Butylene Glycol Dicaprylate/Dicaprate ●
TL;DR. This ingredient is a lightweight emollient ester that improves slip, spreadability, and a dry, non-greasy skin feel in creams, lotions, sunscreens, and makeup. It can also help disperse pigments and oil-soluble actives.
What does Butylene Glycol Dicaprylate/Dicaprate do in a cosmetic formula?
This ingredient is a lightweight emollient ester that improves slip, spreadability, and a dry, non-greasy skin feel in creams, lotions, sunscreens, and makeup. It can also help disperse pigments and oil-soluble actives.
Is Butylene Glycol Dicaprylate/Dicaprate clean?
From a clean-beauty perspective, it is generally well tolerated and is not a common restricted-list concern. The main caveat is sourcing and processing transparency, since the same material can be made from renewable or petro-derived inputs.
Is Butylene Glycol Dicaprylate/Dicaprate sustainable?
This material is commonly made from medium-chain fatty acids that may come from coconut or palm kernel oil, paired with a glycol component that may be bio-based or petro-derived. It is expected to biodegrade more readily than silicone emollients, but palm-linked sourcing should be documented where relevant.
Is Butylene Glycol Dicaprylate/Dicaprate COSMOS-approved?
It can fit COSMOS-natural or COSMOS-organic frameworks when the feedstocks and esterification process meet the standard’s allowed inputs and processing rules. Its Green Chemistry alignment is strongest when renewable fatty-acid sources, traceable palm practices, and bio-based glycol are used.
How does Butylene Glycol Dicaprylate/Dicaprate work chemically?
The molecule is a diester built from a small diol and C8-C10 fatty acid chains, which gives it low polarity, good emollience, and a light sensory profile. It is typically stable across normal cosmetic pH ranges and is often used as part of the oil phase to adjust viscosity, cushion, pigment wetting, and sunscreen dispersion.
Last updated 2026-05-13