Medicinal Uses of Glycerin

Glycerin, also referred to as glycerol or glycerine, is a colorless, odorless organic liquid derived from fats and oils. It is thick, with a warm, sweet taste. Glycedrin is used in industrial applications, food preparation and in personal care products. It also has medicinal uses, and is often an ingredient in pharmaceuticals.

Eye Disorders

Glycerin is used to treat eye disorders that are caused by increased interocular pressure, such as glaucoma. It can also be used to decrease pressure in the eye before and after ocular surgery, or during a medical eye examination.

Cerebral Edema

Intravenous preparations of glycerin may be used to treat excessive intracranial pressure. Glycerin draws fluid from tissues in the body into the bloodstream, and also acts as a diuretic by preventing water re-absorption in the kidneys. These actions dehydrate the tissues while reducing blood volume, thereby diminishing intracranial pressure.

Vasodialator

Glycerin is a primary constituent of nitroglycerin. Better known for its explosive properties, nitroglycerin is also used as a treatment for angina, a painful condition caused by constriction of the blood vessels in the heart. Nitroclycerin, when taken orally, acts as a vasodialator, rapidly opening the blood vessels in the body to provide greater blood flow and oxygen perfusion to the heart.

Constipation

Glycerin works as a softening agent and lubricant in cases of constipation. A glycerin suppository, inserted into the rectum, melts at body temperature. The glycerin then causes water to be drawn into the colon and rectum, softening the stool and lubricating the bowels, allowing for an easier bowel movement.

Vehicle for Other Medications

Due to its emollient, solvent, sweetening and moisturizing properties, glycerin is frequently used as an ingredient in other pharmaceutical preparations. It is used in tinctures and elixirs, such as Theophylline, which is used to treat asthma. Glycerin is also used in ointments and creams to prevent them from drying out, and can act as a preservative.

What Is Pure Glycerin Oil?

Glycerin and glycerine are common names for glycerol. It’s a clear, viscous liquid at room temperature and has no odor. Glycerin is widely used in the pharmaceutical industry and it’s a component of many lipids. Glycerin is also highly soluble and is very hygroscopic (absorbs water easily.)

Chemical Properties

The molecular formula of glycerin is C3H5(OH)3, giving it a molecular mass of about 92.1 g per mole (g/mol.) A molecule of glycerin consists of a chain with three carbon atoms such that a hydroxyl group (OH-) is attached to each carbon atom.

Physical Properties

Glycerin has a density of 1.261 g per cubic centimeter (g/cm^3), making it slightly denser than water, which has a density of 1 g/cm^3. It melts at 64.4 degrees F and boils at 554 degrees F.

Synthesis

Glycerin may be synthesized by using a variety of chemical processes such as the saponification of fats. Saponification is the process used to make soap from animal fat and a strong alkali. Fats are composed of triglyerides, which have the molecular formula (ROOC2)3H5 where R is an unspecified chemical group. Sodium hydroxide (NaOH) and water (H20) are added to produce the following reaction: (ROOC2)3H5 + 3NaOH + H20 -> 3(ROOCNa) + C3H5(OH)3 + H2.

Food

Glycerin has several uses in food. Its hygroscopic nature allows it to keep foodstuffs from drying out and it can serve as a food preservative. Glycerin may be used as a filler in low-fat foods and a thickener in liquids. It’s also used as a sugar substitute, especially in foods made for diabetics. Glycerin has the same calories as table sugar but doesn’t raise blood sugar levels as much as table sugar does.

Nitroglycerine

Glycerol is also used to make nitroglycerin, which is an ingredient in products such as cordite, dynamite, gelignite and smokeless gunpowder. It’s also used in aerosol sprays and tablets for the treatment of angina. This preparation is far too diluted to have any explosive properties.

What Is Glycerin Made From?

Glycerin is an organic compound known more formally as glycerol. Its common sources are animal fat and vegetable oil. Glycerin is a clear, odorless liquid at room temperature, and it has a sweet taste. It’s most commonly used in soap and is also a common ingredient in many pharmaceuticals.

Structure

Glycerin has the molecular formula C3H5(OH)3. It consists of a chain of three carbon atoms such that each carbon atom is bonded to a hydrogen atom (H+) and a hydroxyl group (OH-). Each of the two terminal carbon atoms has an additional hydrogen atom so that all three carbon atoms have a total of four bonds. Carbon has a valence of four, meaning that it has a tendency to form four bonds.

Fatty Acids

Fatty acids are a class of compounds that are essentially a long chain of carbon atoms attached to various combinations of oxygen and hydrogen atoms. Each fatty acid molecule ends with a carbon atom that forms a double bond to an oxygen atom and a single bond to a hydroxyl group. This group has the formula COOH- and is known as a carboxyl group.

