Hexylene Glycol

What Hexylene Glycol is & what it does

A solvent and surfactant that helps keep formulas clear and evenly mixed while thinning thicker bases. It also adds mild humectant and conditioning benefits.

What is Hexylene Glycol and what does it do in sunscreen?

Hexylene Glycol is a small glycol that works mainly as a solvent and surfactant: it helps keep a formula clear, evenly mixed, and thins out thicker bases so a sunscreen spreads well. It also adds a mild humectant and conditioning effect, helping the skin feel smooth. It is a multitasker that improves texture rather than doing anything dramatic on its own.

Is Hexylene Glycol safe?

Yes, at the levels used in cosmetics it is considered safe and well tolerated. It has a long record of use as a solvent and texture aid in skincare and sunscreen. Some people with very sensitive skin can find glycols mildly irritating in high concentrations, but in a finished sunscreen it is used in small amounts.

Does Hexylene Glycol clog pores?

No. Hexylene Glycol is a lightweight, water-friendly glycol rather than a heavy oil or wax, and it is used in small amounts to thin and stabilize the formula. It is considered non-comedogenic and is an unlikely cause of clogged pores.

Is Hexylene Glycol a humectant or a solvent?

It is mostly a solvent and surfactant, with a mild humectant side. Its main jobs are dissolving and blending other ingredients and thinning thicker bases, and along the way it draws a little water to the skin and conditions it. So it does both, but its primary role in a sunscreen is keeping the formula clear and easy to spread.

Is Hexylene Glycol natural or synthetic?

It is synthetic. Hexylene Glycol is a lab-made glycol used for its solvent and texture-improving properties, and it does not occur in nature in cosmetic form. Synthetic here just means it is manufactured for a consistent, reliable job, not that it is unsafe.

Sunscreens with Hexylene Glycol

We rate 268 sunscreens that contain it, showing the top 10 by overall score:

• VILLAGE 11 FACTORY Daily Mild Sun Fluid SPF 50+ PA++++ 95/100
• Hava Zingboim Purify & Protect Mineral SPF 50 95/100
• BE THE SKIN Sebum Zero Aloerice Vegan Sun Cream 50ml SPF 50+, Pa++++ 94/100
• Solait Sun Spray 50 SPF 91/100
• Altruist Primer SPF50 91/100
• Heliocare 360° Fluid Cream Spf 50+ 90/100
• Heliocare 360 Gel Oil-free Dry Touch SPF50 89/100
• Cantabria Labs Heliocare 360 Gel Oil-free SPF-50 89/100
• Heliocare 360 SPF 50 Pa++++ Oil Free Sunscreen Gel 89/100
• Lierac Sunissime Protective BB Fluid SPF 50+ 89/100

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