If you have ever mixed a moisturizer, filled a syrup, or compounded a suppository, you have almost certainly handled glycerol. Most formulators know it by its everyday name, glycerin. Listed under CAS 56-81-5, it is a three-carbon triol with the formula C3H8O3 and a molecular weight of 92.09. At room temperature it is a colorless, odorless, viscous liquid that pours like a thin syrup and mixes completely with both water and ethanol. We supply it to pharmaceutical manufacturers, cosmetic brands, food producers, and industrial formulators, and its appeal is straightforward: it is cheap, stable, safe, and does several jobs at once.

What the Spec Sheet Actually Says

Before talking about applications, it helps to look at the numbers buyers check. Glycerol (CAS 56-81-5) has EINECS 200-289-5 and appears as a colorless transparent viscous liquid. Its melting point is around 20°C (literature value), which is why it stays liquid in most warehouses, and it boils at about 290°C. The density is 1.26 g/cm³ at 20°C. It is completely miscible with water and ethanol, and it is highly hygroscopic, meaning it pulls moisture out of the air if the drum is left open. Storage is simple: keep it between 2°C and 25°C in a sealed container.

Those physical traits are the whole reason the material is useful. The three hydroxyl groups are what let it hold water, act as a solvent, and plasticize films. Everything below is a consequence of that structure.

Why Formulators Keep Coming Back

Glycerol earns its place in a formula for four overlapping reasons. First, it is a humectant. It draws water into the upper layers of skin and holds it there, which is why it is a staple in moisturizers, facial cleansers, and toothpaste. Second, it is a solvent and carrier. Many actives that barely dissolve in water will go into solution with a little glycerol, and that is exactly what makes it useful as a drug carrier and formulation solvent in pharmacy. Third, it plasticizes and stabilizes. It keeps films flexible and emulsions from breaking, which is why it shows up in suppository bases and topical ointments. Fourth, in food it works as both a sweetener and a stabilizer.

Pharmaceutical Uses

In pharma, glycerol is rarely the headline active, but it is the ingredient that makes the rest work. It serves as a drug carrier and a formulation solvent, helps build suppository bases, and acts as a moisturizer in topical ointments. Where a preparation needs a mild, non-irritating vehicle, glycerol is usually the first choice. It is also a common component in cough syrups and elixirs, where it smooths texture and helps keep active ingredients in solution.

Cosmetics and Daily Chemicals

This is where most of our cosmetic customers meet glycerol. Its high hygroscopicity makes it a dependable moisturizer, and its stabilizing effect keeps emulsions together in creams and lotions. You will find it in hand sanitizers, facial cleansers, face creams, and as the humectant in toothpaste. It pairs naturally with other well-established materials. A light emollient such as squalane (CAS 111-01-3) improves spreadability, while urea (CAS 57-13-6) and trehalose (CAS 6138-23-4) are humectants that hold water in different ways and are often built into the same formula. For preservation support, ethylhexylglycerin (CAS 70445-33-9) is a frequent companion that also boosts the feel of the product.

Where brightening or antioxidant work is the goal, glycerol is the neutral base that carries actives such as Alpha-Arbutin (CAS 84380-01-8) and L-Ascorbic Acid (CAS 50-81-7), and it blends cleanly with N-Acetyl-D-Glucosamine (CAS 7512-17-6) in hydration-focused serums.

Food, Industrial, and Agriculture

Outside personal care, glycerol is just as busy. Food producers use it as a moisturizer, sweetener, and stabilizer, and it is accepted as generally recognized as safe (GRAS) at normal use levels. Industrially it is a raw material for resins, plasticizers, and polyurethanes, and it finds work as antifreeze, a lubricant, and in inks, coatings, aerosols, and textile softeners. In agriculture it serves as an antifreeze and humectant and appears as an animal feed additive. Its role as a recovered byproduct of biodiesel production also keeps it widely available and cost-stable.

Storage and Handling

Glycerol is low in toxicity and low in irritation, and it is essentially non-irritating to skin and eyes at the concentrations used in finished products. No special protection is needed for general handling, though gloves, safety goggles, and a ventilated area are sensible for large-scale industrial use. The two points that actually matter are moisture and heat. Because the liquid is hygroscopic, keep drums sealed so it does not dilute itself by pulling water from the air. And avoid heating it above roughly 180°C: at high temperature it can decompose and release irritating fumes. It is non-flammable but will break down if overheated. Very large oral doses may cause mild stomach upset, which is why food and pharma grades are specified and controlled.

Building It Into a Formula

A few practical notes from what customers run into. Glycerol goes into the water phase and tolerates the mild pH range most personal-care and liquid systems sit in. Because it is so hygroscopic, the amount you add changes the final feel of a cream noticeably, so it is worth fixing the level during development rather than adjusting later. It stacks well with emulsifiers such as glyceryl monostearate (CAS 11099-07-3) and with medium-chain emollients like caprylic-capric triglyceride (CAS 73398-61-5), both of which are derived from or compatible with the glyceride chemistry glycerol represents. For sun-care and protective products it is a natural partner to zinc oxide (CAS 1314-13-2).

Sourcing From Chemechemi

We supply glycerol CAS 56-81-5 in research and commercial quantities, with consistent quality and the documentation buyers expect: commercial invoice, packing list, bill of lading, COA, health certificate, and certificate of origin. Every batch is tested before shipment, and we support sample testing so your lab can qualify the material before a full order. If your market has specific grade or monograph requirements, tell us up front and we will confirm suitability. For formulation advice, lead times, or a quote, reach out to our team. Glycerol is one of the easiest materials to get right, and we are happy to help you spec it.

Quick Reference

• CAS: 56-81-5
• Molecular formula: C3H8O3
• Molecular weight: 92.09
• EINECS: 200-289-5
• Appearance: Colorless transparent viscous liquid
• Boiling point: ~290°C
• Density: 1.26 g/cm³ (20°C)
• Solubility: Completely miscible with water and ethanol
• Storage: 2–25°C, sealed