GLYCERIN

Name / description

Glycerin; Glycerol; 1,2,3-Propanetriol

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Function(s) of this ingredient in cosmetic products

FRAGRANCE FUNCTIONAL

Functional ingredient (excipient) of perfume oils and / or flavours

HAIR CONDITIONING

Leaves the hair easy to comb, supple, soft and shiny and / or imparts volume

HUMECTANT

Holds and retains moisture in cosmetic products

SKIN CONDITIONING

Maintains the skin in good condition

SOLVENT

Dissolves other substances

VISCOSITY CONTROLLING

Increases or decreases the viscosity of cosmetic products

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Origin

plant/synthetic

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Occurrence in cosmetics

Lotions, creams, makeup (foundations), after-sun products and other skin-caring products, shampoos

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Occurrence in other products

In medical ointments

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Background information on use in cosmetics

Glycerin is a sugar alcohol, a triol which occurs in the natural fats and fatty oils as fatty acid ester (triglyceride). It is a clear, highly viscous, odourless liquid which can be mixed with water and other alcohols. Glycerin is a component of the skin and can be found in its protective acid mantle, the so-called hydrolipid mantle. Glycerin (INCI name: mainly as the term component -glycerin or glycerin) binds the moisture both in the skin and also in the product and is, therefore, a popular ingredient of cosmetic products. Because of its good skin tolerance and high efficacy, glycerin is as a so-called moisturiser a component of almost all skincare products. Moreover, glycerin also occurs in shampoos or conditioners because it also acts as a moisturiser for the hair. Fragrances or mixtures of fragrances are often referred to in the cosmetics area as "perfuming agents" or "perfume oils" or "parfum oils". On the cosmetic products they are declared with the INCI name "PARFUM". These are undiluted individual substances or their mixtures which originate from natural raw materials or can be produced (semi-) synthetically. They are starting materials for the production of perfume, eau de parfum, eau de toilette, eau de cologne and other perfumed cosmetic products. The average content of fragrances amounts in perfume to 15-30 %, in eau de parfum to 10-14 %, in eau de toilette to 6-9 %, in eau de cologne to 3-5 % as well as in skin creams, shampoos, hair and deodorant sprays to approximately 0.2-1 % and approximately 1-3 in deodorant sticks. The perfume oils include essential oils, resinoids and absolutes. The sources are, amongst others, flowers, leaves and stems, fruits and fruit peels or roots of plants; woods, grasses or herbs, needles, resins and balsams. Moreover, only compounds isolated from natural products such as aldehydes, ketones, esters, alcohols etc. are used (geraniol, citronellal, citral, eugenol, menthol) as well as semi-synthetic (citronellol, geranyl acetate, jonone) and synthetic scents (eg phenylethyl alcohol and linalool) are used. Scents of animal origin such as musk and ambra are only rarely used.

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Belongs to the following substance groups

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Regulating cosmetics

Cosmetics Ingredients are subject to regulation. Please note, different regulations may apply to cosmetic ingredients outside the EU.