In a world of DIYs and “life hacks,” it is not surprising anymore to make use of any ingredient or product that you can find at the comfort of one’s home. People always seek any remedy to improve their hair condition and grow longer hair. However, there’s more to having ingredients at the palms of your hands. The efficacy and safety of your hair products should be your utmost concern.
For instance, hair and skin products with glycerin are considered precious in every hair care regimen. You’ve probably heard of glycerin, but for those who are not still aware of its existence, now is your chance to learn more about glycerin and its potential for hair improvement. But does it really help maintain your hair’s glorious days? Discover more about glycerin to prove whether it is indeed your hair’s ally or adversary for hair growth and conditioning.
Getting to Know Glycerin: What is Glycerin?
Glycerin is the market name for glycerol, a water-soluble liquid or the extracted fats from most flora and fauna (plants and animals). Glycerol was accidentally discovered by the chemist Carl Wilhelm Scheele during one of his experiments. Meanwhile, the commercial term glycerin was introduced to the world by another chemist named Michel-Eugène Chevreul. Since its discovery, many manufacturers have used glycerin to enhance the quality of food products.
Later on, the cosmetic industry has turned its attention towards glycerin to see the potential hair care benefit from this plant- or animal-derived oil. So, how does glycerin make your hair better? Check out the following extraordinary benefits you can reap from glycerin and glycerin-enriched products.
The Extraordinary Benefits of Glycerin: Why It Means to Hair Growth
Glycerin is not something to be taken for granted because it can offer three extraordinary benefits to your hair.
1. It can combat hair dryness and frizz.
While most moisturizers and conditioners are emollients or products that soften the rough surface of your hair and skin, humectants hydrate your cells from within. They work by attracting moisture from the surroundings, especially in water vapor, to keep your locks well-hydrated. This property is the primary reason why glycerin is an in-demand component for both hair and skincare products. Glycerin is best known for being an effective humectant and emollient for your hair and skin. It stimulates hair cell proliferation and maturity to give you softer and smoother hair strands.
2. It promotes a healthy scalp condition.
Glycerin does not only have humectant qualities, but it also has antimicrobial and antifungal properties that can benefit your scalp. It also regulates healthy sebum production, which, in turn, helps moisturize your scalp and hair cuticles. With these benefits, you can meet the environmental conditions of growing healthy hair.
3. It is also a nontoxic moisturizing constituent.
Most moisturizing products contain chemicals that, although safe topically but are toxic when mixed with food. However, the most common type of glycerin known as vegetable glycerin is edible because of its glycerol content. Glycerol is a sugar alcohol found in some toiletries such as shampoos, soaps, and toothpaste, but also used as a common sweetener for many food items, such as ice cream, condensed milk, and other dairy products. However, too much of everything is bad for you, even for hair growth, for a spike in your sugar levels can harm your hair follicles.
Glycerin vs. Humidity: Can Glycerin Battle Humidity Problems?
As you have known earlier, glycerin works by drawing moisture from its environment, especially from the surrounding air. However, unbalanced humidity can turn your hair’s condition upside down, or in layman’s terms, make it worse.
Humidity is the presence of water in the air. Whether the air’s humidity is high or low, it still won’t do well for your hair and skin. Low humidity signifies little moisture in the air, making it difficult for glycerol to attract water and hydrate your locks.
Humid days can also signify crazy hair days for you. Whether the air is dry or damp, it can still draw moisture from the surroundings, especially the water molecules in your skin and hair. However, it does harm hair conditioning. When the air is very humid, your hair can also absorb the excess moisture from the air. The extra dampness can separate the hydrogen bonds between your hair proteins and cause your hair strands to expand. Your hair doesn’t return to its original state but will continue to absorb hydrogen from the air, resulting in the formation of curls or frizz.
Therefore, the amount of glycerin in your hair care products should also depend on the environment. Glycerin helps retain moisture when the weather is hot. But for glycerin to work well on your hair, you should also ensure that the air’s humidity is stable. In countries with four seasons, having a humidifier and a dehumidifier will help combat the hair problems that arise due to humidity instability.
