Clear glycerin droplets illustrating glycerin’s role as the skin’s natural moisturizer that hydrates without clogging pores.

Is Glycerin
good for Your Skin?

What is Glycerin and is it good or bad for your skin? From moisturisers to sunscreen, find out why Glycerin should be part of your skincare routine.

Read Time

8 min

In short:

What is Glycerin?
Is Glycerin Good for Skin?
7 Glycerin Skin Benefits
Facts Overview
Glycerin for the Body
How to use Glycerin for Skin
Summary
FAQs

What is
Glycerin?

Glycerin, sometimes called Glycerol, is a natural ingredient often used in skincare products. It's a clear, colourless liquid made from plant oils or animal fats, and it has a smooth, syrupy texture.

Glycerin works as a humectant, which means it helps to attract and hold moisture in your skin, preventing it from drying out². By drawing water from the air, and deeper layers of your skin, it helps skin stay hydrated, which is why it's so commonly found in skincare.

Is Glycerin
Good for Skin?

Thanks to its non-comedogenic properties (meaning it won't clog pores), Glycerin is suitable for all skin types:

1
Dry skin:
Glycerin is especially beneficial for dry skin, as it helps draw moisture into your skin and lock it in, keeping it soft, smooth, and protected.

2
Oily skin:
Even oily skin needs hydration. Skipping moisturiser in your routine can cause your skin to produce more oil to compensate. Glycerin provides lightweight hydration without clogging pores, making it a great choice for oily skin types.

3
Combination skin:
Glycerin's ability to hydrate without being heavy means it works well for combination skin, helping to balance both oily and dry areas.

4
Sensitive skin:
Gentle and soothing, Glycerin not only hydrates but may also help calm your skin. By supporting the skin's natural moisture barrier, it can help defend against external irritants.

7 Glycerin
SKIN BENEFITS

Glycerin has many benefits for skin, including:

1. Helps skin retain moisture

Glycerin draws water into your skin and slows down moisture loss, helping to keep it hydrated throughout the day. This is especially beneficial during colder months or in dry environments.

2. Can help smooth the skin's texture

By keeping your skin well-hydrated, Glycerin may help to reduce the texture of rough skin and support a smoother, softer feel.

3. Helps support the skin's protective barrier

Well-moisturised skin is better able to maintain its natural barrier, which can help defend against environmental stressors like wind, cold weather and pollution.

4. Helps to reduce the appearance of wrinkles

By keeping skin well-hydrated, Glycerin helps maintain skin elasticity and plumpness, which can help to minimise the look of fine lines over time.

5. May support natural skin healing

Hydrated skin is more resilient to irritation, flaking, and tightness and therefore Glycerin may help promote skin recovery by supporting the natural renewal process.

6. Encourages gentle exfoliation

Glycerin can help improve the skin's natural shedding process by keeping the outer layer hydrated, which allows dead skin cells to be released more easily, promoting a fresher, brighter-looking complexion over time.

7. May help soothe dry or sensitive skin

Glycerin helps to soothe the skin and so can be beneficial for those with dryness or sensitivity.

Caution: Even if a product includes Glycerin in its formula, it doesn't imply that the product will show all the benefits listed above – these will depend on various factors such as the formulation and the concentration of Glycerin. Please see the packaging instructions to understand the effects of the specific product you use.

Facts Overview

Is Glycerin
Good for Your Skin?

Sources of Glycerin: Glycerin is a widely used skincare ingredient that can come from both natural and synthetic sources, including plant and animal fats.

Glycerin and Skin Types: Glycerin benefits all skin types – dry, oily, sensitive, and combination – by supporting the skin's natural barrier.

Glycerin in Skincare: Glycerin is commonly found in skincare products, including face creams, body lotions, and sunscreens.

Glycerin Benefits: Glycerin can help to improve skin texture, reduce dryness, and support the skin against external irritants.

Glycerin for the body

Glycerin is a highly effective ingredient for body care, known for its ability to deeply hydrate and soften your skin. As a natural humectant, it draws moisture into the skin and helps to retain it, making it particularly beneficial for dry or rough areas such as elbows, knees, and heels. Regular use of Glycerin on your body can help improve skin texture, enhance smoothness, and support the skin's natural barrier function. Gentle and non-irritating, it is suitable for all skin types and is commonly found in body lotions, creams, and moisturisers.