Triglycerides

Plants and animals use glycerin and fatty acids to make triglycerides, which are the primary component of fat. The carboxyl end of each fatty acid reacts with the hydroxyl group on each carbon atom of a glycerin molecule. This results in each fatty acid molecule being bound to a carbon atom in the glycerin molecule. This process also liberates a molecule of water for each fatty acid molecule for a total of three water molecules.

Making Soap at Home

Soap is made from fats and lye. The manufacture of soap is a complex process with multiple steps, but it involves using the lye to break the fat down into sodium salts of fatty acids and glycerin. An at-home soapmaker will make the soap directly from this mixture of sodium salts of fatty acids and glycerin, and simply pour the mixture into molds.

Commercial Soapmaking

A commercial soapmaker will wish to recover the glycerin in the soap mixture so that it can be sold separately. Salt is added on top of the soap mixture, which causes the fatty acid salts to rise to the top. The fatty acid salts are then skimmed off the top and made into commercial soap. The remaining liquid is composed mostly of glycerin. This liquid is then Glycerine refining equipment to separate the impurities from the pure glycerin. Glycerin is commonly used as a sweetener in diabetic foods since it doesn’t raise blood sugar levels. It’s also used in the food industry as a filler and thickening agent.

What Are the Benefits of Vegetable Glycerin?

Vegetable glycerin, also called glycerol, is made from soybean, coconut or palm oil, so it contains no animal products. Glycerin is used to keep foods moist, help mix oil- and water-based ingredients and sweeten foods. It also has some medical uses and may have some beneficial effects on hydration during exercise.

Keeps Foods Moist

Manufacturers add glycerin to foods, including baked goods, fudge, candy and nutrition and energy bars, to help maintain their water content. It can also help keep ice crystals from forming in reduced-fat frozen desserts. Other foods that may contain glycerin include dairy products, soups, sauces, condiments, processed meats and seafood and water-based flavored drinks.

Adds Sweetness

Vegetable glycerin is sometimes used as an alternative sweetener in foods for diabetics and a number of low-carbohydrate processed foods. It’s actually less sweet than sugar and has more calories, but because it falls into the same group of carbohydrates as sugar alcohols, it doesn’t affect blood sugar levels or affects them less than sugar, according to licensed dietitian/nutritionist Monica Reinagel. Glycerin is well absorbed by the body and then converts to glucose, however, so it may have an effect on blood sugar more similar to sugar than to sugar alcohols.

Relieves Constipation

Large amounts of glycerine can cause a laxative effect, so it’s sometimes used as a medicine to help relieve constipation, usually in the form of a suppository. It isn’t recommended for this use if you’re diabetic or have kidney problems, however, because it could make these conditions worse.

May Limit Dehydration

A study published in the Journal of Athletic Training in 2004 found that drinking a beverage containing glycerin before the race along with water during the race appeared to help limit dehydration and heat strain in mountain bikers. This was a very small study, however, with a total of just 12 participants, so further research is necessary to verify these results.

The Effects of Glycerin on Skin

Glycerin is a compound that can be made from natural products such as vegetable oil, or can be synthesized from propylene alcohol. The result is an alcohol-based product that is an ingredient in many skin-care products. Glycerin, also called glycerol, can be used for both cosmetic purposes and as a treatment for medical conditions of the skin. Most people are very tolerant of glycerin, without experiencing irritation. The effects of glycerin on skin are a healthier, more natural-looking appearance.

Promotes Skin Cell Maturation

Glycerin, or glycerol, can fight the effects of skin diseases such as psoriasis. Drs. Xiangjian Zheng and Wendy Bollinger Bollag explain in the December 2003 issue of the Journal of Investigative Dermatology that glycerin, when applied to the skin, signals the cells to mature in normal fashion. Psoriasis is a skin disease in which the skin cells shed too quickly, before they are properly mature, causing thickened, scaly skin. The application of glycerin can interrupt this abnormal process, and allows the cells to reach full maturation before shedding. The compound can also help wounds heal more quickly in some cases.

Maintains Water Balance

Glycerin is what is called a humectant, meaning that it attracts water. When glycerin or glycerol is applied to the skin, it seals in moisture that might otherwise escape. According to Dermaxime, a manufacturer of anti-aging skin-care products, glycerin helps maintain the skin’s water balance on an intercellular level. In easier-to-understand language, glycerin in lotions or other skin care products can help prevent or combat dry skin.

