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1,3-Butanediol (CAS 107-88-0): Humectant, Solvent & Stabilizer for Cosmetic & Personal Care
What Is 1,3-Butanediol?
1,3-Butanediol is a high-performance aliphatic polyol compound with the molecular formula C4H10O2. It appears as a clear, colorless, and odorless transparent liquid at room temperature. As a classic multi-functional polyol raw material, it is widely applied in cosmetics, personal care, baby products, pharmaceutical excipients, food additives, and industrial chemical synthesis.
Different from traditional humectants such as glycerin and propylene glycol, 1,3-Butanediol features milder irritation, better skin affinity, non-sticky texture, and auxiliary bacteriostatic performance. It can be perfectly compatible with water, various alcohols, oils, surfactants, and polymer systems, making it a universal base material for high-end cosmetic and personal care formulations.
In the cosmetic industry, it acts as four core roles: moisturizer, solvent, solubilizer, and antimicrobial booster, greatly improving the comprehensive performance and stability of finished products.
Key Properties of 1,3-Butanediol
Understanding the core properties of 1,3-Butanediol is essential for formulators to optimize product texture, moisturizing effect, and system stability. Its unique physical and chemical characteristics determine its irreplaceable position in mild and high-quality personal care products.
Powerful and Long-Lasting Moisturizing Performance
1,3-Butanediol has excellent water-locking and hydration capabilities. It can form a uniform water retention film on the skin surface, effectively reducing transepidermal water loss (TEWL). It penetrates gently into the stratum corneum to replenish and retain moisture, significantly improving dry, rough, and dull skin conditions. Compared with glycerin, it provides more delicate and long-lasting moisturization without causing skin tightness after drying.
Ultra-Mild and Low-Sensitization Safety Profile
One of the most prominent advantages of 1,3-Butanediol is its extremely low irritation and low sensitization. It undergoes complete skin compatibility testing and is widely recognized as a skin-friendly ingredient. It is safe for sensitive skin, fragile facial skin, and infant and toddler skin, making it the preferred moisturizing base for mild and zero-stimulation personal care formulas.
Auxiliary Antimicrobial and Preservative Synergistic Effect
1,3-Butanediol possesses natural bacteriostatic activity against common mold and bacteria in cosmetic systems. It can inhibit microbial reproduction in formulas, reduce the burden of traditional preservatives, extend product shelf life, and improve the overall safety and stability of cosmetic systems. It is widely used in low-preservative and mild preservative-free compound formulas.
Lightweight, Non-Greasy and Non-Comedogenic Texture
Different from heavy polyol ingredients, 1,3-Butanediol features a refreshing and fluid texture. It is easy to spread and rapidly absorbed by the skin without sticky residue, greasiness, or pore blockage. It effectively improves the sticky feeling of traditional moisturizers, optimizing the skin feel of lotions, essences, creams, and sunscreen products.
Excellent Formula Compatibility and Chemical Stability
1,3-Butanediol has stable chemical properties and does not react with conventional cosmetic raw materials. It is highly compatible with water, plant extracts, emulsifiers, surfactants, greases, and polymer thickeners. It can stabilize formula systems, avoid delamination, precipitation, and color change problems, and adapt to various complex cosmetic and pharmaceutical formulations.
Main Industrial & Cosmetic Applications of 1,3-Butanediol
Benefiting from its mildness, high stability, multi-functionality and excellent skin feel, 1,3-Butanediol covers cosmetic, baby care, pharmaceutical, food and industrial synthesis fields, with the personal care industry being its largest application scenario.
Industry Field | Core Applications | Functional Effects |
Skincare & Personal Care | Facial lotion, toner, essence, facial mask, cream, sunscreen, body care products | Hydration, water locking, refreshing skin feel, stabilizing formula, solubilizing functional ingredients |
Baby & Sensitive Skin Care | Baby wash, shampoo, body lotion, infant moisturizing cream | Ultra-mild moisturizing base, reduce skin irritation, protect fragile skin barrier |
Color Cosmetics | Liquid foundation, concealer, makeup base, lip gloss | Improve spreadability, prevent dryness and cracking, stabilize pigment system |
Pharmaceutical Excipients | Topical ointments, skin lotions, external pharmaceutical preparations | Moisturizing, solubilizing, improving drug adhesion and skin penetration |
Industrial Synthesis | Polyurethane resin, plasticizer, coating intermediates, tobacco additives | Industrial reaction intermediate, improve resin flexibility and toughness |
Skincare & Daily Personal Care
In mainstream skincare formulas, 1,3-Butanediol acts as a core moisturizing and stabilizing ingredient. It effectively solves the problems of dryness and tightness after using toner and essence, improves the ductility of creams and lotions, and maintains the long-term stability of water-phase formulas. It can also assist in solubilizing slightly soluble plant extracts and functional active ingredients, improving the efficacy and uniformity of skincare products.
