Vegetable Glycerine

Here are some fancy words for what this wonder does: humectant, emollient, preservative booster, and binder - and every one of those terms holds real value when you're making your own cleaning or skincare products.

As a humectant, glycerine pulls moisture from the air into the product and helps hold it there, which is great for your skin.

As an emollient, it brings softness, not just to your hands, but to the overall texture of the product. It takes a DIY hand wash from watery to silky.

It doesn't preserve products by itself, but it supports the longevity of your blends by binding water, which can help slow down the growth of microbes when combined with proper hygiene and small batch-making. It's particularly helpful in sprays that might otherwise spoil quickly if you're adding essential oils or botanical ingredients.

And as a binder, it’s that quiet ingredient that holds things together like a solution with both water and oil components.

What makes glycerine special is that it's not essential for cleaning power, but once you start using it, you realise how handy it really is.

If you’re not using Under Your Sink Castile Soap (sad face) and your soap doesn’t retain its natural glycerine, you can add a small dash directly into your foaming pump bottle to bring back that hit of moisture. You can also mix a little into dish liquid or hand wash to soften the feel and help prevent dry hands.

Now, let’s talk about xanthan gum. It’s a natural thickener often used in DIY recipes to create gels or give body to liquids - but when you add it straight to water, it can clump up into a slimy mess. The trick is to pre-blend it with glycerine. When you mix about one teaspoon of xanthan gum with a tablespoon of glycerine, it forms a smooth, gel-like base that’s easy to stir into water without clumps. This blend thickens nicely and helps suspend ingredients like essential oils evenly.

You can also use glycerine directly on dry or cracked skin - especially heels, elbows or anywhere that needs a bit of extra love. Just dab a little on clean skin before bed and pop socks on for a simple overnight foot treatment.

Our glycerine ticks all the right boxes. It’s derived from renewable plant oils, fully biodegradable, vegan and cruelty-free. The one I stock is USP grade (which means it’s top quality), palm-free, and made from non-GMO soybeans. You can feel good about using it in anything that goes on your skin or down the drain.

It’s technically food-safe, but I’m not licensed to sell food-grade products - this one is for cleaning and DIY recipes only. Store it in a cool, dry place with the lid on tight. It’s generally gentle and non-irritating, but if you’re using it on your skin, it’s always a good idea to patch test first, just to be sure.

“It’s a cleaner.”
Not really, it more supports the other cleaning ingredients but doesn’t lift grime or cut grease.

“All glycerine is the same.”
Not true. There’s synthetic glycerine, petroleum-derived glycerine, and animal-based glycerine. Make sure it’s labelled vegetable and preferably USP grade.