How to use glycerine on the face

Shahnaz Husain *

Moisture is the skin’s basic requirement. It keeps the skin soft, healthy and youthful. All ageing skins have a lack of moisture. The amount of moisture that the skin holds makes a great difference to its texture.

The skin loses moisture to the environment, when humidity is low, or is lowered by artificial means through air conditioning and heating. Sun exposure also causes loss of moisture. This loss of moisture should be replenishes or even prevented to some extent.

Glycerine is one ingredient that helps to moisturise the skin and prevents loss of moisture. Glycerine is a humectant, as it attracts moisture to the skin from the atmosphere. This helps to hydrate the skin.

Actually, glycerine is a clear liquid, without any smell. It can be obtained from plants and oils, like coconut oil or palm oil and others. It has a mildly sweet taste and has many used and benefits. Glycerine is a common ingredient in the manufacture or cosmetics and toiletries. It is even used in pharmaceutical industry to make medicines for several ailments.

Here, we are discussing the benefits of glycerine for the face and for beauty. Glycerine is an ingredient in many cosmetic products for the face, like moisturising lotions and creams, nourishing creams, soaps etc.

As already mentioned, glycerine helps to attract moisture to the skin and thus, moisturises the skin. Therefore, applied on the face, it helps to relieve dryness and make the skin soft and smooth. Used regularly, it can help to delay the visible signs of ageing, like the formation of lines and wrinkles.

Over a period of time, it can help to improve the skin’s ability to retain moisture. As it is not oily, it can also be used to moisturise oily skins, when they are short of moisture during the winter months.

In other words, it can moisturise oily skin, without making it oily. In fact, people with acne can experience superficial dryness of the outermost layer of the skin, due to medicated soap and astringent lotions. Glycerine also has healing properties and has been used to treat skin problems like eczema and atopic dermatitis.

You can use Glycerine at home for skin care:

Avoid applying pure glycerine directly on the face. It is better to dilute it with rose water or mineral water.

To apply it on the face, first rinse the face with water. Then put very little glycerine on a cotton wool pad and dab on the face. Wash off with water after 3 or 4 minutes. Avoid contact with eyes and mouth.

Allow it to absorb into the skin. Wash it off after a few minutes.If you are prone to allergies, do a patch test first.Dilute glycerin in rose water and apply the mixture to the back of your hand. Wait for 24 hours. If your skin doesn’t experience any allergic reactions, it’s safe to be applied to your face.

Mix one teaspoon pure Glycerin with 100 ml Rose Water . Gently dab it onto your skin . Dab on a little glycerin diluted with water for toning after you wash your face as it helps tighten your pores.

Glycerin tightens your pores. Add a few drops of glycerin to half a cup of rose water and keep in an airtight bottle in the fridge. Use a little of this lotion to relieve dryness on the face, arms and feet. This lotion can also be applied on acne-prone skin.

You can also mix half teaspoon pure glycerine with 2 tablespoons orange juice. Apply this on the face for 20 minutes and wash off with plain water.

For normal to dry skin, you can also mix half a teaspoon pure glycerine, one teaspoon rose water and one teaspoon dried milk powder. Mix into a paste and apply on the face. Remove after 20 minutes with plain water.

Mix Vitamin E oil, Vaseline and glycerin in equal parts and apply on your face before you take a shower. . This mixture is quite useful in the winter months when our skin tends to become very dry due to extreme climatical conditions

Glycerin can cause a little sun sensitivity. It is advised for you to use glycerin at night before sleeping. If you do use it in the day, apply , do wear sunscreen after applying some to your face.

You could use vegetable glycerine derived from vegetable oils for your beauty needs, ,If your skin is sensitive /uncomfortable with using glycerine from an animal source