Humectant

Common card · No. 317029

A humectant is a hygroscopic (water-absorbing) substance used to keep things moist. Humectants are used in many products, including food, cosmetics, medicines and pesticides. When used as a food additive, a humectant has the effect of keeping moisture in the food. Humectants are sometimes used as a component of antistatic coatings for plastics. A humectant attracts and retains the moisture in the air nearby via absorption, drawing the water vapor into or beneath the organism's or object's surface. This is the opposite use of a hygroscopic material where it is used as a desiccant to draw moisture away. The stratum corneum layer of the skin creates humectants such as pyroglutamic acid as part of its natural moisturizing factor (NMF). In pharmaceuticals and cosmetics, humectants can be used in topical dosage forms to increase the solubility of a chemical compound's active ingredients, increasing the active ingredients' ability to penetrate skin, or its activity time. This hydrating property...

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