Glycerin is THAT GIRL
Glycerin > Hyaluronic Acid. I said what I said.
Venus of the Mind is a weekly publication at the intersection of beauty, culture, and magic; designed for those who like to look good and think deep.
The Skincare Primer, March 2026
Read Time: 5 mins
Special Announcement
My esthetic practice, Ivana Martínez Studio, is now accepting new clients for autumn 2026. If you, a loved one, or trusted contacts are in the D.C. area and would like to work with a facialist who approaches skin not as an object to be fixed but as a living environment meant to be nurtured — let’s collaborate together.
I give notice of direct bookings exclusively via the waitlist as a way to protect time, resources, and only work with values aligned clients.
Join/Share the Waitlist Here: Ivana Martínez Studio
Give Glycerin Her Flowers
As a licensed esthetician who specializes in facials (ie: a facialist) I often wonder who was the marketing team that put hyaluronic acid on the map. Only a room of geniuses could take a mid ingredient and make it a mainstream darling that everyone recognizes in everyday skincare speak. How’d they do that?! Can they do the same for the more deserving formulation workhorse that is GLYCERIN?
✨💎GLYCERIN💎✨ — an industry OG and unsung hero. When it comes to long lasting humectation, while everyone is scanning for hyaluronic acid in their moisturizing selections what they should be scanning for is glycerin within the top five featured ingredients. This humectant has a lower molecular weight which means it gets deeper into the skin. Where hyaluronic acid has a moderate efficacy in barrier support, glycerin has a stronger efficacy at fortifying the skins’s the barrier with continued use over time.
She’s an efficacious baddie! Glycerin will protect, soothe, moisturize, enhance, and restore. Homegirl will not evaporate in the blink of an eye — unlike hyaluronic acid which attracts water but cannot lock it in. In other words, hyaluronic acid will ghost you, glycerin will hold you down.
Of course, it’s important to not get caught up in the singular ingredient mindset. When looking for products featuring a particular power-player, it’s helpful to understand the ingredient’s relationship to other factors within a product formulation and how that relationship is relevant or not to your particular skincare needs.
Below, for anyone who has skin, I’ve included entry level reads, audio, and video resources from some of my favorite skincare professionals. All to deepen your understanding of glycerin and allow you to have a more informed shopping experience aligned with your skin’s actual needs instead of going with trendy product recommendations.
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Accessible Resources to Inform Your Skincare Shopping
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