Acetone ●
TL;DR. This ingredient is a fast-evaporating solvent used to dissolve film formers, resins, plasticizers, oils, and pigments. It is most associated with nail color removers and quick-drying cleansing or degreasing formats.
What does Acetone do in a cosmetic formula?
This ingredient is a fast-evaporating solvent used to dissolve film formers, resins, plasticizers, oils, and pigments. It is most associated with nail color removers and quick-drying cleansing or degreasing formats.
Is Acetone clean?
Clean-beauty frameworks often flag it because it is highly volatile, strongly defatting, and can irritate eyes, skin, and airways with repeated or high exposure. It is not a common sensitizer, but its prominent solvent role creates clean-standard friction.
Is Acetone sustainable?
This material is usually petroleum-derived, although bio-based production routes exist. It is readily biodegradable and has low bioaccumulation potential, but its volatility contributes to solvent emissions during use.
Is Acetone COSMOS-approved?
Conventional grades are generally not permitted as cosmetic ingredients in COSMOS organic or natural finished products, and any processing-solvent use would need to fit the standard’s specific solvent rules. From a Green Chemistry view, biodegradability is a plus, while petrochemical sourcing, flammability, and volatile emissions weaken alignment.
How does Acetone work chemically?
The molecule is a small polar aprotic ketone with a boiling point near 56°C, which explains its rapid flash-off and strong ability to dissolve many cosmetic resins and film formers. In nail color removers it can be used at high levels, often as the dominant solvent, and formulas commonly add humectants or emollients to reduce its defatting feel.
Last updated 2026-05-14