Glycerin ???

[Amber_Maiden]

I'm really starting to wonder about glycerin... I've been trying to avoid it the last few months- because it makes both my skin and hair dry, BUT maybe I should make an exception? I'm finding it hard to find natural products that don't have it in it, and I think maybe I should give it a second chance. Wondering if anyone on here can shed some light on how glycerin is created, what it does exactly, how it could be drying, what could be bad or distasteful about it...

Thank you in advance!

Also, anyone else who had a similar experience with glycerin and found it drying as well, if you could share what you think about it I would appreciate it.

[Maktub]

I avoid it too, but don't know much about it either. It seems to be a by-product of the biodiesel industry (?)

Found this :

http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-glycerin.htm

http://www.ehow.com/how-does_5467937_glycerine-made.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glycerol

[Zhennni(:]

I find glycerin drying too! I remember reading something about using it in dry weather, glycerin actually sucks the mositure out of your hair :o

[Amber_Maiden]

I avoid it too, but don't know much about it either. It seems to be a by-product of the biodiesel industry (?)

Found this :

http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-glycerin.htm

http://www.ehow.com/how-does_5467937_glycerine-made.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glycerol

Thank you for the links!
So basically what I understand from that is that glycerin is edible... and that people with sensitive skin like glycerin soap... hmmmmm

[Amber_Maiden]

I find glycerin drying too! I remember reading something about using it in dry weather, glycerin actually sucks the mositure out of your hair :o

That makes sense! I just read that it sucks up water! :(

[jeanniet]

I'm not sure how it's made, but glycerin is a humectant, so it attracts moisture to itself. It could be drying if the environment is dry, but presumably when it's in a product it's combined with ingredients that would mitigate that effect. If you used it in a homemade detangling spray, you could get a drying effect during drier months. A lot of people here avoid using it during winter months (although if you live where it rains a lot in the winter, summer might be the time to skip using it).

I haven't seen dryness when I've used it, but I don't like the feel of it on my hair--that could just be a water issue, because my water tends to be difficult. AVG doesn't work well for me, either.

[amantha]

I find glycerin drying too! I remember reading something about using it in dry weather, glycerin actually sucks the mositure out of your hair :o

I've found this to be true too! Once I turned the heat on for the winter, all my leave-ins that had glycerin in them had to be put away. They worked wonders in the humid summer though. However my skin doesn't seem to mind glycerin products regardless of the time of year.

As for how glycerin is made, I couldn't really tell you. But I do know from reading labels that most of it seems to be vegetable derived.

[Zhennni(:]

so if you can only use glycerin in moist/humid weather?

[Maktub]

so if you can only use glycerin in moist/humid weather?

and/or, perhaps, on wet hair ?

[Zhennni(:]

On wet hair? o.o Maybe in the shower when it is all steamy, lol

[Maktub]

I mean, if moisture goes towards it (from the hair and from the environment), and you have some in your hair... it's probably better to apply when wet, because the moisture in the hair will go towards the glycerin.

On dry hair, it would get the hair even drier. Maybe applied on wet hair, there wouldn't be a noticable drying effect, since there would be sufficient water to go to the glycerin without drying the hair out too much ?

[Zhennni(:]

that makes sense. I might try that:P

[einna]

Glycerin is a humectant (draws water,like Maktub explained), like AVG and honey. I avoid such things in winter and in any dry climate. I have not tried glycerin, but other humectants works great for me in the humid spring and fall we have where I live. :)

I thiiink that if you use a humidifyer and/or have a shower where your head gets a lot of steam, humectants will be ok in dryer times.

[Georgies]

My understanding of the chemistry of cold process soap making is that glycerin is a product of the chemical reaction that makes soap, so it's inevitably in poo bars and liquid soap (as opposed to detergent shampoo). Even if it's not listed as an ingredient, it's in there. So the poo bar thread might be useful in terms of the long term effects on hair. I haven't tried poo bars yet since I have really, really hard water, but glycerin might be one of the things that give some people the "waxies" when they use them. Since poo bars work really well for some people, it's obviously not a problem for everyone...

[HintOfMint]

On wet hair? o.o Maybe in the shower when it is all steamy, lol

On no-wash days, when my hair is scraped into a bun on top of my head, I've dabbed glycerin on the underside of my hair when I take a steamy shower. It's worked wonders as long as I remember to put a touch of oil on my hair after to seal in whatever moisture my hair has gotten from the shower.

[ClassicalBlonde]

Glycerine is something I try to avoid as it is very thick and creates a film on the skin, hair or scalp, preventing oxygen (and most other things too, apparently) from getting through. It also clogs my pores, so I avoid it like the plague. I have also heard that it is often contaminated with chemicals that you wouldn't want on your skin or scalp.

