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Butane

What Butane is & what it does

Butane is a small, volatile hydrocarbon gas. In cosmetics it is used mainly as a propellant in aerosol products, including spray sunscreens, where it helps expel the formula as a fine mist. It is liquefied under pressure inside the can and flashes off as a gas once dispensed, leaving the active formula on the skin.

Is Butane safe in skincare and sunscreen?

Butane is widely used as a propellant in aerosol cosmetics, including spray sunscreens, and is generally considered safe for this use when products are made and used as directed. It largely evaporates as a gas on dispensing, so very little remains on the skin. Aerosol products are flammable, so they should be kept away from flames and heat.

What does Butane do in skincare?

Butane functions mainly as a propellant. In spray and aerosol formulas it provides the pressure that pushes the product out of the can and helps disperse it as a fine mist, rather than acting on the skin itself.

Is Butane natural or synthetic?

The butane used in cosmetics is typically obtained from petroleum and natural gas processing, so it is generally regarded as a synthetic or petroleum-derived ingredient rather than a botanical one.

Sunscreens with Butane

We rate 69 sunscreens that contain it, showing the top 10 by overall score:

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