Vegetable Glycerin
Nature’s Moisture Magnet
What Is Vegetable Glycerin?
Vegetable glycerin, also called glycerol or glycerine, is a clear, odorless, slightly sweet-tasting liquid derived from plant oils. Our organic vegetable glycerin is made from certified organic sunflower oil, flaxseed oil, or coconut oil — never palm-derived, unlike many glycerins on the market today.
Why Glycerin Is Used in Skin Care
Glycerin is widely valued in skin care for its exceptional ability to hydrate and protect the skin. It is a humectant, meaning it attracts water from the surrounding environment and helps draw moisture into the skin. This makes glycerin especially helpful for dry, rough, or compromised skin, while remaining gentle enough for all skin types. By improving hydration, glycerin helps:
- soften and smooth the skin
- support the skin’s natural barrier
- reduce flaking, tightness, and irritation
Why We Use Glycerin in Our Sprays
We use glycerin in our alcohol-based hand sprays and bug sprays for two important reasons: to support skin comfort and to improve formulation stability.
1. Supporting Skin Comfort
In our alcohol-based sprays, glycerin plays a supportive role by helping offset alcohol’s drying effect.
Alcohol is effective but can be drying with frequent use. Glycerin helps counterbalance this by staying on the skin after the alcohol evaporates. As a humectant, it continues to attract and hold moisture, helping to reduce dryness, cracking, and irritation. This makes our sprays gentler on the skin while maintaining their effectiveness.
2. Improving Formulation Stability
Glycerin is highly soluble in both water and alcohol. While it doesn’t dissolve essential oils on its own, it acts as a partial bridge, helping essential oils disperse more evenly when used alongside alcohol. This results in a smoother, more stable spray with less separation and a more uniform application.
Buyer Beware: Not All Glycerin Is the Same
Glycerin can be made from a variety of different sources. While ours comes from organic plant oils, glycerin can also be produced from animal fats or synthetic petrochemical sources.
When glycerin appears as part of a multi-ingredient product, the source is not always disclosed. If the ingredient simply lists “glycerin,” there is no guarantee it is plant-based unless specified.
We choose organic, plant-derived glycerin because ingredient sourcing matters — especially for products applied directly to the skin.
