Image source: Hajvaria Cheema Glycerin. Taken December 7th, 2014
Many products we use on a daily basis have Glycerin in them. Glycerin is a neutral, sweet tasting, colorless thick liquid found in products labelled as "moisturizing", "hydrating", or "replenishing". It has a high boiling point and a neutral pH (2) . Glycerin can be dissolved in water and alcohol (1). It is a hygroscopic substance, meaning it absorbs water from the air, so it basically never stops working (3).
Glycerin is mostly found in cosmetic products such as soaps, shampoos, hair conditioners, creams and face packs. It is a safe substance which is purely natural, therefore it does not have any serious side effects (3). Glycerin is also found in many baby products because of its safe nature to anyone using it. It allows the baby's skin to stay nice and soft and prevents it from drying (3).
As I said earlier glycerin does not have any serious side effects, however if its applied to the skin for longer than 48 hours (1), it could cause slight irritation to the skin. If one swallows a product containing glycerine, it could cause nausea and vomiting (1), as there are many other substances mixed in the product not only glycerine. If it is dropped in the eye accidentally, it could cause a burning sensation and tearing up (1).
It is really hard to avoid glycerin, as it is the main ingredient found in most of the moisturizers. However, if someone is scared of the minor effects caused by using glycerin products, oils and butters are a great alternative for them.
(1) U.S. National Library of Medicine. (n.d.). Retrieved December 4, 2014, from http://toxnet.nlm.nih.gov/cgi-bin/sis/search2/f?./temp/~G5Kn6S:3
(2) Substance Name: Glycerin [USP:JAN]RN: 56-81-5InChIKey: PEDCQBHIVMGVHV-UHFFFAOYSA-N. (n.d.). Retrieved December 4, 2014, from http://chem2.sis.nlm.nih.gov/chemidplus/rn/56-81-5
(3) What is Glycerin used for? (n.d.). Retrieved December 8, 2014, from http://www.innovateus.net/innopedia/what-glycerin-used
(4) Morrison, C. (2013, April 13). The Global Supply Chain: Risky Business for Pharmaceutical Ingredients. Retrieved December 3, 2014.
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