Is Glycerin (Glycerol) Vegan? | What Is Glycerin Made Of?
The decision to go vegan is a big one.
Some people follow vegan diet because they are morally opposed to using animals as a commodity. Some people follow it because they worry about how the meat and dairy industry harms the environment. And some people follow it just for health reasons—they want to eat more vegetables and fewer animal products.
Whatever your reason, deciding to go vegan is important and deserves respect and understanding from those around you.
But one of the hardest things about going vegan is figuring out what’s what when it comes to ingredients lists. Many people don’t recognize some of the names on ingredient lists; they don’t know if they’re vegan or not!
Glycerin is one example of an ingredient that many people don’t recognize as being derived from animal fats or secretions, but this is something worth knowing about!. In this article we are going to discuss is glycerin vegan? and other vegan glycerin alternatives you can opt for.
What Is Glycerin?
Glycerin is a clear, odorless liquid used in everything from skin creams to food. It’s also called glycerol.
Glycerin is a simple sugar alcohol—it’s one molecule of glucose (a type of sugar) attached to three molecules of water—and it’s highly soluble in water.
Glycerin is used as an emollient or humectant in moisturizers, cleansers, and soaps because it attracts water to the skin and helps keep it hydrated. It can also be used as a sweetener for foods and drinks.
What Is Glycerin Made Of?
Glycerin is made from triglycerides derived from animal fat or plant sources. It can be produced through the saponification of triglycerides, which are fats derived from animal or vegetable oils. After the triglycerides have been converted into fatty acids and alcohols, glycerin is extracted from these by-products using heat and vacuum distillation.
Glycerin can be found in many foods that have been processed with high heat or pressure (such as vegetable oils) and in some plant sources such as soybeans, corn, and palm trees. It is used as a humectant (a substance that helps retain moisture) in many foods and medicines.
Is Glycerin Safe?
Glycerin is a safe ingredient to use in products for the skin. Glycerin is a polyol, or sugar alcohol, commonly used in cosmetics and personal care products. It’s non-toxic, non-irritating, and has been used for decades as an effective moisturizer.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved glycerin in cosmetics because it does not cause irritation or damage to the skin when it comes into contact with it.
The FDA also approves glycerin as an ingredient in personal care products such as moisturizers, toothpaste, mouthwash, etc. Glycerin has been used safely for centuries as both a food additive and a beauty product ingredient due to its ability to moisturize your skin and hair.
Glycerin Vs Vegean Glycerin: The Real Difference?
Glycerin and vegetable glycerin are both natural sweeteners that are made from plants. Glycerin is extracted from palm trees, soybeans, and rapeseed plants. Vegetable glycerin is taken from vegetables, corn, potatoes, and sugar beets.
The main difference between the two is that vegetable glycerin has a much higher purity level than regular glycerin. It’s also more expensive to produce because it requires more processing than regular glycerin. This processing results in a compound that’s almost pure glycerol with just a few other trace elements mixed in.
Vegetable/Vegan Glycerin Uses
Vegetable glycerin is an excellent alternative to the harsh chemicals in conventional beauty products. It is also known as glycerol or glycerine. But is vegetable glycerin vegan? Yes! It is derived from plants like palm trees or soybeans.
Vegetable glycerin has several uses, from cosmetic and beauty products to household cleaning. It is also used in medicines, food and beverages, and industrial processes.
Here are some other uses for vegan glycerin:
- As an emollient in cosmetics and beauty products
- As a humectant in lotions and creams to prevent water loss from skin cells
- As an additive to food products like ice cream and chocolate candies to make them smoother and creamier
What Is A Substitute For Glycerin?
There are various glycerin alternative you can choose from when you don’t have vegetable glycerin available. Below are some alternatives you can choose for different purpose.
- Corn Syrup: Corn syrup is a great alternative to glycerin as a sweetener and also it has fewer calories than glycerin. It can be used in desserts, baking and various other dishes accordingly.
- Coconut oil: It is one of the ingredients used in glycerin so it is a great glycerin alternative you can opt for. It gives amazing skin benefits and it can also be applied on rashes and itches. Other than skin it can be used cooking too.
Conclusion
Glycerin is a common ingredient in many food products like sour punch straws, thinkthin protein bars, and extra gum but it can be hard to know if this glycerine is vegan because of which it arises questions in these products .Glycerin is made from vegetable fat, but it’s also sometimes made from animal fat.
The best way to find out is to check the label. If you’re using glycerin for a personal care product like lotion or soap, look for “vegetable,” “plant-derived,” or “natural” on the label. If there are no ingredients listed, it’s most likely made from animal fat.
