Definition of humectant
: a substance that promotes retention of moisture
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Recent Examples of humectant from the Web
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Commercial tortilla wraps contain a humectant, an additive that attracts water and keeps them lovely and soft for days.
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Elliott says, detailing ingredients like a sugarcane derivative that acts as a humectant, and fermented polysaccharides that pack in the water.
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For example, butylene glycol is an organic alcohol that’s often used for conditioning, and is a humectant.
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Moisture-attracting humectants, like glycerin or hyaluronic acid (in Garnier's and Philosophy's, respectively), help strengthen weak skin cells.
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According to Shamban, brown sugar is a powerful player in the DIY world, thanks to the fact that it's packed with wrinkle-fighting glycolic acid, as well as natural humectants to keep your skin soft and smooth.
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Look for formulas made with humectants — ingredients that draw in water from the air — such as hyaluronic acid or glycerin.
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This hair texture can get dry, so look for styling gels that have humectants in them to attract moisture to strands.
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The blue glass bottle houses way more than just water, packing squalane, red algae, and a ton of humectants into a nourishing spray format.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'humectant.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Origin and Etymology of humectant
Latin humectant-, humectans, present participle of humectare to moisten, from humectus moist, from humēre to be moist — more at humor
NEW! Time Traveler
First Known Use: circa 1867
in the meaning defined above
See Words from the same yearMedical Dictionary
medical Definition of humectant
: promoting the retention of moisture
- humectant properties
- humectant materials
medical Definition of humectant
: a substance (as glycerol or sorbitol) that promotes retention of moisture
Learn More about humectant
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See words that rhyme with humectant Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about humectant
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