Baby Care & Sensitive Skin Products
Due to its extremely low irritation and high safety, 1,3-Butanediol is the preferred polyol for infant and sensitive skin formulas. It avoids redness, stinging, and allergic reactions caused by inferior alcohols and irritating moisturizers, gently moisturizes baby’s delicate skin, and relieves dry and flaky skin problems in dry seasons.
Cosmetic Color Makeup Formulations
In foundations and makeup base products, 1,3-Butanediol can prevent makeup drying, powder floating, and cracking. It improves the fitting degree of cosmetics, keeps the makeup moisturized and long-lasting, and stabilizes the dispersion system of pigments and colorants.
Pharmaceutical External Preparations
As a professional pharmaceutical-grade excipient, it is widely used in external skin ointments and medicinal lotions. It helps active ingredients penetrate the skin, improves product ductility, and avoids dry and crusty surface of medicinal preparations, ensuring stable drug release effect.
Industrial Chemical Applications
Industrially, 1,3-Butanediol is an important synthetic intermediate for polyurethane, plasticizers, and alkyd resins. It can improve the flexibility, weather resistance and adhesion of resin materials, and is also used in tobacco, coating and fine chemical industries.
1,3-Butanediol vs Common Polyols: Formulation Advantages
Formulators often compare 1,3-Butanediol with glycerin and propylene glycol. The following comparison clearly shows its unique advantages in high-end and mild formulas:
Ingredient | Skin Feel | Irritation | Humectant Effect | Applicable Scenarios |
1,3-Butanediol | Refreshing, non-sticky | Ultra-low irritation | Balanced & long-lasting | Sensitive skin, baby care, high-end cosmetics |
Glycerin | Slightly sticky | Low irritation | Strong immediate hydration | Low-cost basic skincare products |
Propylene Glycol | Refreshing | Slight irritation for sensitive skin | General moisturizing | Ordinary personal care products |
Safety Precautions, Storage & Handling Guidelines
1,3-Butanediol is recognized as a safe cosmetic raw material with low risk. However, standardized storage and operation are still required to ensure product purity and formula stability.
Handling & Operation
1,3-Butanediol is non-toxic and non-irritating under normal industrial and cosmetic dosage. General workshop ventilation conditions are sufficient for daily operation. Avoid long-term high-concentration contact with eyes. In case of accidental contact, rinse with clean water quickly.
Storage Conditions
Store in a cool, dry, well-ventilated warehouse environment, away from direct sunlight, high temperature and heat sources. Keep containers tightly sealed to prevent moisture and impurities from mixing in. Under standard storage conditions, the product maintains stable chemical properties and does not deteriorate easily.
Packaging & Transportation
1,3-Butanediol is usually packed in clean iron drums or IBC totes. It belongs to conventional chemical goods, non-dangerous goods, with safe and convenient transportation conditions, suitable for long-term bulk procurement and stable supply.
Conclusion
1,3-Butanediol (CAS 107-88-0) is a multi-functional, safe and stable polyol raw material. With its mild formula characteristics, refreshing skin feel, excellent moisturizing ability, preservative synergistic effect and wide compatibility, it has become an essential base material in high-end cosmetics, sensitive skin care and baby care products. It also plays an irreplaceable basic role in pharmaceutical excipients and industrial chemical synthesis.
For cosmetic formulators and industrial buyers, 1,3-Butanediol is a cost-effective and high-performance ingredient that can comprehensively improve product safety, skin feel and shelf stability.
FAQs About 1,3-Butanediol
1. What is 1,3-Butanediol used for?
It is mainly used as a moisturizer, solvent, stabilizer and preservative booster in cosmetics, personal care and baby care products. It is also widely used in pharmaceutical excipients and industrial resin synthesis.
2. Is 1,3-Butanediol safe for sensitive skin?
Yes. 1,3-Butanediol features extremely low irritation and low sensitization. It is the preferred mild moisturizing ingredient for sensitive skin and infant skincare formulas.
3. Does 1,3-Butanediol feel sticky on the skin?
No. Compared with glycerin, it has a lighter and refreshing texture, fast absorption, no greasy residue, and will not block pores.
4. What is the difference between 1,3-Butanediol and glycerin?
1,3-Butanediol is milder, less sticky, safer for sensitive skin, and has auxiliary antibacterial and preservative effects, while glycerin has stronger immediate hydration but a heavier skin feel.
