BUTYLENE GLYCOL

📋 Quick facts

Description: BUTYLENE GLYCOL — hydration, solvent, texture enhancer.

All Functions: hydration, solvent, texture enhancer

Quick Facts:

• Category: humectant

Proven Benefits At A Glance:

• Butylene glycol is a humectant, meaning it helps skin retain moisture
• When combined with other ingredients like glycerol, it may enhance hydration benefits
• Research shows it can help maintain skin’s moisture barrier over an 8-hour period
• Allergic reactions to butylene glycol are uncommon but possible for some people
• It’s used in cosmetic extraction to pull beneficial compounds from plant sources

⚗️ Chemical Overview

Butane-1,3-diol is a butanediol compound having two hydroxy groups in the 1- and 3-positions. It is a glycol and a butanediol. 1,3-Butanediol is found in pepper (c. annuum). 1,3-Butanediol is a solvent for flavouring agents 1,3-Butanediol is an organic chemical, an alcohol. It is commonly used as a solvent for food flavouring agents and is a co-monomer used in certain polyurethane and polyester resins. It is one of four stable isomers of butanediol. In biology, 1,3-butanediol is used as a hypoglycaemic agent. 1,3-Butanediol belongs to the family of Secondary Alcohols. These are compounds containing a secondary alcohol functional group, with the general structure HOC(R)(R’) (R,R’=alkyl, aryl). RN given refers to cpd without isomeric designation

Source(s): Medical Subject Headings (MeSH), ChEBI, Toxin and Toxin Target Database (T3DB), via PubChem

📊 Comedogenicity

🛡️ Safety rating

Safety tier is a starting heuristic from regulatory status and comedogenic rating, not a dermatological verdict — see our Terms for the full disclaimer. Research confidence reflects how many real cited studies back this ingredient, not the strength of their findings.

🌍 Regulatory Status

💧 Skin Type Compatibility

Derived from this ingredient’s irritancy potential and comedogenicity rating against the needs of each skin type — e.g. oily and acne-prone skin are marked down for pore-clogging ingredients, sensitive skin for irritants. A starting heuristic, not a dermatological verdict.

⚠️ Don’t Combine With

📚 Research & Evidence

🔬 The Science

Butylene glycol (specifically 1,3-butylene glycol) is a widely used ingredient in skincare because it functions as a humectant—a substance that draws water into the skin and helps it stay there. According to research in the *International Journal of Cosmetic Science* (2024), #1: when butylene glycol is combined with other humectants like 1,3-propanediol and glycerol, it contributes to increased skin hydration and improved skin barrier function, with benefits lasting at least 8 hours after application. The same study measured this using two methods: capacitance (which measures how much water is in the skin) and trans epidermal water loss or TEWL (which measures how much water escapes through the skin).

#2: The research from *ACS Omega* (2023) demonstrates that butylene glycol can be used as a solvent to extract beneficial compounds—like antioxidants and catechins—from plants such as tea flowers, which showed strong antioxidant activity in laboratory tests. However, it’s worth noting that #3: according to a 1991 study in *Acta Dermatologiae Venereologiae*, butylene glycol showed less antimicrobial (bacteria-fighting) activity compared to some other glycols when tested in the lab, though it still demonstrated some effect at higher concentrations. Finally, #4: while butylene glycol is generally considered a low-irritation ingredient used in gentle skincare products, a case report in the *Journal of Dermatology* (2014) documented one person who developed allergic contact dermatitis from butylene glycol, suggesting that although allergic reactions are uncommon, some individuals may be sensitive to it.

📄 Related Research

Matched by search — not necessarily verified support for every statement above.

• Myo H et al. (2023). Butylene Glycol Used as a Sustainable Solvent for Extracting Bioactive Compounds from Camellia sinensis Flowers with Ultrasound-Assisted Extraction. ACS Omega.
• Kinnunen T et al. (1991). Antibacterial and antifungal properties of propylene glycol, hexylene glycol, and 1,3-butylene glycol in vitro. Acta Derm Venereol.
• Pinto JR et al. (2024). Effects of 1,3-propanediol associated, or not, with butylene glycol and/or glycerol on skin hydration and skin barrier function. Int J Cosmet Sci.
• Aizawa A et al. (2014). Case of allergic contact dermatitis due to 1,3-butylene glycol. J Dermatol.
• Blomberg M et al. (2020). Allergic contact dermatitis due to butylene glycol in cosmetics. Contact Dermatitis.

🧴 Products Containing BUTYLENE GLYCOL

• Nivea Sun Pflegende Sonnenmilch – LSF 50+ Sehr Hoch
• Eucerin Sun Allergy Protect
• nivea nivea cream
• Nivea Soft
• Nivea Body Beruhigende After Shave Creme for women, Mit Panthenol
• Beiesdorf, Nivea, Nivea Sun Protect & Hydrate 30 haute
• Nivea Nivea anti-transpirant Invisible for black & White 48h Original
• Nivea Sun kids Lait protecteur Protect & Sensitive
• Nivea Baby sun Crème solaire très haute protection FPS 50+
• nivea protector solar
• Nivea crème solaire visage nivea
• Nivea Sun Kids Lait Protecteur Format Voyage
• Nivea NIVEA Sun Protect & Hydrate SPF30 Zonnebrandspray
• Nivea NIVEA Sun Protect & Hydrate SPF50+ Zonnebrandspray
• Nivea sun Crème Visage Solaire Anti-Rides UV Q10 FPS 50
• Nivea, Nivea Sun Protect & Bronze 50
• NIVEA kids sensitive protect
• Nivea, Nivea Sun Sensitive Immediate Protect+, SPF30
• Beiersdorf Nivea Ansiktsmaske Urban Skin Radience 1stk
• Eucerin Oil control
• NIVEA Sun,NIVEA babies & kids sensitive protect 50+
• Nivea sun Crème Protection Solaire Spray FPS 50+ Sensitive
• Nivea sun NIVEA Sun Breathable Uv Specialist Luminous630 Anti-Spot SPF50+ Zonnefluïde
• Nivea, Nivea Sun Kids Sensitive Protect Spray, SPF50
• Nivea Sun UV Face Shine Control SPF 50
• Blistex Blistex Lippenpflege Lip Infusions Hydration
• herbal essences champu
• Sun Dance, Sundance Sonnenmilch 30 (hoch)
• Tabac Deodorant Stick
• Nivea Men NIVEA Men Fresh Active Antitranspirant Roller
• Nivea, Nivea Sun Protect & Moisture solkrem, SPF30
• Nivea sun NIVEA Sun Protect & Hydrate Pocket Size SPF30 Zonnebrandcrème
• Nivea sun Protection Solaire Visage UV FPS30 Hydratante
• Essence Essence I Love Extreme 01 Black Volume Mascara
• Rossmann Clean Care ölfreier Mizellen Augen Make-up Entferner
• Rossmann Sun ozon kids
• RETINOL RETINOL SKIN CREAM
• Hair System by Watsons Micellar Botanical Purifying Shampoo
• Fancl Core effector
• Eucerin Lotion Sun Protection kids SPF 50+