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Over the next few weeks our resident scientist, Jc will be examining products and ingredients that are popular in the natural hair world — not to disparage them, but to provide a well-rounded view of them. Check it out:

Glycerin is a humectant that is commonly added to leave in conditioners. It is generally regarded as natural although some naturals debate that as it can be produced as a by product from petroleum.  It should be noted though that most glycerin does come from soap making where plant oils are used.  A second general note is that glycerin can be referred to as glycerine or vegetable glycerine or the water free form, glycerol. All of these terms refer to the same compound.

Benefits

1.  It can be made from natural oils and is  generally considered non toxic (only very large volumes are known to be harmful).

2. For natural hair, it is known to prevent hair from breaking during combing  (but not on relaxed hair). (Journal of the Society of Cosmetic Scientists pg 39-52 1985)

3. As a humectant, it plays a role in moisturising hair.

4. It can easily be mixed with many other water soluble ingredients making it easy to add to a variety of hair products commercially or homemade.

Risks / Negatives

1.  Glycerin is affected by weather conditions notably humidity and heat. It can be difficult to get consistent results.

2.  It is highly soluble in water which makes it most effective as a leave in.  Rinse out hair conditioners containing glycerin may not produce the desired effect.

3. Glycerin can feel very sticky when applied, especially if too much is used.

Ladies, have you experienced any of these pros or cons? Share below!

Previous articles on glycerin:
It’s Okay to Use Glycerin in the Winter

Photo Source

Re-post/Re-published with permission from OyinHandmade.com

We’ve been getting emails lately from people who are terrified of using glycerin-containing products during the winter. Apparently, there is a nasty rumor going around that products containing glyerin + winter weather, automatically equals dry hair. We actually addressed this issue about a year ago in episode 3 of our podcast, suggesting that using just before a [warm, steamy] shower was a great way to ‘winterize’ your use of humectant products. But just in case you missed it, here are some more bullet points to consider. :o)

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Style Icon Keisha

1. Glycerin is a humectant, which means that it attracts moisture to itself. In a humid environment it helps your hair to attract and retain moisture.

2. In an environment with zero humidity (a desert climate) some worry that the glycerin can pull moisture out of your hair, because there’s none in the air and the hungry hungry glycerin wants some water, at any cost!!

3. All of our products which contain glycerin, also contain water. So there is water within the product available to the glycerin, and all of it helps your hair to remain hydrated. If you are using other glycerin-containing products or making your own, one thing to watch would be to ensure that they contain water as well.

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Style Icon Amanda

4. To ‘winterize’ or ‘desert-friendly’ your use of humectants, one simple idea is to use the product before a shower. The mist and steam of the shower will be attracted to the glycerin in the products, and the heat will help it absorb into your cuticle. Then you can use an oil-based sealer to keep that moisture in when you go out into the harsh, harsh world.

5. In many climates, the winter is less humid than the summer, but this is not necessarily the case everywhere. Many oyin honeys have zero problems using our humectant sprays or other glycerin containing products throughout the year – the thing to watch is the humidity level, more so than the temperature. don’t assume you can’t use a product in the winter just because it contains glycerin – experiment with using it under different conditions and let your hair tell you what it likes! :o)

Ladies, do you use glycerin in the winter? Does this information inspire you to try winter-time glycerin?