Improve Appearance of Skin

In addition to keeping the moisture level of the skin on track, the cosmetic effect of glycerin on skin is that the skin looks healthier and more attractive with the use of glycerin. The improved appearance of skin is due in part to the fact that the skin is hydrated and does not have the characteristic scaly look of dry skin. The fact that glycerin can have a therapeutic effect on wounds and other skin diseases also contributes to skin looking healthier and smoother. Glyercin is an emollient, making skin not only moist, but soft and supple to the touch.

What is Vegetable Glycerin (VG)?

What is Vegetable Glycerin (VG)?

Vegetable Glycerin also known as glycerol or “VG” for short, is a clear and odorless organic compound, made from soy, palm, or coconut oil, that has been gaining in popularity. It has a wide range of uses related to health, beauty, skin care, and even pharmaceutical uses.  For these reasons, it is important to understand that as a consumer you only want to use top of the line organic Kosher USP Vegetable Glycerin. Crude Glycerin is a type of glycerin that is made as a waste product of biodiesel fuel. Glycerin made in this way is very impure and the process by which purification can take place is very lengthy and very difficult. For this reason, it is important that as a consumer you trust your source so that you know you only getting Kosher USP VG.

How is OUR VG made?

All glycerin has the same chemical compound: C3H8O3. This formula contains 3 Carbon atoms, 8 Hydrogen atoms, and 3 Oxygen atoms. There is no difference in the many used terms for glycerin only the process by which it was made. We only source the highest quality Kosher USP Vegetable Glycerin. Therefor our VG is made through a process called HYDROLISIS. During this process the vegetable oil is placed under the combined forces of pressure, heat and water. The ester bonds then begin to breakdown, breaking the glycerin free from the fatty acids, allowing them to join with the water. The process continues with distillation that results in an even more pure finished product.

Benefits/Uses of Vegetable Glycerin:

VG can be used in food applications because of its mildly sweet taste. Due to its organic and very pure properties it can be used as a sugar substitute. Glycerin is also used to make a wide array of household products such as lotions, make up, hair care products etc. Glycerin is considered a humectant, meaning that it holds moisture to the skin. This acts in two ways, first leaving your skin hydrated, and secondly allowing the active ingredient in your product to be more soluble. Vegetable glycerin can also replace alcohol in herbal mixtures and tonics.

Glycerin Ingredients

Glycerin is a highly unique compound that is used to both moisturize your skin and provide anti-freeze for your car. Glycerin is also known as glycerol, glycerine, propane-1, 2, 3-triol, or 1,2,3-propanetriol. This simple chemical compound has a variety of uses in manufacturing, research, and cosmetic products. Often removed from more profitable soaps, and lotions, glycerin is the natural byproduct of the soap making process.

Chemistry

Glycerin is a very short molecule, having the chemical formula C3H8O3. It is composed of three carbon atoms, five hydrogen atoms, and three hydroxy or OH groups.The hydroxy groups are known as the functional alcohol groups, placing glycerin in the alcohol group of chemical compounds.

Physical Properties

Glycerin is an odorless, thick, sweet-tasting, syrupy liquid . Pure glycerin has a specific gravity of 1.26, meaning that it is slightly more dense than water. Glycerin can freeze into a gummy paste and has a high boiling point. Glycerin readily dissolves water and alcohols but not oil-based compounds.

Glycerin is extremely hygroscopic, meaning that it attracts moisture. Exposed to air, pure glycerin will eventually become 80 percent glycerin and 20 percent water. Placed on your tongue, pure glycerin will cause excessive dehydration and result in blistering, as it draws moisture out of your tongue. Glycerin diluted with water, however, will soften skin. It is not clear, however, whether or not it is the hydrogscopic properties of glycerin that cause skin softening or some other mechanism .

Sources

Natural glycerin is found in animal and plant fats. Triglycerides, or fats, are composed of three long hydrocarbon chains linked to a glycerin backbone molecule through the functional OH groups . When broken down, triglycerides form three long hydrocarbon chains and one glycerin molecule. The hydrocarbons provide the fuel, the glycerin is the byproduct.

Similarly, when fats and oils are hydrolyzed to yield fatty acids or soaps, glycerin is formed.

Glycerin is also commercially synthesized from propylene and can be obtained during fermentation as well, although the specific process by which that can be made to occur is proprietary .

Uses

Glycerin is a solvent, food additive, sweetening agent and emollient as well as a demulcent, an agent that forms a soothing film . Glycerin can be used to treat septic wounds and boils, a component of antifreeze, in the manufacture of resins and cellophane, ester gums, plasticizers, dynamite, nitroglycerine, cosmetics, liquid soap, perfume and toothpaste. It also helps keep fabrics pliable, preserves the printing on cotton, and prevents frost from forming on windshields. In research, glycerin is often used as the source of nutrients for fermentation cultures and can act as a preservative as well.

If you need glycerine refining equipment  contact us