Is Glycerin safe during pregnancy?

Glycerin draws water into the stratum corneum and helps the skin's own lipid layers organise properly, which improves barrier function rather than just surface feel.

Its position high on an ingredient list is often a better predictor of how a moisturiser performs than whatever active is on the front of the box.

Typical use on shelf: 3%–10% in moisturisers; often within the first five ingredients..

• At very high concentrations it feels sticky, which is why formulas blend it with silicones or esters.

One ingredient rarely decides anything. Paste the full list from each product you use into the pregnancy ingredient checker and take the flags to your clinician. The full write-up on Glycerin — what it does, irritation, pore-clogging risk — is on the Glycerin explainer.