What was tested
Seventeen healthy volunteers took part in a double-blind comparison of a cream with 20% glycerin and its cream base. Treatment lasted ten days.
What changed
Instrument readings showed more water in the outer skin after glycerin treatment. The study did not show a corresponding improvement in water loss through the skin or resistance to the tested irritant.
How to read the label
Hydration and barrier repair are different outcomes. Glycerin can contribute to a serum’s hydration alongside HA, but the presence of glycerin does not establish a 20% concentration or the same result. ALASTIN and PCA SKIN list glycerin. This cream study is ingredient context, not a test of either serum.
Formulas to read alongside this paper
Ingredient overlap is context, not proof of the same concentration, formulation or outcome.
Read the original
The influence of a cream containing 20% glycerin and its vehicle on skin barrier properties
PMID 18498456 · Published 2001. Summary checked 2 November 2026. Based on the PubMed abstract; not a full systematic review or personal medical advice.