1,2-Hexanediol

1,2-Hexanediol is a humectant, solvent, penetration enhancer, and preservative booster. It’s really popular in K-beauty serums.

Lots of manufacturers make 1,2-Hexanediol, but it’s not readily available to home crafters. Here’s a small selection:

• 1,2-Hexanediol (COSROMA)
• PrzvFree® HLG (Spec-Chem Industry Inc.)
• effisin™ hd multifunctional (Ashland)
• Lexgard® H (Inolex)
• Microcare® Emollient HXD (Thor)
• Neofect 1,2-Hexanediol (JAN DEKKER)
• dermosoft® Hexiol (Evonik Dr. Straetmans)

1,2-Hexanediol

Clear semi-viscous fluid

• My Skin Recipes recommends 1–10%
• COSROMA recommends 0.1–1%
• Jan Dekker recommends 0.5–2%
• Ashland: 1–3%
• Inolex: 1–3%
• Evonik Dr. Straetmans: 1–3%
• The CIR identified usage ranging from 0.00005–10% (source) in 2010, but that range is a bit misleading. The only category with usage above 1% was “Cologne and toilet waters”; the usage range found in skincare products was 0.2–0.8%.

Low

Liquid at room temperature

Water

1,2-Hexanediol can be paired with traditional preservative ingredients like Sodium benzoate, Potassium sorbate, and phenoxyethanol, where it will boost overall preservative performance and can reduce the required levels of traditional preservatives.

Ashland reports the following minimum inhibitory concentrations:

• Gram-negative bacteria:
  • Escherichia coli: 1.5%
  • Pseudomonas aeruginosa: 2%
• Gram-negative bacteria:
  • Staphylococcus aureus: 2.5%
• Yeasts
  • Candida alibicans: 2.5%
• Molds
  • Aspergillus brasilensis: 1.0%

It’s also a great moisturizing humectant that can improve the skin feel of formulations.

Jan Dekker notes it can function as a solubilizer.

No, but it might be worth sourcing if you are interested in K-beauty style serum formulation and/or experimenting with hurdle technology.

1,2-Hexanediol only exists as a refined product.

Excellent preservative booster and humectant that can also improve emulsions and boost foam in cleansers. It’s effective across a wide pH range (2–12) and has low irritation potential.

It’s hard to get.

Pentylene glycol would be my first choice.

Other humectants like butylene glycol and propanediol 1,3 could work, but they do not lower water activity as much as 1,2-Hexanediol.

Include 1,2-Hexanediol in the water phase or cool down phase of formulations. Ashland says it is ok up to 120°C while Inolex and Evonik Dr. Straetmans recommend a maximum temperature of 80°C.

Stored somewhere cool, dark, and dry, 1,2-Hexanediol should last at least two years.

You can purchase 1,2-Hexanediol as part of a 50/50 blend with caprylyl glycol as a preservative booster.

Skin Chakra reports concentrations above 4% may be sufficient to make a formulation self preserving.

60mL (2 fl oz)

 Buy it from an online DIY ingredient supplier.

• Trulux (Australia)
• My Skin Recipes (Thailand)

Making Cosmetics sells a 50/50 blend of 1,2-hexanediol and caprylyl glycol.