily or dry. It also evens out the gaps in the cracked skin cells and provides a smooth and even complexion. By treating fine lines and wrinkles, Glycerin proves to be an excellent remedy for ageing skin. It protects your skin from harsh conditions and helps it to stay young.
- Protects & Heals Skin: Vegetable Glycerin exhibits some antimicrobial properties that aid in the healing process. It is gentle and soothing for skin that is cracked and aggravated due to wounds. It keeps your skin comfortable and protects it from heat, dry, cold, and wet conditions. Vegetable Glycerin is non-toxic and helps individuals with dry, oily, or combination skin types.
- Preserves Other Ingredients: Vegetable Glycerin is a preservative in skincare and cosmetic applications because of its ability to gel ingredients quickly. It also prevents these ingredients from becoming rancid and gets dissolved in both alcohol and water. Therefore, it is often used as a replacement for alcohol in botanical and herbal formulas. Vegetable Glycerin also improves the overall performance of skincare applications.
- Safe & Gentle: Glycerin is considered to be safe for external use. It is a mild and gentle ingredient that other exfoliating products. It also keeps your skin healthy and retains its moisture level even in extreme conditions. The emollient properties of Vegetable Glycerin make it ideal for those who have dry and rough skin. Regular use of Vegetable Glycerin makes your skin soft and smooth.
Side Effects: Is Vegetable Glycerin Good For Skin?
The possible side effects of Vegetable Glycerin are negligible. If your skin is allergic to alcohol, you must apply a small amount of glycerin to check its reaction. It is because Vegetable Glycerin is a sugar alcohol that is meant for external uses only.
FAQ
Q: Is Vegetable Glycerin good for skin?
A: Yes, it is totally good for your skin as it keeps it hydrated and smooth for long hours.
Q: Is Vegetable Glycerin vegan?
A: Since it is obtained from vegetable oils, Vegetable Glycerin is a vegan product.
Conclusion
Vegetable Glycerin is the best solution for cracked, dry, and irritated skin. Being a natural moisturizer and healer suits all skin types and can be included in your DIY skincare recipes. However, only prefer the Vegetable Glycerin that is sourced from organic and pure ingredients.
