Glycerin/Glycerol/Glycerine is used A LOT in
skincare and especially haircare products. I think this is the ingredient that
pops up the most in my cosmetics and hair care stash; I just can’t get away
from it!! Using glycerin is a great way to condition dry/flaky scalps, frizzy
and brittle hair, I love using glycerin products like Moroccanoil’s
Intense Hydrating Mask on my hair as it is chemically straighten and
products with glycerin increase the moisture content in my hair AND
prevents breakage.
The biggest thing to watch out for if your
cosmetics routine is glycerin based is that it is VERY WEATHER-DEPENDANT. Glycerin
has the ability to draw moisture from the atmosphere, into your hair and skin,
and retain said moisture. However this only works effectively in weather
conditions with a humidity level of 70% or more. If you live in the UK then it
is completely fine to have a glycerin heavy cosmetic routine like I have because
London (where
I live) has an average humidity level of 79%, making it perfect Glycerin
weather. If you happen to live in a particularly dry climate, I wouldn’t recommend
you using glycerin products, as you will experience the opposite effect where
the glycerin does the reverse and sucks the moisture OUT of your hair and into the atmosphere.
For as long as I can remember my mum adds a
little bit of glycerin & rosewater to her moisturizer to seal the moisture
into her skin and boost her moisturiser’s skincare properties as she normally
got very dry skin during the cold months. I think this is a ridiculously smart
idea as the humidity in London rises to 80%-90% from Oct – Feb (so
I would prescribe this trick to anyone who suffers from ridiculously dry skin
in the winter). Just a little
dose of Glycerin
helps
maintain the skin cell's water balance and improves the general appearance of
skin. Hydration does wonders for anyone skin to be honest.
Glycerin is also a very effective
preservative often used in medicine (commonly herbal) but if you ever find a
shampoo, wash or conditioner using Glycerin as its preservative, PUT IT DOWN!!!!
Glycerin is only an effective preservative with an ingredient content of 60% or
over and honestly this amount would turn your hair into a big sticky and slimy
mess. The recommended amount of glycerin
in a product is about 20% so be wary.
Hope my ‘Know Your Ingredient’ Series has been helpful
and informative so far. I love doing the research for each ingredient but do le
me know if you want me to touch up on any ingredient you are unsure of.
