BENGALURU: You know those days when all you want to do is curl up into a bowl of garlic chicken and ice cream and cry? (I’m not currently accepting any comments on the menu choice). Or in my case, a decade of that? As some of you may already know, I’m the unofficial authority on all stripes of crying — everything from the graceful single tear in public, to noisy bawling sessions.
I’ve been a crier since I can remember. One of my earliest cry-baby memories are from when I visited my grandparents when I was little. It was during this trip that I learned that my grandmother was actually my father’s mom. You see, up until that moment I always figured that my mother was everyone’s mother… my father’s included. It was too much for me to handle.There’s a lot of things that I don’t fully understand, and most of them make me cry. This is probably why I’ve never really been able to fathom why people use glycerine to induce tears. I mean, all you have to do is just THINK about Bambi! Besides, why use glycerine for fake tears when there’s so many other incredible ways to use it?
It’s often the complicated sounding, exotic-looking ingredients that get us most excited; but perhaps, it’s time we realise that the answer to hydrated skin has been in front of us all along: glycerine. It’s a super powerful humectant, protects the skin and prevents moisture-loss. It’s also one of the safest ingredients in skincare, non-allergenic and suitable for acne-prone skin.
It’s gotten a bit of a bad rep over the years for reasons I don’t fully understand. My lovely readers, this may have a bit of a DIY feel to it: but I urge you to buy a jar of organic glycerine. Mix it in with some grape-seed or castor oil with it to apply on cracked heels and dried hands. It essentially creates a layer of moisture similar to what Hyaluronic Acid does.
Similar to hyaluronic acid, glycerin by itself is a humectant: which means that it should not be used by itself; especially in very dry climates/weather. It essentially pulls in moisture from where it can get it — be it the air or your skin. This means that it can pull moisture from deeper layers of your skin/hair, causing blistering and very brittle hair. Using HA or glycerine-based products on slightly damp skin might be a good way to make sure that your skin isn’t getting overwhelmed. Cry babies of the world, our glycerine-coated chariot awaits! More anon.