Glycerin for wrinkles

As we age, our skin naturally becomes drier and loses elasticity, making fine lines and wrinkles more visible, especially around delicate areas like the eyes. Glycerin's ability to attract and retain moisture helps keep skin hydrated and plump, which softens the appearance of wrinkles and supports a smoother, more youthful complexion.

The NIVEA Q10 range is specially designed to nourish mature skin with skin-compatible ingredients like Glycerin, Coenzyme Q10 and Bioxifill Peptides. Key products such as the NIVEA Q10 Targeted Wrinkle Filler Serum* and NIVEA Q10 Anti-Wrinkle Firming Day Cream work together to help reduce fine lines, stimulate Collagen production, and improve skin firmness. Using the full range helps support your skin's natural renewal process while delivering deep hydration and visible wrinkle care.

^{*Skin compatibility is dermatologically approved.}

Blonde hair woman using Nivea Q10 Anti Wrinkle face cream

How to use Glycerin for face and body

How to use
Glycerin for Skin

One of the best ways to feel the benefits of Glycerin is through skincare products, as part of your regular skincare routine.

1. Cleanse

Start your routine by cleansing, as this helps to lift away daily dirt, oil, makeup and SPF, leaving your skin feeling fresh and comfortable.

NIVEA offers a range of gentle cleansers formulated with caring ingredients like Glycerin to support your skin's moisture balance while effectively removing impurities. Whether you prefer a micellar water, gel or cream cleanser, there's a NIVEA option to suit your skin type and needs.

NIVEA SUN UV Specialist Clear Up Daily UV Fluid SPF 50

2. Hydrate

Hydration is the next essential step after cleansing, helping to replenish moisture and keep your skin feeling soft, smooth and balanced throughout the day.

Hydrating the Face:
For deep hydration, apply NIVEA SUN UV Specialist Clear Up Daily UV Fluid SPF 50 to your face and neck. This ultra-light, non-greasy formula combines Glycerin, Niacinamide and Carnitine to hydrate, control oil and protect against sun-induced sensitivity, all in one step.

Hydrating the Body:
For dry or very dry skin, NIVEA Repair & Care Body Lotion delivers 72 hours of hydration with a 10% complex of Glycerin, Provitamin B5 and Niacinamide. It helps soothe irritation, strengthen the skin barrier and improve overall skin comfort, making it ideal for when your skin needs extra care.

Whether you're looking for face creams or body lotions, NIVEA offers a wide range of hydrating formulas to suit every skin type and routine.

Explore NIVEA Moisturisers

3. Lip Protection

It's important to care for your lips too, as they are often one of the first areas to show signs of dryness. The NIVEA Hyaluron Moisture Plus Lip Balm delivers deep hydration and visibly smoother lips for up to 24 hours*. This ultra-light formula helps to reduce the appearance of lip lines while keeping your lips feeling soft, plump, and nourished. Simply apply throughout the day whenever your lips need a moisture boost.

^{*100% of volunteers showed a moisture increase – instrumental increase in 43 volunteers using it 2x daily for 5 days.}

Young woman using NIVEA Hyaluron Moisture Plus Lip Balm

Young woman using NIVEA Protect & Moisture SPF 50+

4. Sun Protection

As the final step in your skincare routine, daily sun protection is essential for maintaining healthy skin. For effective protection that also hydrates, try NIVEA Protect & Moisture SPF 50+. Enriched with Glycerin and Vitamin E, this fast-absorbing, water-resistant formula delivers reliable UVA/UVB defence while nourishing your skin. Whether you're at home or on holiday, the full NIVEA Protect & Moisture range has a sunscreen that's just right for you.

Protect & Moisture Sunscreens

Summary

Glycerin is a gentle, natural ingredient that helps attract and retain moisture, keeping your skin hydrated, smooth, and protected. Suitable for all skin types, it supports the skin's barrier, aids renewal, and soothes dryness. Found in many NIVEA products – from body lotions to wrinkle serums – it works with ingredients like Provitamin B5 and Coenzyme Q10 to deliver lasting hydration and care.