"Holy water" for my skin
Glycerin is a well known moisturizer and used in most personal care and beauty products.  If you search for some scholastic papers, it has healing properties too, while other moisturizers do not.<br /><br />I brought one bottle last year but didn't figure out how to use it - how to get enough on the skin without breaking the bank.  I was on the wrong track of trying to make body/face wash or body lotion.  Then I realized the best and simplest way is to dilute and then spray with a fine "atomizer" on dry skin.  I must have came across that many times but since they always add something to it like rose water, I wonder what they were trying to achieve.  And that I wasn't comfortable leaving some chemicals on my skin, until I know it has healing properties.<br /><br />For this product, I use 1 part glycerin to 9 part filtered water.  It is by volume, teaspoons or buckets. You can apply like cologne or spray with a fine mist.  After drying you will feel that your palm is slightly coated with a smooth, comfortable but not sticky layer. The exact concentration doesn't matter that much as the drying process is self adjusting.  I bet this level of concentration beats the content in even the most moisturizing body wash or shampoo.<br /><br />You can use up to 2 part glycerin to 8 part purified water without feeling sticky, but the presence of glycerin on the skin will be felt.<br /><br />My hands wouldn't heal easily.  I have to wear gloves when doing house work.  But even washing hands after going to the bathroom will interrupt the healing.  Nothing OTC can really stop the deterioration, until I have to go to the doctors for prescription steroid.  I use Dove for body wash and Vaseline for body lotion.  That won't stop the next cycle of outbreak - steroid.<br /><br />Then I discovered corn huskers lotion.  It worked miracles.  It's $2 a bottle.  But I am fed up to go to the only store that stock it.  It was so simply that I made my own.  Replace 4 part of water above with vodka (standard 40%) !  That is 1 part glycerin, 4 part vodka and 5 part of purified water.  I think the alcohol in corn huskers lotion did the job.  You can use 70% rubbing alcohol for first-aid but vodka is obviously food grade so I can handle anything without drying my hands completely first or wash them.  Also, some people add vodka to make beauty products, so I'm not worried.  You can vary the concentration to see if it works faster.<br /><br />Other than my hands, I also have an occasionally outbreak that made my whole body extremely itchy.  I have to see the doctor urgently and receive shots.  Because it's the whole body or the whole legs, he can't give me potent steroids so I have a few days of can't do anything because of the itch, using the useless creams that he gave me.  Dermatologists are only interested in plastic surgery so he wasn't keen on finding the cause of my problems.  I think it's dryness on a small part of the limbs that caused it.  For years I was afraid to go swimming, and banned myself from the hot tub.  Dove body wash and the like won't work.  I have to top it up with body lotion.  If I was lazy a little bit, some minor skin problems will come up somewhere.<br /><br />Now I just spray (1:9 glycerin) after bath after towel dry.  It's almost free compared to lotions.  But the effortless application is priceless.<br /><br />There's more.  I have dry feet.  At the heel some dry skin peeled off but remained attached.  I cannot grind it off with beauty stones.  Lotions make it feel better but the dead skin are still there.  But after just a few days of spraying glycerin, the problem vaporized.  My feet were smoother than I can remember.<br /><br />I sprayed my hair after towel dry too.<br /><br />Nowadays I look for glycerin in shampoo and body wash.  The ingredients are listed in the order of concentration I think.  I look for pure soap made from vegetable oil and preferably olive, as they were for the royals.  The difference is the amount of glycerin in it. The liquid form is made of potassium salt suitable for shampoo and body wash.  The solid soap bar is made of sodium salt.  But they are selling like gold, approaching $20 for a quad and $10 for a bar.  Even if I use them, I still need to spray glycerin from time to time, or if just to feel soft, smooth and good.  I may also find cheaper ones with less glycerin because I have plenty.<br /><br />Just don't apply neat.  High enough concentration can absorb moisture from your skin.  Also, be sensible reading things from the Internet like this.  My brain almost blew up.  One person conjectured that if the atmosphere is dry enough, the glycerin will lost moisture to the air, and get moisture from your skin instead.  Other than that it is totally wishful thinking, if that make any sense products containing glycerin would have carried a warning label - don't go to California after application.
Rating: 5 stars