Glycerol

Glycerol is a sugar alcohol with the chemical formula C3H5(OH)3, carrying three carbon atoms each bearing one hydroxyl group. At standard ambient temperature and pressure it is a colorless, odorless, sweet tasting, viscous liquid that readily absorbs moisture from the air because of its three hydroxyl groups. In nature it occurs mainly within lipids called glycerides, most commonly the triglycerides that make up animal fats and plant oils, where fatty acids bond to its hydroxyl groups. Commercially it is used as a sweetening agent in food and as a moisture retaining ingredient in drugs and medical products, and preparations sold under the name glycerine or glycerin are typically about 95 percent pure glycerol rather than the full compound. This description is adapted from Wikipedia contributors under CC BY-SA 4.0; changes were made. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/