Database/Humectant/Hexylglycerin
Mostly natural · ISO 16128

Is Hexylglycerin natural?

Mostly. The glyceryl part counts as natural origin, as for Ethylhexylglycerin; the hexyl chain is made from petrochemical hexanol.

INCI nameHexylglycerin
CAS10305-38-1
FormulaC9H20O3 · 176.25 Da
FunctionHumectant
FeedstockThe dominant route reacts synthetic 1-hexanol with glycidol…

How we scored it

C9H20O3 176.3 Da: glyceryl C3H7O3 91.1 natural (glycerin, as in Ethylhexylglycerin); hexyl C6H13 85.2 petrochemical (synthetic hexanol). 91.1 / 176.3 = 0.52.
What counts. ISO 16128-2 scores the atoms that remain in the final ingredient. Reagents, solvents, catalysts and protecting groups used during manufacture leave no mass behind and are not counted.

Where it comes from

The dominant route reacts synthetic 1-hexanol with glycidol or epichlorohydrin (then hydrolysis), all from petrochemical sources. Glycerin-derived epichlorohydrin or glycidol would make the glycerol part natural (up to 0.43), but this is not the main cosmetic supply.

In plain English

A moisturising agent (humectant) that also boosts the effect of preservatives in a formula. It is made by attaching hexanol, a six-carbon alcohol, to a three-carbon glycerol-type unit, using petrochemical starting materials.

CosIng definition: Hexylglycerin is the organic compound.

Natural alternatives with the same function

3-Glyceryl Ascorbate 100% natural origin

A stabilised, water-soluble form of vitamin C used as an antioxidant and humectant in skincare. It is made…

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 Achillea Millefolium Flower Extract 100% natural origin

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 Acorus Gramineus Extract 100% natural origin

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 Adansonia Grandidieri Seed Oil 100% natural origin

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Structure

2D structure of Hexylglycerin

3-hexoxypropane-1,2-diol

PubChem CID 11229094 ↗

References

  1. 1ISO 16128-1:2016 and ISO 16128-2:2017 — Guidelines on technical definitions and criteria for natural and organic cosmetic ingredients and products. ISO, Geneva.
  2. 2Hexylglycerin. PubChem CID 11229094. National Center for Biotechnology Information. pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov ↗
  3. 3HEXYLGLYCERIN. CosIng — European Commission cosmetic ingredient database. ec.europa.eu/cosing ↗
  4. 4HEXYLGLYCERIN. CosIng u2014 European Commission database for information on cosmetic substances and ingredients. https://ec.europa.eu/growth/tools-databases/cosing/search?search=HEXYLGLYCERIN