Glycerin is an ingredient added to many shampoos, creams, moisturizing lotions, soaps, liquid soaps, etc. But, why is glycerin so popular for making skin and hair care products? To maintain the skin and hair soft and lustrous, moisture is required. Glycerin is hygroscopic in nature, which means it absorbs water from its surroundings. This property of glycerin makes it an excellent ingredient for skin and hair care products.
Characteristics of Glycerin
Glycerin is a sweet-tasting transparent thick liquid, which freezes to a gummy paste, and has a high boiling point. Glycerin can be easily dissolved in water and alcohol. Many other ingredients mix with glycerin. If a bottle of glycerin is kept open, then glycerin will absorb water from its surrounding and will have a considerable amount of water in it. Glycerin comes from the soap making process. Vegetable glycerin is a food grade product, which is derived from vegetable oil.
Hair Benefits of Vegetable Glycerin
- Apart from being able to return moisture back to dry hair, scalp or skin; glycerin is also used for hair growth.
- Using glycerin one can greatly condition dry, frizzy and brittle hair.
- If you are suffering from dry, flaky scalp then rubbing some vegetable glycerin on the scalp can greatly alleviate irritation.
- Glycerin can be used by people who have dry and frizzy hair, and who have flaky scalp. People who have oily or normal hair type should avoid using glycerin for hair. Instead people who have normal or oily hair can go for nourishing avocado fruit hair packs and use jojoba oil for weekly hot oil treatment.
- Apart from hair moisturizing benefits of glycerin, it greatly helps to strengthen the hair, which leads to less breakage of the hair, and less formation of split ends.
- Glycerin can be mixed with essential oils, carrier oils, water, honey, etc. Using such products you can create great blends for natural skin care and hair care.
- Wondering, where to buy glycerin from? You can buy glycerin at any health care store, or shop for it online. You can buy a 5 oz. bottle of glycerin for 3 bucks. It mostly comes in bottles but can also be bought in tube.
- You can mix glycerin, water, aloe vera juice, few essential oils like lavender, rosemary in a spray bottle and little amount of conditioner. Then freeze this mixture, and apply it 2-3 days in a week on your scalp and hair.
- Massage with this solution, and keep the mix for 2 minutes on wet hair, then wash the hair clean. You can also mix glycerin with plain water and apply it on the scalp regularly, to get new hair which are soft and better in texture.
- To preserve glycerin for longer, you can add a shot of vodka to it.
- You can also buy commercial hair care products that contain glycerin as their main ingredient, and use them for moisturizing your hair.
It is important that you avoid using glycerin if you are staying in a place that has extremely dry weather. Because, glycerin on skin or hair might attract moisture from the hair strands or the skin itself. This can result into blisters on skin, or make the hair even more dry. However, if you are using glycerin in dry weather, you can mix it with jojoba oil, and then use it on your hair or skin. Also, while using glycerin in regular weather, mix it with water and then apply it, to keep your hair and skin well-moisturized.
So, buy a bottle of vegetable glycerin from a health store, and use it to get rid of dry frizzy hair or a flaky scalp. You can also use the vegetable glycerin for moisturizing your skin.
