Does glycerin contain lard? Where is glycerin extracted from?

In the production of traditional Chinese medicine cosmetics, lard is most commonly used. Because lard has a low melting point and is cool in nature, it is moist but not dry, so it is recommended as the first choice. So, does glycerin contain lard?

Does glycerin contain lard?

Usually there is no lard. The production of glycerol can be divided into two categories, one is natural glycerol and the other is synthetic glycerol. Natural glycerin is made from natural oils and fats, including animal oils, such as pork, beef and mutton oils, as well as plant oils, such as soybean and peanut oils. However, most of the cosmetics currently contain synthetic glycerin, which is neither animal nor plant, otherwise the cost would be too high. The raw material for synthetic glycerin is propylene.

The main component of glycerol

Generally, the main component of glycerin is propylene glycol, with the chemical formula C3H8O3. It is colorless, odorless, sweet, and appears as a clear and viscous liquid. It is an organic substance that can absorb moisture from the air, as well as hydrogen sulfide, hydrogen cyanide and sulfur dioxide. Its applications can be seen everywhere in life, especially in winter when the skin is dry and dehydrated. You can apply some glycerin to keep the skin hydrated and prevent moisture from escaping.

Where is glycerin extracted from?

The production of glycerol can be divided into two categories, one is natural glycerol and the other is synthetic glycerol. Natural glycerin is made from natural oils and fats, including animal oils, such as pork, beef and mutton oils, as well as plant oils, such as soybean and peanut oils. The raw material for synthesizing glycerol is propylene, which reacts with peracetic acid to synthesize propylene oxide, which is isomerized to propylene oxide, which then reacts with peracetic acid to form propylene oxide, and finally hydrolyzes to glycerol. The production process of natural glycerin is very complicated. It is first purified and concentrated to obtain crude glycerin, and then refined through distillation, decolorization and deodorization. Most cosmetics contain synthetic glycerin, which is neither animal nor plant-based, otherwise the cost would be too high.

Advantages and disadvantages of animal fats

Sheep oil, lard, horse oil, squalene, ostrich oil, mink oil, etc. are animal fats. Animal fats are characterized by being delicate and mellow, with good affinity, and have excellent moisturizing and softening effects on the skin. But it has a slight odor, so you need to add a lot of fragrance to cover up its smell. Animal fats can have a lasting effect on the skin, making it soft and smooth and reducing the loss of moisture from the skin. With animal oil as the base, the skin will not feel dry when other cosmetics are used and it is easy to spread. In the production of traditional Chinese medicine cosmetics, lard is most commonly used. Because lard has a low melting point and is cool in nature, it is moist but not dry, so it is recommended as the first choice. But animal oil is not environmentally friendly because it is obtained by killing animals, some of which are relatively rare. The molecules are relatively large and not easily absorbed by the skin. In addition, animal oils are relatively greasy and not easy to use in large quantities. If you use too much, it will cause problems such as clogged pores and even inflammation. Although it will make the skin shiny after use, it is oily, has too much cholesterol, and the cells lack vitality, which will make the skin prone to aging. Animal oil beauty products are not ideal beauty products.