Glycerin is a naturally occurring component in your body. It’s part of your skin’s Natural Moisturizing Factor (NMF), which is a combination of water-soluble compounds—like amino acids, sugars, minerals, and salts—that help keep your skin soft, smooth and hydrated. The natural aging process depletes NMFs like Glycerin from your body, but using it topically is helpful at any age, which explains why you’ll find it added to face creams and body lotions, among others. Glycerin in skincare is a clear, odorless, buttery-like liquid that is often sourced from plant oils, like palm and rapeseed.

Helps Boosts Hydration
Since Glycerin is a humectant, when used in skincare it binds moisture to skin to help boost hydration levels. “Humectants are incredible ingredients because they attract and absorb moisture from the deeper layers of your skin and can also pull moisture from the air to help improve skin hydration,” says Kristine Schmalenberg, Origins Clinical and Scientific Affairs. And when skin is hydrated, it appears plump, dewy and more radiant (thank you, Glycerin).

Improves Skin Barrier Function
The health of your skin barrier—aka your moisture barrier—is essential for soft, smooth, radiant skin. When your skin barrier functions properly, it keeps moisture in and pollutants out. When it’s compromised, moisture seeps out and skin-damaging pollutants slip in. But, here’s where Glycerin shines: it helps keep your skin barrier moisturized, which over time, can make it stronger and more resilient.

Reinforces Skin’s NMF
Your skin’s Natural Moisturizing Factors are an important factor in skin hydration. Of course, your NMF depletes with age, but it can also decrease due to the overuse of moisture-stripping skincare products. Glycerin’s hydrating properties can support your skin’s NMF, which boosts moisture, so skin looks and feels soft, smooth and supple.