Propylene Glycol is a common cosmetic ingredient with many benefits including humectancy, solvency, moisturization, and emulsification, but did you know there’s an alternative? Essential is happy to announce the addition of Propanediol; a corn sugar derived alternative to Propylene Glycol, to our wide selection of cosmetic ingredients.
Why use an Alternative?
As consumers are becoming savvier and questioning the ingredients in the products they use, more information, both reliable and ridiculous, is being generated about those ingredients. Unfortunately, the information that is most easily found by consumers may or may not be accurate or even science-based. Recently, the spotlight has been directed at the use and safety of Propylene Glycol. Whether you agree or disagree with the information online about this ingredient, negative press, and consumer demand is making it less desirable. Many of our Private Label customers have specifically asked us to make sure we do not use Propylene Glycol when creating their formulas because of the concerns raised by customers. When it comes to selling your products, consumer perception rules and when the perception is that an ingredient you are using is unsafe, you should know what alternatives are available.
Propylene Glycol vs. Propanediol
While both Propylene Glycol and Propanediol share the same empirical formula (C3H8O2), the molecular structure is not the same. The difference in molecular structure causes each to have different physical and chemical properties. The different chemical and physical properties result in different toxicology profiles and separate International Nomenclature Cosmetic Ingredient (INCI) names, Chemical Abstracts Services (CAS) numbers, and Europen Inventory of Existing Chemical Substances (EINECS) numbers.
- Derived mainly from a petrochemical, Propylene Oxide from natural gas.
- Flash point of 99.04C (this is the temperature at which the vapors would form an ignitable mixture in air)
- May cause skin irritation
- Derived from sustainable and renewable corn sugar fermentation.
- Manufacturing Propanediol produces approximately 40% fewer greenhouse gasses than manufacturing of Propylene Glycol according to life cycle analysis from design data by Dupont Tate & Lyle
- Propanediol has a low potential to irritate or sensitize skin and the potential for these effects are lower that Propylene Glycol
When replacing Propylene Glycol with Propanediol:
- Substitute at 1:1 in formulations
- If cloudiness or solubility issues arise, mix the Propanediol into the water phase and/or increase the temperature.
