The world of skincare is always buzzing with new ingredient trends. Ingredients like squalane, ceramides, and cica have recently featured in the spotlight—part of a bigger trend around supporting the skin barrier. But the thing is, when an ingredient goes viral, it doesn’t necessarily mean that it’s totally new. Squalane and ceramides have been used in skincare formulations for years, and cica has been a staple ingredient in Korean skincare products for decades.
We’re often so caught up in the hype around powerful active ingredients like retinol and vitamin C, that we neglect the underrated ingredients that are the heroes in our everyday skincare products. A case in point: glycerin.
Glance at the ingredient lists on your current lineup of skincare products and there’s a strong chance that glycerin will feature in the majority of products you’re using. In fact, it’s often at the top of the list—which means it’s one of the main ingredients in the formula. Indeed, ask any skincare expert or dermatologist and they’ll tell you that glycerin really is nothing new. So why is it suddenly undergoing a revival on TikTok?
“Glycerin is becoming popular as people have picked up on its non-comedogenic and hydrating properties,” says consultant dermatologist Zainab Laftah. She likens the ingredient to hyaluronic acid, a powerful hydrator which had its own resurgence a decade ago and has been a popular ingredient call-out on product packaging and in marketing campaigns ever since. With good reason—each molecule of hyaluronic acid has the ability to draw in 1000 times its weight in water. The thing is, if you have dry or dehydrated skin, then glycerin could actually have more impact. “Glycerin is a smaller molecular than hyaluronic acid, and therefore absorption is greater and with deeper penetration into the skin,” she adds.
But what exactly is glycerin and what does it do? “Glycerin is a light, versatile and hydrating ingredient which is found in many types of products,” explains Laftah. “Due to its hydrating properties, it’s commonly used in cleansers, moisturisers, and sunscreens. It hydrates the skin barrier by drawing water from the atmosphere into the stratum corneum, which is the top layer of skin.”
Like hyaluronic acid, glycerin has benefits for all skin types, since hydrated skin leads to healthy skin. But it’s an especially beneficial ingredient for those with dry or dehydrated skin types, or if you have sensitive or acne-prone skin—since it’s non-comedogenic. Now, chances are you’re already benefitting from glycerin in your skincare routine, but in case you’re not, we’ve rounded up the ultimate edit of the best glycerin skincare products below—the ingredient features heavily in all of these formulas.
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