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Hands up if your skin is struggling with this new wave of cold weather? Us too. Between drying central heating and maskne from wearing a face covering, skin can easily become flaky and dull, or else start breaking out or flaring up.
Unlike some other skin triggers, we can’t simply eliminate face masks and heating from our every day lives – but we can switch up our skincare and make sure we’re giving our skin all the ingredients necessary to protect itself.
One of those ingredients is glycerin. When it comes to hydration, you can consider glycerin as your skincare go-to, along with hyaluronic acid.
Here’s everything you should know about glycerin :
What is glycerin and how does it work?
Glycerin is a colourless liquid, which comes from plants. It’s a humectant, which means it attracts water to itself. “It’s able to take and hold moisture from the environment and draw it into the skin when applied,” says Dr Yannis Alexandrides, Founder Of 111SKIN and Head of Surgical Practice at 111 Harley St. “This works because the molecules of glycerin attract and form molecular bonds with the H2O (water) molecules.”
According to a study, glycerin can :
- Hydrate the outer layer of the skin (stratum corneum)
- Improve skin barrier function and skin mechanical properties.
- Provide protection against skin irritants.
- Accelerate wound-healing processes
What makes it so special?
While synthetic humectants commonly found in skincare attract moisture away from the deeper levels of your skin without replenishing it, a natural humectant like glycerin attracts moisture whilst simultaneously delivering hydration and nutrients deeper down.
“Glycerin is also an emollient,” says Dr. Alexandrides. “This means that it is able to form a protective layer over where it is applied and thus retains the moisture that has been drawn into the skin, resulting in softer, smoother skin. This prevention of moisture loss will also strengthen the skin’s barrier function, keeping toxins and bacteria from getting into the skin, meaning that the chances of inflammatory problems such as Eczema and Psoriasis are reduced.”
You can shop glycerin in stores around you.
This article was originally written on Glamour
