HYDROGENATED LECITHIN - Skin Care Ingredients Curated By Mia Seilern

By KimReviewed Nataly

⚠️ Data is provided for informational purposes only. It may contain inaccuracies and should be independently verified. This is not medical advice. Consult a healthcare professional before making health decisions.

Description: HYDROGENATED LECITHIN — emulsifier, skin conditioning.

All Functions: emulsifier, skin conditioning

Quick Facts:

Category: emollient

Proven Benefits At A Glance:

Hydrogenated Lecithin is a modified form of lecithin, a naturally occurring fat-like substance
Used in skincare as a skin conditioning agent and to help mix oil and water in formulas
Generally considered non-irritating and non-sensitizing in animal and human skin tests
Can form structures called liposomes that may help deliver other ingredients through the skin
Considered safe in rinse-off products and leave-on products at concentrations up to 15%

Safety: Generally Low ConcernResearch confidence: Fair

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.

🧪 HYDROGENATED LECITHIN

HYDROGENATED LECITHIN

CAS Number: 92128-87-5

Also Known As: —

Category: emollient

EC Number: 295-786-7

Korean Name: 하이드로제네이티드레시틴

Lecithins, hydrogenated

HYDROGENATED LECITHIN is an emollient ingredient used in skincare formulations.

emulsifierskin conditioning

🌍 Regulatory Status

EU: No restriction on fileUS: No restriction on file

📊 Comedogenicity

No data yet

Not rated for this ingredient yet.

📚 Research & Evidence

PUBMED CITATIONS

Data sources: EU CosIng PubMed

🔬 The Science

Hydrogenated Lecithin starts as lecithin, a naturally occurring mixture of fat molecules (specifically diglycerides of stearic, palmitic, and oleic acids) attached to a phosphoric acid and choline compound, technically called phosphatidylcholine. The hydrogenation process—controlled addition of hydrogen—modifies this ingredient’s structure (Int J Toxicol, 2001). In skincare formulations, Hydrogenated Lecithin serves multiple purposes: #1: it conditions skin and #2: it acts as an emulsifying agent, helping to blend oil and water-based ingredients together. It can also #3: suspend particles in a formula without acting as a surfactant (Int J Toxicol, 2001). One interesting property is that Hydrogenated Lecithin can form microscopic spherical structures called liposomes when mixed with water.

These hollow spheres have a particular architecture—their fatty tails point inward, away from water—which allows them to #4: potentially capture other compounds inside and help deliver them through the skin barrier (Int J Toxicol, 2001). However, because liposomes may enhance penetration of other ingredients, formulas combining Hydrogenated Lecithin with other ingredients should be carefully designed, especially if those other ingredients aren’t meant to be absorbed (Int J Toxicol, 2001). Typical concentrations in cosmetics range from 0.1% to 1.0%, though some moisturizers use up to 3% (Int J Toxicol, 2001). Safety data shows that Hydrogenated Lecithin and Lecithin were generally non-irritating and non-sensitizing in both animal and human skin studies.

Based on available evidence, both are considered safe for rinse-off products and #5: for leave-on products at concentrations up to 15%, which was the highest concentration tested in clinical studies (Int J Toxicol, 2001). One caveat: these ingredients should not be used in products where they might combine with N-nitroso compounds, as nitrosamines could potentially form (Int J Toxicol, 2001).