Ingredient intelligence
Glycerin
Humectant · Glycerin · C3H8O3
Glycerol is a small polyol humectant that also moves through channels, linking it to water handling.
Any underlined term can be tapped for an everyday-English translation.
Molecular identity
- Formula
- C3H8O3
- Molecular weight
- 92.09 g/mol
- PubChem CID
- 753
- ChEBI
- CHEBI:17754
Biological targets
Aquaporin-3 (AQP3)
high confidencetargets · transporter
UniProt Q92482
How could this ingredient interact with biology?
Biological network
Ingredient → molecule → target → gene/protein → pathway → process → studied outcome. Relationship strength is drawn from the curated confidence tier; nothing is added to make the chain look complete.
drag to pan · hover to isolate a path · click a node for detail
Text alternative for this network
- Glycerin is molecule Glycerol — high confidence
- Glycerol targets Aquaporin-3 (AQP3) — high confidence
- Aquaporin-3 (AQP3) encoded by AQP3 — high confidence
- AQP3 participates in Passive transport by aquaporins — high confidence
- Passive transport by aquaporins associated with Stratum corneum hydration — high confidence
- Stratum corneum hydration studied in Studied for hydration endpoints across many formats — high confidence
Biological pathways
Passive transport by aquaporins
high confidenceis a glycerol as well as water channel.
Reactome R-HSA-432047
Evidence engine
Insufficient
Not enough curated evidence to characterise this ingredient.
Skinceptor Evidence Index
23
experimental · of 100
This index is a research-navigation aid describing how much evidence exists and how it was produced. It is not a medical safety score, an efficacy guarantee, or a clinical recommendation.
Study composition
- Animal1
- Review2
- Total studies
- 3
- Human studies
- 0
- Largest sample
- Data unavailable
- Range
- 2002–2012
Index breakdown
- Study design quality42% × 28%
Mean design weight across curated studies (meta-analysis 1.0, RCT 0.9, other human 0.7, review 0.45, animal 0.35, in-vitro 0.25).
- Human evidence share0% × 22%
Proportion of curated evidence measured in people rather than cells or animals.
- Evidence volume63% × 14%
Log-scaled count of curated studies, so volume alone cannot dominate the score.
- Largest sample size0% × 12%
Log-scaled largest reported sample size across curated human studies.
- Replication0% × 12%
Independent human studies, capped at three; one study is never treated as replicated.
- Recency30% × 7%
Linear decay over a twenty-year window from the most recent curated publication.
- Source traceability0% × 5%
Share of curated studies with a verified PMID or DOI in this dataset.
Insufficient comparable evidence for quantitative synthesis.
Research timeline
How the evidence accumulated
2002
Glycerol and aquaporin-3 in epidermal water transport
Animalsample size unavailable · Journal of Biological Chemistry
2008
Glycerol and aquaporin-3 mediated water transport in epidermis
Reviewsample size unavailable · Journal of Investigative Dermatology (review)
2012
Natural moisturising factor composition and stratum corneum hydration
Reviewsample size unavailable · Journal of Investigative Dermatology (review)
Ingredient fingerprint
7 nodes · 6 relationships · seed "glycerin"
The fingerprint is a deterministic visual signature: ridge amplitude comes from the number of entities in each tier, node placement from identifier hashes, and opacity from confidence. Two ingredients can never produce the same figure unless their networks are identical.
Open in Biology as Art →Research
3 curated studies
Natural moisturising factor composition and stratum corneum hydration
Summarises filaggrin proteolysis as the source of pyrrolidone carboxylic acid and its contribution to corneocyte water binding.
Limitations — Review; does not evaluate topical sodium PCA products; identifier not verified during curation.
Glycerol and aquaporin-3 mediated water transport in epidermis
Summarises evidence that AQP3 transports both water and glycerol, linking glycerol to stratum corneum hydration.
Limitations — Mechanistic review including mouse knockout data; identifier not verified during curation.
Glycerol and aquaporin-3 in epidermal water transport
Aquaporin-3 null mice showed reduced stratum corneum glycerol and impaired hydration, restored by glycerol administration.
Limitations — Animal knockout model; identifier not verified during curation.
Community evidence
Submitted by readers
Reader submissions appear here only after review. They are not part of the curated dataset and do not affect the Skinceptor Evidence Index.
No approved community submissions yet.
Sources
- PubChem 753Verified 2026-09-14
- Reactome R-HSA-432047Verified 2026-09-14
Related biology maps