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ASCP SkinPro got a glow-up! Check out new app content at ascpskincare.com/skinpro 33 GLYCERIN IS A SIMPLE COMPOUND with a big infl uence on skin hydration, cutaneous elasticity, and epidermal barrier health. Also known as glycerol, this colorless, odorless, nontoxic substance is celebrated for its hydrating properties, and has become a universal staple in many personal care products. WHERE DOES GLYCERIN COME FROM? Scientifi c citations of glycerin trace back to 1878, and it continues to be widely researched. The discovery of glycerin was a lucky happenstance hundreds of years ago. It was fi rst isolated and identifi ed by Carl Wilhelm Scheele in 1783, who discovered it as a by-product of soap-making. He described it as "the sweet principle of fat." 1 Nearly half a century later, French chemist Michel- Eugène Chevreul named it glycerine after "glykys," the Greek word for sweet. 2 Glycerin was immediately recognized for its ability to act as a natural moisturizer for the hair and skin. Later, it was identifi ed that this eff ect was because of its ability to attract water from the air into the skin. Used as a humectant in skin care formulations, glycerin can be derived from natural or synthetic sources. Natural glycerin is extracted from plant oils or animal fats through saponifi cation, a process where triglycerides are hydrolyzed, leaving glycerin and fatty acids. Synthetic glycerin is produced from petrochemicals (propylene), which, because of the extraction and production process, has not been a favorable source for personal care products. INGREDIENT DECK Glycerin Diving into a timeless, skin-quenching ingredient by Ella Cressman