Dry skin is nobody’s idea of a good time. Without enough moisture, skin can feel uncomfortably tight, rough to the touch, and look flaky, getting in the way of smooth makeup application. Whether you only deal with winter dryness or if you experience year-round dehydration, products with heavy-hitting moisturizing ingredients are the only thing that will relieve dry, cracked skin.
If this isn’t your first rodeo, then you’ve probably already heard of hyaluronic acid, squalane, and ceramides because they tend to get all of the praise and marquee placement on product labels. But there’s another extremely hydrating ingredient that’s underrated and doesn’t always get the credit it deserves, and that’s glycerin.
Glycerin may not be top of mind when it comes to all-star moisturizing ingredients, but if you look at the labels on the products in your medicine cabinet, you’ll find that it’s in almost everything. So what makes glycerin so great that brands put it in so many products? We turned Dr. Melanie Palm, a board-certified dermatologist and founder of Art of Skin MD, as well as Ginger King, cosmetic chemist and founder of Grace Kingdom Beauty for a complete breakdown on this ridiculously hydrating ingredient.