At Hello Joyous, each ingredient in our specially formulated products is carefully selected for our customers and the planet. One of the most underrated skincare ingredients is organic vegetable glycerin! You might see this on the label and think, “Why is this here?”, “What does it do?”, or “Is this just a filler ingredient?” Today we’re diving into why vegetable glycerin is a gold-standard ingredient in clean, organic skincare!

1. Vegetable glycerin is a powerful humectant

Is your skin thirsty or dry? Chances are, it might be both! While emollients such as organic cold-pressed rosehip oil help with moisturizing, humectants like organic vegetable glycerin are key to keeping your skin healthy, happy, and hydrated. These ingredients draw water from the environment and deeper layers of the skin into the outer layer, keeping skin plump and hydrated.

Dry climates and seasonal shifts (such as the forced air in winter) can literally steal water from your skin! This can leave your skin dry, itchy and more prone to environmental irritation. That’s why using humectant-rich products such as our Fresh Face Cleanser or Magical Mist Toner can help relieve itchiness and give your skin a big drink!

2. Vegetable glycerin supports the skin barrier

You likely know that one of the main reasons we created our gentle, effective skincare products is to support the health of the skin barrier, which we’ve written extensively about here. Your skin barrier is the outermost layer of your skin and functions as the protective barrier between you and the outside world, so supporting its integrity is the key to your natural glow. Organic vegetable glycerin is an incredibly healing addition to any skincare product since it helps strengthen the skin’s protective layer, thereby decreasing dryness, itchiness, and sensitivity.  

3. Vegetable glycerin is safe for all skin types

One of our missions in creating Hello Joyous was to formulate a skincare line that was safe for all skin types, which is why we chose organic vegetable glycerin as the base for our Fresh Face Cleanser and a hydrating addition to our Magical Mist Toner. It’s non-comedogenic, which means it won’t clog your pores, making it safe for those with oily or acne-prone skin. It’s also soothing for those with sensitive skin conditions such as rosacea or eczema. 

4. Vegetable glycerin boosts effectiveness of other active ingredients

Rather than adding water to our Magical Mist Toner or harsh soaps to our Fresh Face Cleanser, we chose organic vegetable glycerin because it helps to boost the effectiveness of other active ingredients such as the organic plant hydrosols in our Mist and the soothing comfrey and jojoba in our Cleanser. When combined with these ingredients, vegetable glycerin can help enhance overall skin hydration.

We suggest spritzing your Mist before applying your Hella Hydrating Serum for epic skin hydration, as it contains another humectant superstar, hyaluronic acid, which holds over 1000x its weight in water! It also fully moisturizes thanks to the emollient properties of the organic cold-pressed rosehip oil!

5. Vegetable glycerin is natural and safe for you and the planet!

When choosing our ingredients, it’s important that they not only support your healthy glow, but that they are processed in a way that supports the health of the planet. Vegetable glycerin is typically derived from coconut, soy, or palm oil and is non-toxic and naturally derived, making it a no-brainer addition to our products! 

You might sometimes hear that vegetable glycerin isn’t great for those who live in dry climates with very little humidity because glycerin can theoretically pull water from deeper layers of the skin if there’s no moisture in the air.

However, when curating a skincare line that contains a humectant like vegetable glycerin, it’s essential to include emollients, such as the organic cold-pressed rosehip oil in our Hella Hydrating Serum, to keep skin hydrated and moisturized and prevent this from happening. 

Bottom line: when it comes to keeping your skin hydrated and glowing, glycerin is one of the gold-standard ingredients in clean, effective skincare. 🌿💧