[Zhennni(:]

On no-wash days, when my hair is scraped into a bun on top of my head, I've dabbed glycerin on the underside of my hair when I take a steamy shower. It's worked wonders as long as I remember to put a touch of oil on my hair after to seal in whatever moisture my hair has gotten from the shower.


so you put some glycerin on your dry hair while you shower? How much do you put? glycerin is quite thick and sticky:p

[ravenreed]

Several times I have had to trim right after using something that contains glycerin because my hair gets so dry that I wake up with splits everywhere. Keep in mind though that I live in a desert so there is little moisture in the air. Even just using it in the shower and rinsing everything really well doesn't help. Anyway, I mostly avoid glycerin and aloe vera gel these days.

[jojo]

I avoided it for years after trying it when my hair was apl; it too made my hair a little dry but then I tried it again just like 1/2 teaspoon mixed in my regular conditioner a few weeks back and wow really shinny, full hair. I love it now!

[vatikagirl]

I avoided it for years after trying it when my hair was apl; it too made my hair a little dry but then I tried it again just like 1/2 teaspoon mixed in my regular conditioner a few weeks back and wow really shinny, full hair. I love it now!

Jojo, can you please explain this in detail. Do you mean your hair was full of body and volume? Did it felt dry at any point of time? Did it leave a residue? And how much glycerin did you use? Did you use it as a leave in or a rinse out?

Sorry loads of questions but I have one glycerin bottle which I desperately want to use but I dont want to start on a bad foot.

[Raiscake]

Glycerin's a common ingredient in deep treatments sold here, but I live in a very humid country so it might be a godsend for many of us. I follow it up with oiling and my hair feels amazing. I know if I don't seal the extra moisture out of my hair, it turns into a frizzball.

[Neneka]

I read that in soaps glycerin is one of the products when lye reacts with fats and water. At least in "naturally" produced soaps and poo bars.

OT: I read something cool from Wikipedia. Invertebrate animals that are used to winter and cold are producing some glyserol in their cells before the cold season. It prevents ice crystal forming that could break the cells. :)

[Amber_Maiden]

Thank you for the responses everyone! I've decided not to give glycerin a second chance- it's too drying now and will probably always be.

[gazelle]

When I use glycerine diluted with water, it makes the hair really soft and moisturized, keeping the water locked in hair. But when pure used, it draws the hair's moisture. It makes opposite effects with diluting and pure

I sometimes make a homemade detangling spray and put in it a few drops

My friend saved her bleached hair from cutting with glycerine, but definitely mixed with water, not pure

[Pazita!]

I don't remember where I read it, but it said that you should look at the ingredient list and avoid those products that have glycerin at the beginning of the list, because it means that the product has a lot of glycerin on it, and then it will suck the moisture out of your hair, but if it isn't listed at the beginning the it shouldn't be bad for hair.
Also I think there is a difference between glycerin and vegetable glycerin. Vegetable glycerin is made strictly from plant oils, whereas non-vegetable glycerin is made from animal and/or petroleum-based oils, so I think that the first one should be better than the other, but I'm not sure.

[Anje]

Glycerin/glycerol is the polar part of fatty acids (fats from biological sources). When you make soap, the glycerine part splits off and is replaced by a more charged molecule attached to the fatty acid chain that forms soap. In commercial soap making, the glycerin is usually removed and sold separately, since it's worth more as an ingredient than left in the soap, so I'd only expect to find it in cold-process soaps from smaller operations.

Mixed with about 4 units of water per 1 unit of anhydrous glycerin, it really isn't supposed to be drying. If there's less water available for the molecule to bind, though, it'll almost certainly be drying since it will bind water from any available source, including skin and hair. Personally, at that dilution I find it still to be sticky. This blog entry (http://thenaturalhaven.blogspot.com/2011/10/glycerin-fall-and-winter-hair-care.html) and this one (http://thenaturalhaven.blogspot.com/2010/03/moisture-issue-glycerin-is-your-friend.html) may be enlightening.

[jojo]

so if you can only use glycerin in moist/humid weather?

yes it has been reported on the forum somewhere that drier climate long hair users get dry hair with glycerin and the opposite for moist/humid weather!

[jojo]

Jojo, can you please explain this in detail. Do you mean your hair was full of body and volume? Did it felt dry at any point of time? Did it leave a residue? And how much glycerin did you use? Did you use it as a leave in or a rinse out?

Sorry loads of questions but I have one glycerin bottle which I desperately want to use but I dont want to start on a bad foot.

