What Are The Benefits Of Glycerin For Skin?

Don’t you wish we all had naturally beautiful, eternally youthful skin? As we grow older, our body becomes less efficient at producing skin cells, oils, and natural moisturizing factor. We try to help it out with creams and serums, but the most effective and least irritating skincare ingredients are those that closely mimic the skin’s chemical composition. That’s what makes glycerin one of the best skincare ingredients – no matter what your skin type is!

Glycerin: The Next Best Thing For Skin

Gylcerin is a humectant, or a compound that not only hydrates the skin but draws in moisture from the air and traps it. It is so similar to our skin’s natural moisturizing factor that it is one of the few skincare ingredients that works on all skin types and at all ages. It will rehydrate dry skin, calm sensitive skin, balance oily skin, and plump up mature skin.

Glycerin also has another powerful ability – it helps aquaporins (proteins that transport moisture) into the deeper skin layers. That’s why it’s a lot more effective than most heavy creams, which just sit on the skin surface or temporarily plump up the skin to minimize the appearance of lines and wrinkles. By delivering moisture to the deeper dermis, glycerin actually hydrates skin from within.

Different Ways That Glycerin Helps Skin

Glycerin can be made naturally derived from plants, and is often combined with other ingredients that can moisturize skin (called emollients) or trap moisture in the skin (called occlusive). You could call it your double-defense against aging. Your skin immediately feels softer and looks smoother, but you also get long-term effects as the moisture goes into deeper layers of the skin.

This incredibly powerful effect is one reason why plant-derived glycerin is used in many organic and natural skincare products. Here are some benefits:

1. It prevents, treats and minimizes the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles
2. It restores the skin barrier, which can protect it from the damage caused by UV exposure and pollution. Studies show that people who have dry skin are also more sensitive to environmental damage and premature aging. So you may think your skin looks fine now,  but the wrinkles will appear much earlier than they’re supposed!
3. It relieves dryness, irritation, redness and inflammation – making it an ideal ingredient for both sensitive skin and acne-prone skin
4. It hydrates oily skin without feeling sticky or clogging pores with heavy creams
5. It helps other ingredients (antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals) penetrate deeper into the skin

Natural Skincare Products With Glycerin

Glycerin is very safe and effective, but it is sometimes combined with irritating skincare ingredients that negate its benefits. For example, some products use mineral oils or harsh chemicals that can clog the pores or trigger breakouts and rashes. Others use very sticky emollients that can make the cream difficult to absorb.

Here are some natural skincare products that contain glycerin and have proven to be gentle, safe, and effective. All the products are available on Amazon, and are free of artificial scents, sulfates, phthalates, parabens, and other chemicals.

Product Recommendations

Primavera Balancing Gel Cleanser (Combination & Oily Skin)

It is perfect for oily and combination skin because it removes all makeup and dirt but still feels light and fresh. It won’t dry out or irritate your skin, and contains many plant extracts like willow bark, grapeseed extract, mint extract that can help prevent acne and fight aging.

Aveeno Skin Relief Fragrance-Free Body Wash 

This product is not only affordable and available everywhere, its non-drying formula is gentle enough for kids and people with very sensitive skin. It has a fresh, clean scent and is easy to lather up and rinse off. It doesn’t dry out your skin, but to really pump up your skin moisture, apply a body oil after showering and then pat dry with a towel.

Murad Advanced Active Radiance Serum

While this is definitely not cheap, it has won awards for its effective treatment of very dry, dull aging skin. It combines scientific research with clinically proven plant extracts and high-quality glycerin.

Pure Glycerin Oil

Amazon also sells several brands of pure, cosmetic-grade glycerin that you can add to your current beauty products or use to make your own beauty masks, soaps, and body washes. While you should still be careful about what you apply to your face – even natural ingredients can irritate your skin if you don’t use them in the right concentrations – you can start using them on your hair and body to test for allergic reactions before applying on your fae and neck.