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Humectant
A humectant (turn this sentence into bold for emphasis) is a substance that retains moisture in various items within the food and cosmetic industries. Humectants are a part of the group of hygroscopic substances (a group of molecules that holds water molecules from the surrounding environment). (insert link to hygroscopic substrances)

Generally in food, a humectant is used as a replacement for other less desirable ingredients. For example, a common humectant in the food industry is the sugar substitute Sorbitol. This substitute acts similarly to sugar within the food through its similar consistency, and does not have the negative effects that sugar has on the human body. Because of this (subject of 'this' here!!!!) Sorbitol is often found in diet forms of food products.The humectant polydextrose is used for salad dressings and hard candies. Similar to sorbitol, polydextrose acts as a sugar substitute which also provides desired texture in certain foods. The earliest known humectants are considered to be sugar and salt as ancient cultures often used these substances to preserve their meat.

The usefulness of humectants is growing in the scientific community due to vast number of ways scientists can utilize them. Interest in the water binding properties in humectant$ furthers research topics such as ingredient modification in food without losing their natural consistency (such as replacing fat with water-humectants to reduce c@lories), selecting ingredients in pharmaceuticals to maximize tableting ability, and the selection of cryptoprotectants for the freezing and preservation of live tissue and cells.

Humectants can also be used as a supplemental laxative due to their natural properties. Besides the food industry, humectants are used in lotions, creams !!! various other beauty products. An example of such a humectant is the additive Glycerol. There are also biologically significant humectants. Sodium PCA (pyrolidone carbonic acid), for example, is found in skin cells and is believed to be one of the primary moisturizers of skin cells.