1,2-Hexanediol
Product Name: 1,2-Hexanediol (Multi-Functional Moisturizer, Solvent & Preservative Booster)
INCI Name: 1,2-HEXANEDIOL
CAS No.: 6920-22-5
Appearance: Colorless transparent liquid, clear and uniform texture, no suspended impurities, no precipitation or turbidity.
Grade: Cosmetic Premium Grade
Source: This product is produced through the hydration reaction of 1-hexene or the reduction of 2-hydroxyhexanal, followed by precise distillation, deodorization, and purification technology.
MOQ (Minimum Order Quantity): 25KG
Solubility: Miscible with water in all proportions, freely soluble in ethanol, propylene glycol, glycerin, butylene glycol, and various cosmetic aqueous systems.
Storage Condition: Sealed and stored in dry, cool, and ventilated warehouse, storage temperature 5–30°C, avoid direct sunlight, high temperature heating, and long-term high-temperature storage. Keep tightly sealed after opening to prevent moisture absorption, oxidation, and contamination, ensuring stable quality and performance.
Shelf Life: 24 Months
Application: Widely used in facial serums, moisturizing creams/lotions, toners and essences, sensitive skin care products, baby care products, preservative-free formulations, clean beauty products, eye care products, masks, body care products, hair care products, and various cosmetic formulations requiring moisturization, solubilization, and preservative boosting.
1,2-Hexanediol, CAS 6920-22-5, Cosmetic Grade Humectant, Multi-Functional Solvent, Preservative Booster, Skin-Friendly Moisturizer, Natural Preservative Alternative, Broad Spectrum Antimicrobial, Emollient Raw Material, Formula Stabilizer, Water-Soluble G
1,2-Hexanediol Cosmetic Grade Moisturizer Solvent Preservative Booster Multi-Functional Skin-Friendly Raw Material
1,2-Hexanediol is a high-purity multi-functional cosmetic raw material with triple core advantages of moisturizing, solubilization, and preservative boosting.
Different from traditional single-function humectants that only provide hydration, it integrates long-lasting moisturization, active ingredient solubilization, antimicrobial synergism, and formula stabilization.
With its unique 1,2-diol molecular structure, it effectively binds water molecules in the stratum corneum through hydrogen bonding, providing sustained hydration and improving skin barrier function.
Meanwhile, its amphiphilic properties allow it to enhance the solubility of both water-soluble and oil-soluble active ingredients, improving formula clarity and stability. More importantly, 1,2-Hexanediol exhibits broad-spectrum antimicrobial boosting activity — it disrupts microbial cell membranes and enhances the efficacy of traditional preservatives, enabling formulators to reduce preservative concentrations or create preservative-free systems.
With its ultra-gentle profile, excellent safety record, and clean beauty compatibility, it has become an indispensable multi-functional ingredient in modern premium skincare, sensitive skin care, and baby care formulations.
Key Benefits
Excellent Moisturizing, Long-Lasting Hydration: Professional cosmetic-grade humectant with strong water-binding capacity, effectively retains moisture in the stratum corneum. Provides sustained hydration, improves skin softness and smoothness, and helps maintain optimal skin moisture balance.
Powerful Preservative Boosting, Reduces Preservative Dosage: Unique diol structure provides broad-spectrum antimicrobial synergistic effect. Significantly enhances the efficacy of traditional preservatives, allowing reduction of preservative concentrations by up to 30-50%, lowering irritation potential and improving product safety.
Enables Preservative-Free & Low-Preservative Formulations: Ideal for clean beauty and natural formulations. When combined with other multifunctional diols and chelating agents, it enables the creation of truly preservative-free systems, meeting consumer demand for gentle, safe products.
Broad-Spectrum Antimicrobial Synergy: Effective against bacteria, yeast, and mold. Works synergistically with phenoxyethanol, ethylhexylglycerin, caprylyl glycol, and other preservative systems to provide robust microbial protection.
Outstanding Solubilizing Ability: Excellent solvent for cosmetic active ingredients, plant extracts, and fragrances. Improves the solubility of difficult-to-dissolve components, prevents crystallization and precipitation, and ensures formula clarity and stability.
Enhances Emulsion Stability: Improves the stability of emulsions and suspensions, preventing phase separation and syneresis. Contributes to consistent product texture and performance throughout the shelf life.
Ultra-Gentle & Skin-Friendly: High-purity refined formula with extremely low irritation potential. Non-sensitizing, non-comedogenic, and suitable for sensitive skin, baby products, and eye-area formulations. Well-tolerated by all skin types.
Clean Beauty & Natural Friendly: Recognized as a clean beauty ingredient. Free from parabens, formaldehyde releasers, and other controversial preservatives. Suitable for natural, organic, and eco-friendly cosmetic formulations.
Applications
Moisturizing Skincare Series: Core humectant and multi-functional additive for hydrating serums, moisturizing creams, lotions, gels, and essences. Provides long-lasting hydration while enhancing formula stability and preservative efficacy.
Sensitive Skin & Barrier Repair: Ideal multi-functional ingredient for sensitive skin serums, barrier repair creams, redness-relief products, and hypoallergenic formulations. Ultra-gentle profile minimizes irritation risk while supporting skin barrier health.
Baby & Child Care Products: Safe and gentle additive for baby lotions, diaper creams, baby washes, and children's skincare. Low irritation and clean beauty profile make it suitable for delicate baby skin.
Preservative-Free & Clean Beauty: Key enabler for preservative-free formulations, natural skincare, organic cosmetics, and clean beauty products. Works with other multifunctional diols to create effective preservative-free systems.
Eye Care Products: Gentle humectant and stabilizer for eye serums, eye creams, eye gels, and under-eye treatments. Non-irritating and ophthalmologist-tested safe for use around the delicate eye area.