The Diet Diaries: The Most Popular Glycemic Food and Beverage
Besides your favorite hair lotion, serum, or conditioner, you can also get glycerin from various products. In fact, glycerin is a popular component that serves as a humectant, a thickener, and a sweetener in foods and drinks. Below is a list of glycerin-enriched ingredients that you might want to include in your diet.
1. Vegetable Oils
These plant lipids top the list for being rich in glycerin. Most vegetable oils are a combination of various oils extracted from corns, soybeans, and sunflowers, but you can purchase pure extracts from stores or supermarkets. However, processed vegetable oils can be detrimental to your cardiovascular health if consumed excessively and regularly because of their high polyunsaturated fat content. If you want to have the healthiest vegetable oil served on the table, you may opt to use extra virgin olive oil. Plus, you’ll gain another friend (or favorite hair care product) for hair growth and conditioning!
2. Cereal and Grains
Your breakfast meals may contain glycemic foods such as white bread, white rice, cornflakes, oats, and other grains. Manufacturers usually add glycerin to make them sweeter, moister, and softer, thereby making them luscious enough to be consumed every day. But don’t worry, for you can still enjoy breakfast without worrying about the high glycerin levels by eating medium-glycemic grains such as brown rice, whole-wheat bread, and whole-grain cereals.
3. Dairy Products
Calcium is the primary nutrient that anyone can obtain from milk products. However, dairy items such as yogurts, cheese, condensed milk, ice cream, and full-cream milk are also glycerin-enriched. As you’ve already known, glycerol is a sugar alcohol, and adding glycerin to any dairy product shall enhance its sweetness. Glycerin is also added to icing to thicken but inhibit the frosting from hardening.
4. Processed Fruits and Vegetables
To some, it is difficult to find the freshest fruits and vegetables to serve on the table. But worry no more, for you can satisfy your cravings with canned and dried fruits and veggies. These processed foods use glycerin as a preservative since its glycerol content maintains moisture for a long time. As a result, you can still enjoy the sweetness, softness, and texture of the fruit and vegetable despite its storage duration.
5. Confectionery Products
There is a greater chance that your favorite candy, cake, or any sweetened food contains glycerin. In making confectionery products such as gums, candies, fillings, syrups, and whipped creams, one requires heating sugar in water. In this case, glycerin is essential to prevent sugars from crystallizing. Syrups can also retain their fluidity, thanks to glycerin’s softening properties.
Healthy or Harmful: Is Glycerin Good for Your Diet?
Glycerin is an essential ingredient in most baked goods, adding sweetness while maintaining the food’s softness and thickness. Although consuming too much of these glycerin-enriched foods and drinks won’t raise your blood sugar levels and hair follicles, using this glycemic sweetener won’t save you from consuming calories. Therefore, it would be healthier to keep your glycemic diet to a bare minimum. Focus on enjoying a low glycemic diet with fresh fruits, vegetables, and unprocessed food and beverage.
Glycerin is Both an Ally and an Adversary to Hair Growth.
Glycerin is an often misunderstood component for stimulating hair growth and taming hair strands. Products rich in glycerin are great for providing moisture to your hair strands. However, it would be best to be wary of when to use them, or else your hair might suffer from the adverse repercussions of humidity. Although it is an effective humectant in soaps, shampoos, conditioners, serums, and other beauty care products, high glycerin levels in your body might be pernicious to your health. Hence, always ensure not to go overboard when using glycemic products to enjoy the hair benefits of glycerin to the fullest.
Glycerin-Enriched Hair Serums Are Great for Your Hair.
For your shampoo and conditioner to be the best hair growth products, they should contain a substantial amount of glycerin to keep your hair well-moisturized day in and out. Therefore, only use ThickTails Hair Growth products that contain glycerin, DHT blockers, and vitamins for hair growth.