You can find glycerin in many hair products, or it may be in the products that you are using currently. Glycerin is one of the critical ingredients in beauty, especially hair care products. Therefore, in this post, we will look at glycerin’s comprehensive benefits, side effects, and homemade and commercial ways to use this material.
What is glycerin?
Glycerin, glycerol, or glyceryl alcohol is a colorless and scentless sugar alcohol, that can be derived from plant oils (like shea butter and coconut oil), animal products, or petroleum. It’s a common ingredient in both skin and hair care products besides its other usage in industries. When it comes to hair, glycerin is a humectant, meaning it can absorb moisture from the air, keeping hair hydrated and healthy.
The benefits of glycerin:
It hydrates the scalp.
Beside Improving Overall Scalp Health, glycerin pulls water into the scalp from the environment, providing needed hydration. It can also prevent Transepidermal Water Loss.
It is a perfect hair moisturizer for dry hair.
Glycerin is a natural humectant and it draws moisture to the hair and keeps it there. It can attach to the hair keratin preventing moisture evaporation. Since it helps draw moisture from the air onto your hair and is easily soluble in water, glycerin can serve as a great deep conditioner. Especially when mixed with commercial conditioners, added to homemade hair products, other natural oils, or even water.
It reduces the hair breakage.
Glycerin is an excellent addition to your skincare routine when used correctly. Hydration is an essential defense against hair breakage. hydration and moisturization can maintain strength, health and improve the appearance of the hair. Since it can reduce breakage, your hair will grow longer, faster, and remain healthy.
It is antimicrobial.
The antimicrobial properties of glycerin can help treat itchiness caused by dryness or dandruff. Especially during the cold season, glycerin can relieve itchy scalps. With regular application, dandruff can be reduced with a soothing cooling effect on the scalp.
It removes split ends.
Split ends happen when the ends of your hair become dry, frayed, and brittle. Glycerin helps treat and prevent split ends by moisturizing and strengthening the hair from within.
It improves overall scalp health.
Moisturizing can help create a healthy scalp environment because glycerin returns moisture to dry hair and improves the scalp layer.
It improves sebum Secretion.
Glycerin helps regulate oil production in the scalp by infusing moisture.
The side effects of glycerin:
In some conditions, glycerin may cause a few side effects. Here, we discussed three major factors that may cause a problem facing glycerin.
Heat
Several heat-styling techniques can produce enough heat to boil the water inside the hair shaft, which can cause terrible breakage. Compared to silicones, proteins, and polyquaternium conditioning ingredients, glycerin conducts thermal energy fairly efficiently and transfers heat easily to the hair. Therefore when using any heated drying or styling treatment, always use glycerin sparingly and with a more insulating, protective moisturizer.
Colored hair
A common concern about glycerin is that it will remove or strip the color from the hair. Most people with chemically dyed hair avoid it. Many molecules can be dissolved in glycerin because it is a suitable solvent. Near the exterior layer of the hair, glycerin can easily dissolve and grab unbound dye molecules. A hair that has just been dyed with a permanent chemical dye is susceptible to losing some colorant molecules because the cuticle may not have been thoroughly re-sealed. After the first wash, it is not causing concern since the colorant molecules have penetrated the hair shaft. Cuticles are sealed, and any excess is washed away.
Users of semi-permanent dyes or colors notorious for being short-lived (such as red) should be cautious when using glycerin on their hair. In this case, the dye molecules are too large to penetrate the hair and reside mainly on the exterior layer of hair. Glycerin dissolves and removes these colors easily and speeds up the inevitable fading. Using this substance during the first wash after coloring your hair is not recommended.
Dry Weather
Glycerin adds moisture and defines curls as long as the weather is moderate. As a humectant, it draws moisture from wherever it is most abundant. When it’s humid outside, it will remove moisture from the air to make the hair even frizzier than without it. In dry conditions, glycerin will pull moisture from your hair. You will then have more dehydrated hair than you would otherwise have. The unpredictable weather makes consistent results difficult.
How to use glycerin for hair?
You can find glycerin in many products and this makes it easy to incorporate into your hair care routine. There is a list of things below that can let you make the most of glycerin by focusing on the source of glycerin, you are using.
+ Make a glycerin spray.