Masks & Sheet Masks: Multi-functional additive for sheet masks, wash-off masks, sleeping masks, and hydrogel masks. Enhances hydration, improves active delivery, and provides antimicrobial protection.
Body & Hair Care: Used in body lotions, body washes, hand creams, shampoos, conditioners, and hair treatments. Provides moisturization, improves texture, and enhances product stability.
Certificate Of Analysis (COA)
Test Item | Specification | Result |
Product Name | 1,2-Hexanediol | Complies |
INCI Name | 1,2-HEXANEDIOL | Complies |
CAS Number | 6920-22-5 | Complies |
Grade | Cosmetic Grade | Complies |
Appearance | Colorless transparent liquid | Complies |
Odor | Characteristic, very slight | Complies |
Purity (GC) | ≥99.0% | 99.7% |
Molecular Formula | C₆H₁₄O₂ | Complies |
Molecular Weight | 118.17 g/mol | Complies |
Refractive Index (n₂₀/D) | 1.440 – 1.445 | 1.442 |
Specific Gravity (20°C) | 0.950 – 0.960 g/cm³ | 0.955 g/cm³ |
Boiling Point | 223 – 225°C | 224°C |
Flash Point | ≥100°C | 105°C |
Acid Value | ≤0.1 mg KOH/g | 0.05 mg KOH/g |
Hydroxyl Value | 930 – 960 mg KOH/g | 948 mg KOH/g |
Water Content | ≤0.2% | 0.08% |
Color (APHA) | ≤10 | <5 |
Solubility in Water | Miscible | Complies |
Heavy Metals | ≤10 ppm | <5 ppm |
Arsenic (As) | ≤1 ppm | <0.5 ppm |
Lead (Pb) | ≤2 ppm | <0.5 ppm |
Mercury (Hg) | ≤1 ppm | <0.1 ppm |
Cadmium (Cd) | ≤1 ppm | <0.1 ppm |
Total Plate Count | ≤100 CFU/g | <10 CFU/g |
Yeast & Mold | ≤10 CFU/g | <10 CFU/g |
E. coli | Negative | Negative |
S. aureus | Negative | Negative |
P. aeruginosa | Negative | Negative |
Antimicrobial Efficacy | Passes challenge test at 0.5% | Pass |
Storage | 5–30°C, sealed, dry | Complies |
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Q1: What is the MOQ of 1,2-Hexanediol?
A1: The standard MOQ is 25KG. We support sample orders for formula testing, stability evaluation, and trial production. We also offer customized packaging options and bulk pricing for mass production requirements.
Q2: What are the core functions of 1,2-Hexanediol in cosmetics?
A2: It has four core functions: excellent moisturizing and water-binding for long-lasting hydration; powerful preservative boosting that reduces traditional preservative dosage by 30-50%; outstanding solubilizing ability for active ingredients and plant extracts; and emulsion stabilization that improves formula consistency. It is one of the most versatile multi-functional ingredients in modern cosmetics.
Q3: What is the recommended dosage in cosmetic formulas?
A3: Moisturizing creams/lotions: 0.5%–2.0%; Serums and essences: 1.0%–3.0%; Preservative-free systems: 2.0%–5.0% (combined with other diols); Sensitive skin and baby products: 0.5%–2.0%; Toners and mists: 0.3%–1.5%. The exact dosage can be adjusted according to product type, formulation goals, and preservative system design.
Q4: Is 1,2-Hexanediol safe for sensitive skin and baby products?
A4: Yes. 1,2-Hexanediol is recognized as one of the gentlest multifunctional cosmetic ingredients. It has extremely low irritation potential, is non-sensitizing, and is widely used in baby care, sensitive skin, and eye-area products. It is free from parabens, formaldehyde releasers, and other controversial preservatives, making it ideal for clean and gentle formulations.
Q5: How does 1,2-Hexanediol compare with other diols like 1,3-Butanediol and Pentylene Glycol?
A5: All are multifunctional diols, but 1,2-Hexanediol offers unique advantages: stronger antimicrobial boosting efficacy due to its longer carbon chain; better skin feel with less tackiness compared to butylene glycol; excellent solubility for lipophilic actives; and proven efficacy in preservative-free systems. It is often the preferred choice when formulators need both strong moisturization and robust preservative boosting in a single ingredient.
Q6: Can 1,2-Hexanediol be used to create truly preservative-free formulations?
A6: Yes, when properly formulated. 1,2-Hexanediol is a key component in modern preservative-free systems. It is typically combined with other multifunctional ingredients such as caprylyl glycol, ethylhexylglycerin, pentylene glycol, and chelating agents (like disodium EDTA or phytosphingosine) to achieve broad-spectrum microbial protection. We recommend conducting preservative challenge testing to validate the efficacy of your specific formulation.
Q7: What are the best synergistic combinations with 1,2-Hexanediol?
A7: Top combinations include: 1,2-Hexanediol + Caprylyl Glycol (powerful antimicrobial synergy); + Ethylhexylglycerin (preservative boosting + skin feel); + Pentylene Glycol (broad-spectrum preservative-free system); + Phenoxyethanol (reduces phenoxyethanol dosage by half); + Glycerin/Hyaluronic Acid (enhanced moisturization); + Disodium EDTA (chelating + antimicrobial synergy). Our technical team can provide customized formulation guidance.
Q8: What are the formula usage notes?
A8: Water-phase addition, can be added at room temperature or during heating (stable up to 100°C); miscible with water and most cosmetic solvents; compatible with virtually all cosmetic ingredients; no pH restrictions (stable across pH 3-12); can be used in cold-process and hot-process formulations; sealed storage to prevent moisture absorption; no special handling requirements.
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