Yes made my hair have a little more body but the main thing it gave me was shine, like henna shine. No it never felt dry at all but I live in a very wet/cold area so my hair reacted better the second time i used it. The first time I just it was at apl which would have been summer time or I may have used a bit much, you only need a bit. for my length hair it only took 1/2 teaspoon, too much and id get a greasy mess!

I just put a 1/2 teaspoon of it in say a large handful of conditioner which was cone free and stired it in with my finger whilst in my hands and plopped it on my hair, left for a good 5 minutes and rinsed-no build up and it washed out well. Really good stuff just start with little amounts until you find the amount your hair likes. Good luck and do report on how you find it.

[AmericanWoman]

Glycerin is the by product of soap making (lye and fat) Homemade soaps contain the natural glycerin.
the craemiest soap I ever used was my own. manufacturers remove the glycerin so they can sell it seperatly. therfore, most store bought soaps won't have glycerin.Also most store bought soaps are mede with petrolium based ,not animal or vegetable oils

[vatikagirl]

Thanks Jojo, this is surely helpful.
One more question, does anyone know what is the minimum humidity level that glycerin requires for positive results?!

[Veviticus]

so if you can only use glycerin in moist/humid weather?

Exactly! If there is no moisture in the air when glycerin is applied, it will draw the moisture from your hair. And a little goes a very long way.

[adiapalic]

Glycerin/glycerol is the polar part of fatty acids (fats from biological sources). When you make soap, the glycerine part splits off and is replaced by a more charged molecule attached to the fatty acid chain that forms soap. In commercial soap making, the glycerin is usually removed and sold separately, since it's worth more as an ingredient than left in the soap, so I'd only expect to find it in cold-process soaps from smaller operations.

Mixed with about 4 units of water per 1 unit of anhydrous glycerin, it really isn't supposed to be drying. If there's less water available for the molecule to bind, though, it'll almost certainly be drying since it will bind water from any available source, including skin and hair. Personally, at that dilution I find it still to be sticky. This blog entry (http://thenaturalhaven.blogspot.com/2011/10/glycerin-fall-and-winter-hair-care.html) and this one (http://thenaturalhaven.blogspot.com/2010/03/moisture-issue-glycerin-is-your-friend.html) may be enlightening.

^ This.

I've also read that the glycerin is often sold off to go into lotions. In other places, I've read that it draws moisture from deeper skin layers to the surface and hold it there (prevents drying and evaporation) longer to moisturize, and that normally this would be helpful, but in dryer climates it can just dry you out. There remains some disagreement with these statements, but research-based studies suggest it's mainly beneficial.

Medical News Today: "Glycerin may help skin disease" (http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/releases/4790.php)

In research published in the December issue of The Journal of Investigative Dermatology, she and co-author Dr. Xiangjian Zheng, who worked as a graduate student in her lab and is now a postdoctoral fellow at Vanderbilt University, show that glycerol also makes skin look and function better by helping skin cells mature properly.

TruthInAging.com: "Glycerin- does it really moisturize the skin" (http://truthinaging.com/ingredient-spotlight/what-is-it-glycerin)


One of the most impressive studies was conducted by Appa et al on 394 patients with severely dry skin. 16 moisturizers were tested against two high-glycerin creams over a five-year period. The glycerin won hands down and resulted in an increased thickness of the corneocytes. This is backed up by other research. For example, in a placebo-controlled, double-blind study at the Friedrich Schiller University Department of Dermatology in 2008, researchers investigated the effects of glycerin on atopic dermatitis on human subjects who were treated twice daily for four weeks. The patients receiving the glycerin showed significant improvement in the hydration of the outer layer of skin, and the skin's normal protective barrier function was restored.

Some remaining issues though: it can build up a film (like a lot of skin scare products), and the glycerin mostly available is from petroleum. Chemically, I really don't know if glycerin from petroleum and glycerin as a by product of saponification would have different molecular structures. Maybe Anje can answer that? ^^ If not, the only issue would be from an environmental standpoint--not wishing to further support the use of finite oil resources.

From my personal standpoint? I never knew this was a topic of debate until now--so I've personally never avoided products containing glycerin. I'm pretty convinced the ingredient is more beneficial to the skin than not, considering the research-based studies and my personal experience using products containing glycerin (though I would still prefer plant-based, because it's a renewable resource.) :flower:

[arielágua]

I am recently trying out soap bars on my hair which contain glycerine and I find they work well for me. They give my hair body and texture.
However I have really oily scalp, maybe thats why I don't feel that drying effect.
I also live in a humid city, could that influence?
I really like the effect of it, I don't even need conditioner or cream rinses to detangle.