You can make something like a homemade detangler by creating a glycerin spray with water which can be used after washing and conditioning hair.
recipe:
- glycerin, 1/4 cup
- distilled water, 1/4 cup
- rosewater, 1/4 cup
- 2 to 3 drops of essential oil, like peppermint oil or rosemary oil (optional)
Directions:
- Combine all ingredients in a bowl.
- Put the mixture into a spray bottle.
- Apply to wet or dry hair as needed. (If your hair becomes sticky, add more water to the mixture.)
+ Create a glycerin hair mask.
You can use a glycerin hair mask and wash it before conditioning (use one to two times a week). Make sure to apply the mask to all strands.
recipe:
- one tablespoon glycerin
- one tablespoon aloe vera
- one beaten egg
- one tablespoon honey
Directions:
- Add all ingredients to a mixing bowl and mix well.
- Apply evenly to your hair and leave on for 30 minutes.
- Shampoo and condition afterward.
+ Combine glycerin with conditioner.
If your conditioner does not already have glycerin in it, you can add glycerin to the bottle. add enough conditioner to cover all hair strands and leave on for at least 5 to 10 minutes before washing out.
+ Purchase glycerin-rich products.
Glycerin is usually one of the top ingredients in moisturizing shampoos and conditioners. buy these products to ensure you are using the correct amount of glycerin for hair. If you want to try some great products that contain glycerin, check out tgin Sweet Honey Hair Milk, and Alikay Naturals Hold It Styling Gel.
tgin Sweet Honey Hair Milk:
Sweet Honey Hair Milk will provide soft and moisturized hair for you. It contains raw honey and agave nectar which will soften kinks, curls, and waves. This great mix of moisture and antioxidants will soften and remove tangles damaged kinky, curly, and wavy tresses.
Alikay Naturals Hold It Styling Gel:
+ Apply glycerin as a pre-wash treatment.
Before washing, treat the hair with a blend of one part glycerin, one-part carrier oil, and a few drops of essential oil. You can brush this mixture through dry hair before washing it to get a better result. Check JessiCurl Oil Blend for Softer Hair if you’re looking for a suitable carrier oil for your treatment.
JessiCurl Oil Blend for Softer Hair:
Oil Blend for Softer Hair will soften and add sheen to your curls. This oil blend has a perfect ratio, and it is also heavy enough to shape your curls significantly. This oil contains avocado, jojoba, coconut oil, and many others to provide the definition your curls need.
Frequently Asked Questions About Glycerin In Hair Products
As a humectant, glycerin keeps hair hydrated and healthy by pulling moisture from the air. Since it’s so effective, it’s often used in skin and hair care products. Additionally, it is colorless and odorless, so it won’t alter the smell or appearance of a product.
Glycerin will extract moisture from your hair in really dry conditions. As a result, your hair is drier than it would have been without it. With inconsistent weather conditions, it is difficult to get consistent results.
Hair with high porosity is prone to wetting easily and becoming weighed down with moisture-attracting products. Therefore, if you have this type of hair, you should avoid humectant products containing a lot of glycerin. A product like this attracts water into the hair and weighs it down.
Low porosity hair needs a lot of moisture, so glycerin, lanolin, avocado, jojoba, and shea are all perfect ingredients to help deliver that moisture.
Add glycerin to your conditioner:
> Add 20ml of glycerin to 100ml of the conditioner bottle.
> Shake the bottle together.
> Use the conditioner as usual.
> Always wait 3-4 minutes before you rinse off the conditioner to hydrate the hair effectively.
Glycerin helps your hair look and feel great when the humidity is just right. When the weather gets too dry, glycerin loses effectiveness because it cannot absorb enough water.
In the summer, some curlies avoid glycerin because it is a humectant that absorbs moisture from the atmosphere and locks it in.
Glycerin is non-comedogenic; therefore, it won’t clog your pores and helps hydrate the skin by attracting moisture and sealing it in.
Water and alcohol dissolve vegetable glycerin, but oil does not.
If you have any experience worth sharing, make sure to discuss it in the comments with others. This can be very useful for those who have similar challenges. Have you ever heard of glycerin in hair products? Please share your experience with us in the comment.
Hi
When should I avoid using products containing glycerin?
Whenever the atmosphere is drier than your hair, the air will pull moisture from your hair to balance the air moisture. You should avoid using products containing glycerin in dry climates with low humidity and dew points.