What Is Glycerin?

Good news if your skin is dry AF.

Glycerin beauty products bareminerals fresh la roche posay
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Even the best moisturizer can only do so much—especially if it's followed by a foundation that sends your skin back to scale city.

Your savior when flakes just won't quit: glycerin. Look for the ingredient in foundations and primers to say 🙅 to face flakes.

What is glycerin?

Glycerin is a moisturizing compound naturally found in all fats. It can also be made from vegetable oil or the fermentation of sugars, and can also be synthetically created in a lab.

Glycerin uses

If you look at a bottle of practically any moisturizer (say, Fresh Lotus Youth Preserve Face Cream), odds are you're going to spot glycerin on the ingredients list. Glycerin, like hyaluronic acid, is a humectant, meaning it draws water into the skin, says Jennifer MacGregor, M.D., of Union Square Dermatology. This makes it one of the most effective dry-skin fighters.


Glycerin also helps skin look and feel healthier, more supple, and softer. You may commonly see it in makeup products like foundation and setting sprays (like BareMinerals Complexion Rescue) for an extra dose of hydration.


In studies, topical glycerin has also been shown to improve skin function and health in people who have atopic dermatitis (a.k.a. eczema) without causing irritation—making it a great hydrating option for people who have the condition.

Is glycerin vegan?

According to PETA, some forms of glycerin used in products do come from animals—and it's hard to tell just by looking at a product's label what the source of it is. So steer clear unless the product is specifically labeled "vegan"!

How do you use glycerin?

MacGregor recommends using a moisturizer with glycerin twice a day for optimal hydrating results.

La Roche Posay

You can also get a double dose of glycerin by using a cleanser with glycerin (such as La Roche-Posay Dermo Cleanser) followed by a glycerin moisturizer, says Debra Jaliman, M.D., assistant professor of dermatology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai.

One thing you definitely should not do with glycerin: use it as lube (unless you WANT a yeast infection). Keep it to your face and out of your lady bits.

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