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Hexyl Laurate

What Hexyl Laurate is & what it does

Hexyl Laurate is a lightweight emollient ester made from a fatty alcohol and lauric acid. It softens and smooths the skin and gives a sunscreen a silky, fast-spreading, non-greasy slip. It also helps dissolve and carry oil-soluble UV filters evenly through the formula.

What is Hexyl Laurate and what does it do in sunscreen?

Hexyl Laurate is an emollient ester, made by joining a fatty alcohol with lauric acid. In a sunscreen it softens and conditions the skin and gives a light, silky, fast-spreading feel rather than a heavy, oily one. It also helps dissolve oil-soluble UV filters so they spread evenly across the skin.

Is Hexyl Laurate safe?

Yes. It is a well-tolerated cosmetic emollient that works on the surface of the skin. Esters like this one have a long record of safe use in sunscreens and moisturizers and are non-irritating for most people at the levels used.

Does Hexyl Laurate clog pores?

Generally no. It is a relatively lightweight, fast-spreading ester rather than a heavy oil or wax, and our data does not flag it as comedogenic. As with any emollient, very acne-prone skin can occasionally react, but it is not a notable pore-clogging ingredient.

Is Hexyl Laurate natural or synthetic?

It is a synthetic ester, though it is built from natural-derived parts: a fatty alcohol and lauric acid, which can come from coconut or palm. The two are joined in the lab to create a smooth, light-feeling emollient that does not occur ready-made in nature.

What else is Hexyl Laurate called on an ingredient list?

On a label it appears as Hexyl Laurate, which is its INCI name. It usually sits in the middle of an ingredient list among the other emollients and oils that give the product its skin feel.

Sunscreens with Hexyl Laurate

We rate 216 sunscreens that contain it, showing the top 10 by overall score:

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