Glycerine is mentioned in a couple of my books. In
Naturally Healthy Hair by Mary Beth Jannsen, she says glycerine is a humectant, which attracts, holds and retains moisture, optimizing the hair's resilience, suppleness and elasticity. "Through their moisture-absorbing properties, they give hair a feeling of fullness. Natural humectants include glycerine and sorbitol." She says these are better alternatives than the commonly used synthetic propylene glycol, which can cause irritation and contact dermatitus in many users.
There's a recipe in
Curly Girl by Lorraine Massey which calls for equal parts of vegetable glycerine and distilled water mixed in a spritz bottle. She says to spray whenever your hair looks dull or needs a quick pick-me-up. Many ladies at the naturallycurly.com message boards have tried this recipe and found that equal parts of water and glycerine is too much, they had better luck increasing the water portion.
I have also read on message boards where people avoid glycerine, I think it was because they live in very dry climates and were afraid that if the glycerine could not draw moisture from the air it would draw it from your hair, but I don't know about that...
"Leila" [sometimes known as "Passion"]
by Sir Frank Dicksee, 1892.
http://www.orientalist-art.org.uk/dicksee.html
39/43 (tailbone)/to sit on my braid
Type 3a corkscrew
AshBrown, more than a few Silvers...
Curly Girl routine [no shampoo!] since 15 March 2002