Sorbitol
Humectant
Sorbitol at a glance
- Type of sugar that attracts and holds moisture to skin
- Helps stabilize and improve texture of gel formulas
- Can keep clear formulas from becoming cloudy
- Naturally sweet taste is sometimes used to flavor lip products
Sorbitol description
Sorbitol is a type of sugar that can be created synthetically or derived from natural sources. Similar to glycerine, it is a hydrating ingredient (technically a humectant), thickening agent, and slip agent. Its sugar component makes sorbitol an intriguing prebiotic, an ingredient that can “feed” the probiotics that make up a person’s skin microbiome, thus helping it become balanced. Specifically, sorbitol’s breakdown by certain probiotics can create beta-glucan, a skin-calming antioxidant.
