INCI-listed humectants u2014 vegetable glycerin, propylene and butylene glycol, sodium hyaluronate, betaine, zinc PCA, and urea u2014 for moisture control in skin and hair care formulations.
Humectants are hygroscopic ingredients that attract and hold water; in cosmetics theirnINCI function is moisture control (skin and hair conditioning), not a treatment claim.nThis range runs from small polyols u2014 vegetable glycerin and propylene, butylene, and pentylenenglycol u2014 to the high-molecular-weight water-binder sodium hyaluronate, plus the natural-moisturizing-factorncomponents betaine, zinc PCA, and urea.
nnVegetable glycerin is the reference humectant and the usual benchmark for cost and performance.nThe honest trade-off is humectant load against skin feel: above roughly 5 to 10 percent, polyolnhumectants can feel tacky, so formulators blend in an emollient or shift part of the humectancy tonbutylene or pentylene glycol for a lighter finish. Set the glycerin level by sensory testing rathernthan by maximizing humectancy.
nnSodium hyaluronate binds a large amount of water and is used at low addition levels, often wellnunder 1 percent. Betaine, zinc PCA, and urea are natural-moisturizing-factor humectants; urea alsoncarries a catalog pH-adjustment role. Two seed labels were corrected to keep this list to INCInfunction: pentylene glycol is listed for moisture control and solvency only, and the zinc PCA andnurea entries drop the sebum-control and keratolytic descriptors.
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