Ingredient decoder

Glycerin: is it comedogenic? What it does in skincare

INCI name: Glycerin

Acne verdict Fine

Not a known pore-clogger

  • Comedogenic0 / 5
  • Irritancy0 / 5

What it does

Pulls water into the skin and supports the barrier.

  • Moisturizer
  • Denaturant
  • Hair conditioning
  • Humectant
  • Masking
  • Oral care
  • Perfuming
  • Skin protecting
  • Viscosity controlling

Glycerin in plain English

Glycerin is a humectant, which means it attracts water and holds it in the top layer of skin. It is one of the most studied and reliable moisturizing ingredients and is very gentle. It does not clog pores and helps offset dryness from acne treatments like retinoids and benzoyl peroxide.

Is glycerin bad for acne?

Not based on the evidence we have. Glycerin is not a known pore-clogger: it scored 0 out of 5 in Fulton's 1989 rabbit-ear test of the raw ingredient. Our checker rates it as fine for acne-prone skin, so judge by how your own skin reacts.

Clean routine and still breaking out? The cause may be internal. See what is driving it

Also called

  • Glycerin
  • Glycerol
  • Glycerine
  • Vegetable glycerin

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Frequently asked questions

Is glycerin comedogenic?

Glycerin scored 0 out of 5 for comedogenicity in Fulton's 1989 rabbit-ear study, where 0 means no clogging and 5 means severe. That is a low rating. The test used the raw ingredient, so a finished product may behave differently.

What does glycerin do in skincare?

In short: pulls water into the skin and supports the barrier. In formulas it is used for denaturant, hair conditioning, humectant, masking, oral care, perfuming, skin protecting and viscosity controlling.

What else is glycerin called on ingredient labels?

On ingredient lists, glycerin can also appear as Glycerol, Glycerine or Vegetable glycerin.

Sources