Talk:Humectant

Pronunciation
there is no indication of how to pronounce this word, I even checked on Wikitionary! is it something like Hue-meck-tant ?

— Preceding unsigned comment added by 80.42.227.216 (talk • contribs) 03:50, 23 April 2008

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Proposed merger with dessicant
I think humectant is an alternative term for dessicant, mainly used in the cosmetics industry? A google for "difference dessicant humectant" doesn't bring much help. I would suggest merging this article into the dessicant article since that one is more developed. Zynwyx (talk) 10:21, 14 May 2012 (UTC)


 * I disagree. A desiccant is a substance that "adsorbs" moisture (not absorbs) i.e. it attracts water but condenses it onto itself in a film-like form. This water cannot be used. On the other hand, a humectant retains the water it attracts as moisture and this can be used by other substances or by plants etc. To give another example, a desiccant is like a miser - takes in money but doesn't give it around. A humectant is like a charitable organisation - takes in money and spreads it around, allows others to use it etc. Hope you get the difference. I agree the articles must be improved but they are both different things and must not be merged. Ironically, in my search for humectant, it looks like i've provided the input myself! I've reversed the merge btw. -- Krishvanth (talk) 18:45, 29 April 2013 (UTC)


 * Here are some source links. http://rumkin.com/reference/desiccant/ ; http://www.wisegeek.org/what-is-an-humectant.htm ; http://www.thefreedictionary.com/desiccant ; http://www.thefreedictionary.com/humectant ; http://oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/humectant -- Krishvanth (talk) 18:47, 29 April 2013 (UTC)


 * Keep it non-technical - A humectant keeps it moist and a desiccant keeps it dry. I revised the first sentence accordingly. This is why it's so important to write for a general audience - the explanation of this was so technical-focused that many readers thought it was the same thing as a desiccant, rather than the opposite. Ego White Tray (talk) 03:01, 30 April 2013 (UTC)


 * thank you. sometimes i don't know where to start and other times i don't know where to stop. a nice healthy balance, overall! -- Krishvanth (talk) 01:39, 11 May 2013 (UTC)

This is blatantly incorrect. A dessicant may adsorb OR absorb water. For example, CaCl2 is a dessicant which functions by absorbing water as water of crystallization into its lattice. The water is not retained as surface moisture, but rather becomes absorbed into the lattice. Therefore, to say that dessicants do not asborb is blatantly and demonstrably incorrect. X-ray diffraction would like to have a word with you about this. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 91.90.44.21 (talk) 21:09, 22 October 2018 (UTC)

Irritable bowel disease and humectants
There is a recent study published in Nature showing food humectants can produce irritable bowel diseases. The study appears to show mechanism. Notable? 198.142.228.15 (talk) 21:51, 28 February 2015 (UTC)

Rewrite Tobacco products section
The "Tobacco products" section is extraordinarily confusing. The section alternates between tobacco products (cigarettes, et al) and e-cigarettes, often interchangeably. E-cigarettes are not tobacco products. The presence of nicotine seems to be a factor for this confusion. Additionally, it's not necessarily that e-cigarettes "use" humectants -- in fact, many are primarily a humectant (propylene glycol). Of particular note is that tobacco-based products burn the humectants, whereas e-cigarettes heat it to a vapor producing primarily water vapor. This simple distinction makes a world of difference with regards to health risks (which, perhaps, is entirely off topic for this article anyway).

The section could be rewritten into two sections: One for tobacco burning products (cigarettes, pipes, etc.) and one for electronic cigarettes. I could rewrite the section -- being both a former smoker, and a current "e-cigarette" user -- but I'm afraid the complete rewrite should be more carefully considered, and less presumptuous on my part. — Preceding unsigned comment added by Fragmentate (talk • contribs) 12:34, 14 September 2015 (UTC)