Harmful for skin, glycerin, which is part of creams

In most modern creams, hand and body today contains glycerin. The opinions of beauticians and cosmeceutic about the benefits and hazards of this product are split into two camps. Some warn of the serious danger of glycerol, while others advocate its use, citing the excellent moisturizing properties of this ingredient.

What is glycerin

Glycerin is a colorless viscous liquid, sweet in taste, which is obtained by chemical synthesis based on vegetable oils or animal fats. From the chemical point of view glycerin is a polyhydric alcohol, its formula HOCH2-CH(OH)-CH2OH.

Vegetable glycerin is usually made on the basis of coconut or palm oils. It is used to add in creams, Soaps and shower gels.

In the food industry pure glycerin used as emulsifier and stabilizer of flavor, symbol - Е422, is considered to be safe and hypoallergenic.

The chemical structure of glycerin it provides increased permeability in human skin, and this is due to the main feature of this cosmetic ingredient, deeply moisten the skin and prevent the further removal of moisture.

So what's the harm of such a seemingly useful glycerine, which is extracted from the natural "source"?

Than glycerin harmful to the skin?

The problem is that glycerin is really able to draw out the moisture from the ambient air and deliver it to the deeper layers of the skin. However, cosmetics manufacturers are silent about the fact that this process is possible only when the relative humidity is less than 65% and the this humidity level is supported not in all regions of Russia, and not always. Especially low humidity is observed in most of the country in the summer, as well as in homes and apartments during the heating season.

Glycerin, in addition to deep penetration into the skin is able to absorb moisture from the surrounding air to continue to transport it deep into the skin. However, it is possible when humidity is below 65%.

What happens to the properties of glycerin if the humidity is below the level of 65 %? These qualities especially do not change – cosmetic ingredient continues to "pull" from the ambient moisture in the place of their own deployment. Only, once out of the air now there is nothing to extract, glycerin "lifts" the liquid from the lower layers of skin into the epidermis, thereby eventually causing serious dehydration of the skin of the face, hands and body, premature aging.

Thus, absolutely harmless glycerin can count only dwellers in the tropics, subequatorial and the equator, where the desired level of humidity for harmless "work" of the glycerin in creams.