Does Glycerin Go Bad?

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Glycerin is a natural compound that is also referred to as glycerol. Since it is a natural product, it is derived from vegetable oils or the fats of animals. It is a transparent, colorless, odorless, and thick liquid with a sweet taste.

It is used in various skincare products because of its moisturizing ability, bringing water from more profound skin levels to the outer layers. It is the third widely used constituent in cosmetics. Besides all of the merits that it holds, it may still then tend to go wrong as an outcome of many reasons.

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How To Store Glycerin

We mentioned several applications of vegetable glycerin above. It is not only in cosmetics but also in various pharmaceutical, food, and herbal products.

You may intend to buy glycerin in large amounts. If that is the case, we say that you should reconsider it because it may go wrong.

Though it may go wrong, it certainly does not mean that you cannot do anything about it. It may be stored and preserved for a long time by following some of the techniques we are just going to mention below so that it does not spoil soon, and thus it will be used in various ways.

So how can you store and preserve your stock of glycerin for long? What are the various methods that you may opt for while storing it? Let’s read out that.

Avoid Exposing It Directly to The Sunlight

Do not leave your glycerin container mistakenly in sunlight. This will cause bonds to break and affect the quality as a result.

Thus the exposure to sunlight must be avoided. This can be achieved by keeping it inside a colored plastic or a glass container.

Store Under Dry and Cold Conditions

To help it last longer, store it in a firmly fixed holder under cold and dry conditions where humidity is controlled.

Indeed, it must be sealed to retain its quality, but sometimes opening that seal becomes necessary. The unsealing becomes necessary when the container’s glycerin seems like it has been drying so that it gets some air from the atmosphere and rehydrates itself.

If opening the seal does not do anything to sort out the above problem of yours, you may consider adding a few drops of it. This will also help you moisturize it.

Can You Freeze Glycerin

Preserving your glycerin stock is not like preserving any other items that require refrigeration and freezing options to maximize their shelf life. Glycerin remains at its best quality even if kept at room temperature but in cold and dry conditions.

As we just mentioned above, glycerin stays best at room temperature when humidity is under control. So the answer is simple, there’s no need to freeze glycerin.

Though there is no need to freeze your glycerin in the container, however, if you have kept it in the freezer, that will not disintegrate glycerin, so the better option is not to keep it freezer unnecessarily.

How Long Does Glycerin Last

For how long does glycerin last in the container and remain safe to use? The precise answer to that is hidden under the storage conditions which you can provide.

The shelf life of glycerin varies under the influence of different conditions. The industry prescribes one shelf life of it if it is adequately taken care of.

The shelf life which the industry mentions is around 24 months from the manufacturing date if stored in a cool and dry place. The duration of shelf life is one year if it is not opened.

The shelf life is different once the container is opened. It reduces up to 12 to 18 months when opened.

The shelf life may be increased from 18 months if optimum conditions are provided. For eating purposes, do not neglect its shelf life, but for other purposes, it may be neglected only if there is no change visible in its quality.

How To Tell If Glycerin Is Bad

Despite the several merits that this vegetable glycerin offers us, it may go wrong if not provided with adequate storage conditions. The know-how regarding its spoilage signs is necessary not to irritate your skin, and you do not get affected by it.

How can you identify if glycerin has gone wrong, it has lost its quality, and thus became unfit to consume? Let’s follow us a bit more on the article to figure that out.

Appearance: If the glycerin appears to be turned into a thin liquid, discard it right away.
Rehydration: If it is not rehydrating itself, there is a high probability of glycerin going bad.
Smell: If there is any smell coming out of your glycerin container, replace it with the new glycerin container.
Color: If the discoloration of glycerin is observable. It is yet another sign of confirmation of its spoilage.