2-Hexanediol ●
TL;DR. This ingredient is used as a solvent, humectant, and preservative booster, helping dissolve fragrance or actives while improving the performance of antimicrobial systems.
What does 2-Hexanediol do in a cosmetic formula?
This ingredient is used as a solvent, humectant, and preservative booster, helping dissolve fragrance or actives while improving the performance of antimicrobial systems.
Is 2-Hexanediol clean?
From a clean-beauty perspective, it is generally viewed as a low-sensitization, well-tolerated synthetic glycol, with fewer allergen concerns than many traditional preservatives. Its main friction point is synthetic origin and limited alignment with stricter natural-certification frameworks.
Is 2-Hexanediol sustainable?
This material is typically synthetic and commonly petrochemical-derived, so its sourcing is not a strong renewable-material story. It is expected to be biodegradable and does not carry the persistence concerns associated with silicones or fluorinated materials.
Is 2-Hexanediol COSMOS-approved?
It is generally not permitted under COSMOS-organic or COSMOS-natural as a conventional petrochemical glycol. Green Chemistry alignment is mixed, with useful multifunctionality and likely biodegradability balanced against nonrenewable feedstock and synthetic processing.
How does 2-Hexanediol work chemically?
The molecule is a small six-carbon diol with both water-compatible and oil-compatible character, which explains its solvent, humectant, and preservative-support behavior. It is commonly used at low single-digit levels, often around 0.5% to 3%, and is broadly stable across typical cosmetic pH ranges.
Last updated 2026-05-13