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Profile: Vegetable Glycerin

Commonly known as: Glycerin (INCI), glycerol, propane-1,2,3-triol, trihydroxypropane, glyceritol, propanetriol.
Botanical name: Brassica napus, Helianthus annuus, Elaeis guineensis, etc.
Extraction process: Extraction from vegetable-based oils (canola, corn, sunflower, palm, soy, coconut, olive, flax, palm kernel...), followed by a distillation, decolorization, and filtration stage.
Family: Various.
Part of the plant extracted: Vegetable oils.
Location: /
Flowering: /
Provenance, origin: Southeast Asia (Malaysia, Indonesia) and Europe (France, Germany, Belgium, Romania, Ukraine, etc.).
Phytochemical composition: A chemical compound with three hydroxyl groups of the alcohol type (trialcohol).
Sensorial properties: Appearance: Viscous and thick liquid; Color: Colorless to light yellow; Odor: Odorless.
Physical characteristics: Molar mass: 92.0932 g/mol; Density: 1.2 - 1.3 g/cm3; Miscible in water and ethanol; Slightly soluble in acetone; Non-miscible in fatty oils and essential oils; Recommended dosage for use in cosmetics in an aqueous phase: from 2 to 10%.
Benefits: Softening, antibacterial, anti-irritant, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, soothing, healing, humectant, hydrating, protective, emollient, solvent, lubricating, thickening, keratolytic, plasticizing, photoprotective, virucidal.
Concerns: All skin types, especially dry skin, mature skin, and dehydrated skin; All hair types, particularly dry hair.

Details

Properties

  • Softening: Enhancing the appearance of the skin by providing comfort and softness through maintaining a constant level of hydration;

  • Anti-inflammatory, anti-irritant: Alleviate inflamed skin and soothe irritations by inhibiting the expression level of certain inflammatory cytokines, reducing the number of immune cells at the site of irritation, and decreasing the speed of blood flow and the diameter of micro-vessels;

  • Antibacterial, antiviral: Slowing down the growth, and reducing the population of bacteria and viruses;

  • Healing: Speeding up the healing process of skin wounds by enhancing the proliferation of epidermal cells;

  • Moisturizing: Maintaining skin hydration and preventing dehydration by attracting and retaining moisture from the surrounding air and the dermis, attributed to its chemical structure rich in hydrophilic hydroxyl groups, and by inhibiting the crystallization into solid form of the lipids in the stratum corneum;

  • Keratolytic: Promotes the breakdown of corneodesmosomes, which are responsible for the cohesion of corneocytes, by altering the activity of desquamating enzymes;

  • Plasticizing: Slowing down water loss by strengthening the skin's barrier function through the formation of a "pseudo-occlusive" film on the epidermis;

  • "Photoprotective": Potentially protecting the skin against X-rays and UV light at 365 nm.

Applications

  • Facial Care (face creams, serums, masks, makeup remover lotions, lip balms, facial scrubs, hydrating mists, shaving foams, eye contour creams);

  • Body Care (body creams, moisturizing lotions, shower gels, exfoliating gels, nourishing hand balms, after-sun lotions);

  • Hair Care (shampoos, conditioners, hair masks, moisturizing hair lotions, styling gels);

  • Hygiene (hand sanitizers, toothpastes);

  • Makeups (lipsticks, lip glosses, blushes).

Method of Preservation

Store at room temperature (minimum 68°F and maximum 140°F) away from light, but most importantly, keep it away from moisture.

Contraindications, Usage Precautions

Glycerin is among the most tolerated active ingredients. It adapts to all skin types, including sensitive skin. Indeed, it is present in many hypoallergenic products. Its use is permitted in babies under 3 years old, children under 6 years old, as well as pregnant and breastfeeding women.

However, glycerin should be used diluted on the skin, as it may cause irritations or mild allergies. An overdose of glycerin (beyond 10%) could have a drying effect on the skin.

  • In a cream, a lotion, a cleansing gel, a lip balm: 2 to 5% maximum in the formulation;

  • In a shower gel and a shampoo: 2 to 10% maximum in the formulation.

Find out more

Glycerin was discovered in 1783 by the Swedish pharmacist and chemist Carl Wilhelm SCHEELE by boiling olive oil with lead oxide, and then in 1823 by the French chemist Michel-Eugène CHEVREUL in the process of soap making (saponification). Its name comes from the Greek word "glykerós" which means "sweet". Historically, glycerin was of animal and synthetic origin. Today, we can use 100% vegetable glycerin, produced from vegetable oils rich in fatty acids. In addition to its humectant properties due to its high affinity with water, it is also a very good solvent for extracting the active principles of a plant, much better than with water or alcohol. Glycerin is also a very good emulsifier; it facilitates the mixing of ingredients in a formula.