Glycerin for Body Skin: The Complete Australian Guide

Glycerin is one of the most effective and widely used moisturising ingredients in body skincare. It helps attract water to the skin, improves hydration and supports a healthier skin barrier, making it ideal for dry, rough and dehydrated body skin.

Quick Answer

Glycerin is a humectant, meaning it attracts water into the outer layers of the skin. It helps improve hydration, soften rough skin and support the skin barrier. When paired with exfoliating ingredients like glycolic acid, glycerin helps keep body skin comfortable and moisturised.

What is glycerin?

Glycerin, sometimes called glycerol, is a naturally occurring ingredient used in many skincare products. It is highly valued because of its ability to draw moisture into the skin and improve hydration without feeling heavy or greasy.

How glycerin works

As a humectant, glycerin attracts water from the surrounding environment and deeper layers of the skin to help maintain hydration in the outer skin layer. This contributes to softer, smoother and more comfortable-feeling skin.

Benefits of glycerin for body skin

  • Helps improve skin hydration
  • Supports the skin barrier
  • Softens rough-feeling skin
  • Helps reduce tightness caused by dryness
  • Improves overall skin comfort
  • Works well alongside exfoliating ingredients

Who can benefit from glycerin?

  • Dry body skin
  • Keratosis Pilaris (KP)
  • Strawberry Legs
  • Rough and bumpy skin
  • Crepey-looking skin
  • Dehydrated body skin

Glycerin and glycolic acid

While glycolic acid helps exfoliate dead skin cells from the skin's surface, glycerin helps replace lost moisture by attracting water into the skin. Together they create a balanced routine that supports smoother-looking skin while maintaining hydration.

Read the Glycolic Acid Guide

Glycerin and the skin barrier

Healthy skin relies on maintaining moisture. Glycerin helps support the skin barrier by improving hydration, reducing dryness and helping the skin remain more resilient to environmental stressors.

Read the Skin Barrier Guide

How to use glycerin body care

  1. Apply after showering while skin is slightly damp.
  2. Use consistently as part of your daily body care routine.
  3. Pair with exfoliating ingredients where appropriate.
  4. Use sunscreen on exposed skin during the day.

Good to know: Glycerin is suitable for most skin types and is commonly used in body lotions designed to improve hydration and skin comfort.

The Lotion and glycerin

The Lotion combines glycerin with 12% glycolic acid, urea, niacinamide, shea butter and aloe vera to help exfoliate, hydrate and support smoother-looking body skin.

Support hydrated, smoother-looking body skin

Discover The Lotion's 12% Glycolic Acid Body Lotion.

Shop The Lotion

Frequently Asked Questions

Is glycerin good for dry skin?

Yes. Glycerin is widely used because it helps attract moisture and improve hydration.

Is glycerin suitable for body skin?

Yes. It is commonly used in body lotions for dry, rough and dehydrated skin.

Can glycerin be used with glycolic acid?

Yes. Glycerin complements glycolic acid by helping maintain hydration while the skin is being exfoliated.

Does glycerin clog pores?

Glycerin is generally considered suitable for most skin types and is commonly used in leave-on skincare products.

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