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Ingredient glossary / Humectant

Glycerin (glycerol)

On the label: Glycerin · Humectant

What it is

A sugar alcohol from vegetable oils or made synthetically; the most used humectant in skin care and one of the best studied. Usually sits high in the list of any moisturizer.

Humectants: Humectants draw water into the outer layer of skin from the air and the layers below; glycerin is the classic one.

Wikidata: Chemical compound. Q132501 →

In the research

378 PubMed papers mention it with skin, cosmetics or hair; the three most recent:

A paper is a paper, not a verdict: titles are listed so you can read them, and a study on cells or mice says little about a cream on a face.

Products whose label lists it

24 on the site

Matched from the ingredient list the supplier printed; the position in the list (first or thirtieth) is on each product page.

Other humectants

Dew & Balm describes ingredients from the public record and makes no claim about what a product will do for you. Statements about dietary supplements have not been evaluated by the FDA. If a product causes a reaction, stop using it; a reaction that spreads or affects breathing is a call to a doctor or 911.

Glycerin (glycerol): what it is and what it does in a formula | Dew & Balm