The key difference between liquid paraffin and glycerin is that liquid paraffin is used as a pediatric laxative for the treatment of constipation and encopresis, whereas glycerin is useful in pharmaceutical drugs used for heart medication, suppositories, cough remedies, and anesthetics.
Liquid paraffin and glycerin are important components in the pharmaceutical industry due to their different uses in drug manufacturing.
CONTENTS
1. Overview and Key Difference
2. What is Liquid Paraffin
3. What is Glycerin
4. Liquid Paraffin vs Glycerin in Tabular Form
5. Summary – Liquid Paraffin vs Glycerin
What is Liquid Paraffin?
Liquid paraffin is a type of very highly refined mineral oil that is useful in cosmetics and medicine. Therefore, it is administrated in topical or oral routes. Generally, it is available over the counter. In medicine, liquid paraffin is primarily used as a pediatric laxative, and it is also a popular treatment for constipation and encopresis. It is very easy to titrate, so it is convenient to synthesize. Moreover, liquid paraffin can act as a stool lubricant. This makes it not associated with abdominal cramps, diarrhea, flatulence, disturbances in electrolytes, etc.
When used as a drug, liquid paraffin acts by softening the feces and coats the intestine with an oily film. Therefore, it tends to reduce the pain that is caused by certain conditions, including piles. This makes the drug ideal for chronic childhood constipation and encopresis.
In cosmetics, liquid paraffin is a hydrating and cleansing agent, so it is used in several cosmetics that are used for both skin and hair products. Moreover, we can use it as one of the ingredients of after-wax wipes.
What is Glycerin?
Glycerin is a simple polyol compound that occurs as a colorless, odorless, and viscous liquid. It has a sweet taste and is non-toxic. The backbone of this compound occurs in lipids known as glycerides. Glycerin has antimicrobial and antifungal properties. Therefore, it is approved by FDA for wound and burn treatments. Moreover, we can use it as an effective marker for measuring liver disease. In addition, glycerin is a well-known sweetener in the food industry and a humectant in the pharmaceutical industry.
There are three hydroxyl groups in the glycerin molecule, which makes it miscible with water. It is also hygroscopic in nature. The chemical formula of glycerin is C3H8O3. The molar mass of this compound is 92 g/mol. Its density can be given as 1.26 g/cm3. The melting point of glycerin is 17.8 degrees Celsius, and its boiling point is 290 degrees Celsius. It is miscible with water. Moreover, glycerin is achiral. But it is prochiral with respect to the reactions of one of the two primary alcohols.
What is the Difference Between Liquid Paraffin and Glycerin?
Pharmaceutical chemistry is very important in manufacturing drugs for different diseases. The key difference between liquid paraffin and glycerin is that liquid paraffin is used as a pediatric laxative for the treatment of constipation and encopresis, whereas glycerin is useful in pharmaceutical drugs used for heart medication, suppositories, cough remedies, and anesthetics. Moreover, liquid paraffin is an alkane, while glycerin is an alcohol.
The below infographic presents the differences between liquid paraffin and glycerin in tabular form for side-by-side comparison.
Summary – Liquid Paraffin vs Glycerin
Liquid paraffin is a type of very highly refined mineral oil that is useful in cosmetics and medicine, while glycerin is a simple polyol compound that is colorless, odorless, and viscous liquid. The key difference between liquid paraffin and glycerin is that liquid paraffin is used as a pediatric laxative for the treatment of constipation and encopresis, whereas glycerin is useful in pharmaceutical drugs used for heart medication, suppositories, cough remedies, and anesthetics.
Reference:
1. “Liquid Paraffin: Is Liquid Paraffin Good for Your Skin?” The Dermatology Review.
Image Courtesy:
1. “Liquid paraffin in beaker” By Original uploader was Chemik10 at pl. Wikipedia – Transferred from pl.Wikipedia; transferred to Commons by User:Masur using CommonsHelper. (CC BY-SA 2.5) via Commons Wikimedia
2. “Sample of Glycerine” By LHcheM – Own work (CC BY-SA 3.0) via Commons Wikimedia