Dry, frizzy, dandruff and unmanageable hair? If you have tried everything possible to condition and smoothen your hair but failed, glycerin can come to your rescue!
Glycerin or glycerol as an ingredient is effective in keeping hair nourished and providing it the necessary moisture kick. Let's find out how.
Highlights:
What Is Glycerin?
Glycerin is a colourless, odourless liquid that is typically derived from coconut oil, palm oils and soybean. It is a popular ingredient of the food and beverage industry.
Glycerin is commonly found in hair care products because of its ability to attract moisture from the environment and locking it in your hair, keeping it soft and hydrated. It works as a humectant.
Benefits Of Glycerin For Hair
1. Eliminates Dandruff
Glycerin moisturizes and nourishes your scalp, relieving you of dandruff-related symptoms (1) (2). Glycerin is also used in a number of skincare products to help treat dry skin.
2. Deep Conditioning
Glycerin is used to nourish and condition the hair, making it soft and frizz-free. It can also be mixed with your conditioner to help lock-in moisture in your hair strands and nourish them.
3. Eliminates Itchiness
Glycerin has anti-microbial properties that can help treat itchiness, which occurs due to dryness or dandruff. It helps retain moisture in the scalp.
4. Prevents Split-Ends
Split-ends are the result of dry and damaged hair. Glycerin helps in strengthening your hair, preventing it from breaking and other forms of damage. It keeps your shaft intact and prevents the development of split-ends.
How To Use Glycerin For Hair?
Glycerin in its natural form is the most effective method to address your hair concerns. However, using it in combination with other ingredients offers additional benefits.
1. Hair Spray Using Glycerin
What You Need:
- Water (half a cup)
- Rose water (half a cup)
- Few drops of an essential oil
- 2 tablespoons of glycerin
Mix these in a bowl and add it to a spray bottle. Use after taking a shower to lightly coat your hair. Make sure you use it on damp hair.
2. Castor Oil With Glycerin
What You Need:
- 1 tablespoon of glycerine
- 1 tablespoon of castor oil
- 2 tablespoons of water
Optional:
- 1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar (pH-balancing)
- 1 egg yolk (conditioning ingredient)
Castor oil is rich in fatty acids that contribute to strengthening your hair. It also contains antifungal and antibacterial properties that keep dandruff and other infections at bay. Castor oil also keeps your hair moisturized.
3. Olive Oil, Glycerine And Honey
What You Need:
- 1 tablespoon of honey
- 1 tablespoon of olive oil
- 1 tablespoon of glycerin
Olive oil is rich in Vitamin E that fights hair fall (3). Olive oil helps regulate the amount of water absorbed by your hair strands, thereby preventing swelling and damage. It also helps minimize frizz and dryness.
Honey is a moisturizer that nourishes your scalp and adds shine and softness to your hair.
4. Rose Water And Glycerin
What You Need:
- 2-3 tablespoons of rose water
- 1 tablespoon of glycerin
Rose water is effective in maintaining the pH levels of your scalp. It is anti-inflammatory and prevents itchiness and redness.
5. Aloe Vera And Glycerin
What You Need:
- 1 tablespoon of aloe vera gel
- 1 tablespoon of glycerin
Aloe vera contains antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties that prevents various scalp conditions and helps maintain a healthy scalp (4).
Types Of Glycerin
1. Vegetable Glycerin
Obtained from coconut oil and soybean. This type is typically used in the food and beverages industry. Vegetable glycerin is colorless and odorless and is popularly used in the cosmetic industry as well. It helps improve skin health and contributes to hydration.
2. Animal Derived Glycerin
This type of glycerin is typically derived from animal fats. It is majorly used in the beauty, food and personal care industries.
Who Should Use Glycerin?
Glycerin is a universal ingredient that can be used by you irrespective of your scalp and hair type. However, if you have dry and frizzy hair or an itchy scalp, using glycerin can really help improve your scalp health and hair texture.
If you have curly hair, it is likely that your hair is drier as compared to somebody with wavy or straight hair. In such a case, you can deep-condition your hair using glycerin once a week.
Wrapping Up
Glycerin as an ingredient had majorly been used in the food and beverage industry. However, in the recent past it has been widely used in the hair and skin care industries as well. From moisturization to keeping itchiness at bay, this ingredient has quite a lot to offer as part of your hair care regimen.
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