Glycerin
Glycerin is a three-carbon polyol that is a clear, viscous, sweet-tasting liquid fully miscible with water. Most commercial glycerin is a byproduct of splitting or transesterifying vegetable oils and fats (for soap, fatty acids or biodiesel), which is then distilled and bleached; smaller volumes are made synthetically from propylene. Cosmetic brands usually buy USP-grade 99.5% or 99.7% glycerin in drums or totes as a humectant and solvent.
Suppliers sell different products under the same name. Specify the one you need.
Distilled, bleached glycerin meeting USP or EP monographs; the standard grade for cosmetics, personal care and oral products.
Glycerin from palm, coconut, soy or rapeseed oil processing, often sold with RSPO mass-balance or segregated certification for palm-based material.
Glycerin made from propylene, offered by fewer suppliers; same chemistry, but source declarations and kosher or halal status differ from vegetable grades.
Glycerin made from certified organic oils, used where a product's organic content claim needs it; priced well above conventional grades.
Lower-purity glycerin with salts and methanol residues from biodiesel production; not suitable for cosmetics or food without further refining.
Compare each result with your own specification when the lot arrives.
Store glycerin in closed stainless steel, HDPE or lined drums at room temperature, away from moisture, because it absorbs water from air. It can thicken or partially crystallize in cold storage and is warmed gently before pumping. Shelf life is set by the supplier's specification, commonly with a retest of water and color after the stated period.
Record the source (vegetable species, synthetic), assay, water and DEG/EG result for each lot, and keep supplier certificates that trace the glycerin back to the refinery. Rotate FIFO and recheck water on drums that have been opened and resealed.
Facts from regulators and standards bodies, each linked to its source.
21 CFR 182.1320 lists glycerin as generally recognized as safe (GRAS) when used in accordance with good manufacturing practice.
Source: ecfr.gov (opens in a new tab)21 CFR 347.10 lists glycerin at 20 to 45 percent as a skin protectant active ingredient in the OTC skin protectant monograph.
Source: ecfr.gov (opens in a new tab)Health Canada's Natural Health Products Ingredients Database says glycerol for oral use (other than as part of a capsule shell) shall contain no more than 0.1% diethylene glycol and related compounds, citing USP 35.
Source: webprod.hc-sc.gc.ca (opens in a new tab)This is general information, not regulatory advice. Status differs by country and by how the ingredient is used, so check the rules for your product and market.
Manufacturers and distributors whose own websites say they sell it.
Distributor · Blue Bell, PA
Pennsylvania distributor of oleochemicals and personal care ingredients, including castor products, fatty alcohols, esters, glycerin and natural oils and butters.
Distributor · Des Plaines, IL
Illinois supplier of bulk oils, butters, waxes and soap-making bases, owned by Columbus Vegetable Oils, selling to soap makers and small personal care brands.
Manufacturer · Deerfield, IL
Sells it as Vycerin
US oleochemical producer whose personal care unit (which absorbed Jeen International) sources, blends and refines natural oils and butters in cosmetic, food and pharma grades, and makes glycerin.
Suppliers are in alphabetical order and none pays to appear. Each claim is checked against the supplier’s own website on the date shown. Ask for the specification sheet and a recent COA before you order, and confirm details with the supplier.
Common forms include uSP / EP refined (99.5-99.7%), vegetable-derived, synthetic, organic and technical / crude. Ask each supplier for the specification sheet of the exact grade they quote.
Expect identity, glycerin assay, diethylene glycol and ethylene glycol, water, color, chlorides and sulfates and heavy metals, each with its method, specification and result for that lot.
Store glycerin in closed stainless steel, HDPE or lined drums at room temperature, away from moisture, because it absorbs water from air. It can thicken or partially crystallize in cold storage and is warmed gently before pumping. Shelf life is set by the supplier's specification, commonly with a retest of water and color after the stated period.
21 CFR 182.1320 lists glycerin as generally recognized as safe (GRAS) when used in accordance with good manufacturing practice. 21 CFR 347.10 lists glycerin at 20 to 45 percent as a skin protectant active ingredient in the OTC skin protectant monograph. Health Canada's Natural Health Products Ingredients Database says glycerol for oral use (other than as part of a capsule shell) shall contain no more than 0.1% diethylene glycol and related compounds, citing USP 35.
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