Glycerin has been being used in the field of skincare for a while now. It has found its way into your face masks, toners, etc. but little is known about the benefits of glycerin on hair. Be it frizzy, dry, dandruff, or unmanageable hair, you have glycerin for the rescue. It serves as a hydrating and conditioning Ingredient for the hair. In this blog, you will get to know about glycerin as a replenishing agent for the overall health of your hair.
What Is Glycerin?
Glycerin is a sugar alcohol that is colorless and odorless. It is derived from coconut oil, palm oil, soybean, animal products, and petroleum. It is also called glycerol, glycerine vegetale, or glyceryl alcohol. It acts as a humectant which means a product that can pull in moisture from the air. This enables glycerin to be a primary ingredient in every hair care product. It is quite affordable and found in products of different price ranges.
Types of Glycerin
Glycerine is of two types. They are:
- Vegetable glycerin: it is derived from coconut and soybean. It is used for skin moisturizing benefits.
- Animal-derived glycerin: it is derived from animal fat. It is used in beauty and personal care products.
- Synthetic glycerin: It is petroleum-based glycerin found in food, nutritional supplements, and pharmaceutical drugs.
Is It Good for Hair?
Even though glycerin works for every hair type, it works wonderfully in frizzy, curly, and damaged hair. It conditions the hair well by stopping breakage. This allows the hair to grow faster. Glycerin helps to keep skin hydrated. Thus, leaving the scalp conditioned and hydrated. Glycerin works better in the humid climate. Because, in a dry climate, glycerine draws moisture out of hair to the atmosphere but in a humid climate, glycerin draws out moisture from the air to hair, so that the hair looks puffy.
Is It Safe for Hair?
According to the environmental working group, Glycerin has been rated an “A”. Because It isn’t an ingredient that concerns human health or the environment. So, it is safe to use on the hair. But one should be aware of the following issues:
- Don’t use glycerin on cracked or broken skin.
- Before applying it on hair, It should be mixed with water or other oils, or else it’ll make hair greasy and sticky.
- When using heat styling tools, use glycerin sparingly, as it conducts heat well. It may intensify the heat from the tool and cause damage to the hair.
Benefits of Glycerine on Hair
- Acts in deep conditioning and moisturizing of hair:
Glycerin serves as a humectant. So, it helps to return moisture to hair and improves the scalp by making it hydrated. This helps to reduce the chances of dandruff. It conditioned hair by preventing breakage, frizziness, and dryness. It works better when you mix it with the conditioner. So, that it locks in moisture in hair strands and keeps them nourished.
- Repairs damage:
It is obvious that several chemical treatments, coloring, and styling can leave your hair damaged. The glycerine can help to recover from the damage because of its moisturizing and conditioning properties.
- Reduces scalp itching:
Mostly, the scalp becomes dry during winter. Its moisturizing and anti-inflammatory properties prevent the itchy scalp condition during winter.
- It helps in hair growth:
It won’t actually help to grow hair out of the head but it nourishes the hair and reduce breakage and dryness.
- It removes split ends:
Split ends happen when the hair becomes dry, brittle, and frayed. The application of glycerin strengthens and moisturizes the hair from within.
Side Effects of Glycerin
- Every skin types are different. So, the way an ingredient acts on every skin also varies. Thus, There are chances to cause allergic reactions to some skin types.
- It is always better to apply glycerin with other products than apply it alone because it leaves hair greasy.
- It works best in humid climates but didn’t act well in dry climatic conditions.
- Don’t apply it in larger amounts before using heating equipment because it is also a conductor of heat.
How to Use Glycerin for Hair Growth?
Glycerin should be applied with other ingredients to work well otherwise, it being a humectant can leach out all the cortex’s water. So try to use it with the ingredients mentioned below:
- Glycerin Hair Mask:
To sort out the dryness and split ends, use these hair masks with glycerin:
- Honey and glycerin: take 3 tablespoons of honey and mix it with 2 tablespoons of glycerin and water. Keep it on the hair and scalp for 20 mins before washing it off. Honey has both emollient and humectant properties that moistures the hair and maintains natural luster.
- Aloe vera and glycerin: mix 2 -3 tablespoons of glycerin with fresh aloe vera pulp. Apply it on hair and scalp for 30 mins. later, wash it off with lukewarm water. Aloe vera gel consists of amino acids, nutrients, and enzymes that make the health healthy.
- Glycerin Hair Conditioner:
Glycerin is one of the best natural conditioners for hair. You can add glycerin into your conditioner in a ratio of 1:5. Mix it thoroughly and apply it to wet hair after shampooing. Leave it on for 3-5 minutes and rinse off with plain water.
- Glycerin Hair Spray:
A natural hair spray can be made by mixing water and an oil of your preference with glycerin. You can also add rosewater and glycerine for hair. Some DIY hair sprays are:
- Glycerin and coconut oil: Coconut oil strengthens the hair by providing deep conditioning to it. It’s rich in vitamins and essential fatty acids. Add 1-1 tablespoon of glycerin and coconut oil into a cup of water and use the concoction as a hair spray.
- Glycerin and olive oil: Olive oil promotes blood circulation in the scalp and deeply nourishes it. Owing to its antioxidant properties, it helps combat skin infections and many scalp issues. Add two tablespoons of vegetable glycerin and a tablespoon of olive oil to a cup of distilled water. Store it in a spray bottle.
Alternatives of Glycerin
If you are not interested in using glycerin but should need the benefits of glycerin, you can use the following products:
- aloe vera
- coconut oil
- Rosemary oil
- pumpkin seed oil
- honey
- onion juice
Conclusion
Glycerin had been a constant member of various industries like beverages. But recently, people had started to identify its benefits in skin and hair care. It possesses wide benefits from preventing itchiness to moisturizing the scalp. But the problem is that the product is a fair-weather friend. It works well in humid climates but is less or actually dysfunctional during dry climates.
Read More:
9 Different Methods by Which Dry Hair in Men Can Be Prevented
Looking for a Right Shampoo? Here Are the Top Picks for Your Dry Scalp
5 Things You Should Know To Take The Best Care Of Damp Hair
Top 5 Least Damaging Hair Bleach Brands
Tired With the Oily Scalp? Here Is the Causes, Remedies and Effects
FAQS
1. Is glycerin good for your hair?
Yes, glycerin helps to hydrate your hair and prevent frizziness and breakage.
2. How do you put glycerin on your hair?
Glycerin can’t be put directly on hair because it leaves the hair greasy. So, you can put glycerin as a hair mask, spray, or conditioner by mixing it with other ingredients.
3. Does glycerin thicken hair? When should I stop using glycerin on my hair?
Glycerin helps to conditioner the hair thus making it look more healthy and puffy. You can avoid using it when it causes allergic reactions.
4. Can I leave glycerin on my hair overnight?
Yes. Glycerin is considered safe for overnight use on your hair as it helps keep it moisturized.