Glycerin – Check Your Ingredients

So it’s officially summer people!!!  Although my air conditioner has been pumping nonstop for almost a month now and the shorts and maxis have already made their debut, the calendar says today is the official kick off.  While many naturals are turning to Havana twists and box braids for refuge this season, others are total rebels and prefer to let their hair run wild and free.  It is important to remember that the way you cared for your tresses during the Spring will probably not suffice if you live in a climate where relative humidity is in full effect.  If you find yourself wondering why you’ve done everything right and your hair still falls prey to the big bag humidity wolf, start by checking the ingredients on whatever product you are using; if you see glycerin, step away from the product during humid weather conditions.  To be fair, some people do fine with glycerin no matter what the dew point but this is a good place to start if you are having issues.  My hair thrives during the winter months with glycerin laced products but during the summer, womp womp.  Glycerin is a humectant and the purpose of a humectant is to draw moisture out of the air into your hair, which is what you don’t want when the temperature and humidity scales are off the charts.  Humidity is the amount of water vapor in the air and adding a humectant to the mix will only pull that moisture and dampness to your hair, causing it to immediately frizz up leaving you with less than desirable results.

While glycerin is an awesome combative measure against breakage and the moisturizing properties are off the charts, save it for the cooler months when humidity is not king.  It is worth noting that some products contain smaller amounts of glycerin as they are listed as the 9^th or 10^th on the ingredient list and therefore, will not have the same affect. 

How does your hair respond to glycerin?  Do you use it all year round?

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