Symrise’s Hydrolite® 5 Green, a sustainably sourced version of Pentylene Glycol, exemplifies how the personal care industry is evolving to meet the growing demand for eco-conscious and effective ingredients.

Symrise has developed Hydrolite® 5 Green to align performance with environmental responsibility. This multifunctional compound solves formulation challenges by acting as a humectant, and antimicrobial-texture booster. Its ability to integrate into various product types, from lightweight emulsions to concentrated serums, makes it indispensable for formulators to create effective and eco-friendly solutions. 

The Science Behind Pentylene Glycol

This multifunctional ingredient is known for its ability to hydrate, stabilize formulations, and boost antimicrobial performance. While historically derived from petroleum-based sources, the introduction of bio-based Pentylene Glycol, such as Symrise’s Hydrolite® 5 Green, represents a significant advancement in sustainable ingredient sourcing.

Hydrolite® 5 Green utilizes renewable raw materials, ensuring a reduced environmental impact without compromising quality. This advancement is not only a response to consumer demands for greener products but also a step in the right direction for more responsible manufacturing practices in the beauty industry.

The production process emphasizes efficiency, minimizing waste while delivering consistent, high-purity results. Its ability to support microbial stability while hydrating skin has made it an enduring choice for skincare and cosmetic applications. 

 Increasing Skincare Performance with Pentylene Glycol

Pentylene Glycol’s multifunctionality in skincare lies in its chemical properties that are essential for hydration, formulation efficacy, and antimicrobial benefits, all while enhancing the sensory experience of products.

• Hydration and Skin Barrier Support: Pentylene Glycol’s ability to attract and retain moisture is due to its diol structure, which includes two hydroxyl groups. These groups form hydrogen bonds with water molecules, creating a humectant effect that helps skin maintain optimal hydration levels. This not only supports skin elasticity but also reinforces the lipid barrier, preventing trans-epidermal water loss (TEWL), and ensuring long-lasting moisturization.

• Efficacy as a Solvent: The five-carbon backbone of Pentylene Glycol contributes to its amphiphilic nature, allowing it to dissolve both water-soluble and oil-soluble active ingredients. This property enhances the delivery of actives such as vitamins, antioxidants, and peptides into the skin, improving bioavailability and ensuring their stability within the formulation.

• Antimicrobial Properties: Pentylene Glycol disrupts microbial cell membranes, inhibiting the growth of bacteria and fungi. Its antimicrobial activity complements traditional preservatives, allowing formulators to reduce or eliminate controversial additives while maintaining product safety and shelf life. The compound’s dual action as both a functional ingredient and an antimicrobial booster aligns with clean beauty trends.

• Improved Texture and Skin Feel: The molecular structure of Pentylene Glycol also contributes to its sensory benefits. Its low viscosity and compatibility with emulsions improve the spreadability and absorption of formulations, resulting in a silky, lightweight texture. This tactile enhancement increases consumer satisfaction and ensures repeat usage.

Pentylene Glycol in Combination with Key Actives

Pentylene Glycol’s versatility extends beyond its standalone benefits. It demonstrates remarkable synergy with a variety of active ingredients, improving their efficacy, stability, and sensory appeal.

• Hyaluronic Acid: Pentylene Glycol’s diol structure plays a critical role in amplifying the moisture-binding properties of hyaluronic acid. The hydroxyl (-OH) groups in Pentylene Glycol form transient hydrogen bonds with water molecules, complementing hyaluronic acid’s hydrophilic carboxylate (-COO-) groups. This dual action not only increases the skin’s hydration levels but also facilitates the absorption of hyaluronic acid into the deeper layers of the epidermis. Additionally, the presence of Pentylene Glycol reduces the evaporation rate of water from the skin, improving the retention of hyaluronic acid's effects.

  Chemical Insight: The presence of Pentylene Glycol reduces the interfacial tension between water and lipid layers in the skin, aiding in the uniform dispersion of hyaluronic acid within formulations, which is crucial for product stability.

• Niacinamide (Vitamin B3): Its water solubility and stability are supported in the presence of Pentylene Glycol, which acts as a co-solvent. Pentylene Glycol prevents the crystallization of niacinamide at higher concentrations, ensuring that it remains effective throughout the shelf life of a product. Moreover, Pentylene Glycol facilitates deeper penetration of niacinamide by lowering the surface tension of formulations, increasing the delivery of niacinamide to the basal layer of the epidermis where it performs its brightening and barrier-repair functions.

  Chemical Insight: The hydroxyl groups of Pentylene Glycol interact with the amide group of niacinamide, stabilizing its molecular conformation and preventing thermal degradation during storage and use.

• Beta-Glucan: A polysaccharide derived from oats or mushrooms, benefits significantly from the inclusion of Pentylene Glycol in formulations. Due to its large molecular size, beta-glucan often faces challenges in penetrating the skin. Pentylene Glycol addresses this by breaking hydrogen bonds between beta-glucan molecules, effectively reducing its viscosity and promoting better skin penetration. Additionally, Pentylene Glycol’s humectant properties complement beta-glucan’s ability to form a protective film on the skin, supporting its soothing and hydrating effects.

  Chemical Insight: The hydroxyl groups of Pentylene Glycol act as a disruptor to the intermolecular hydrogen bonds of beta-glucan, as a result, the solubility and interaction with epidermal keratinocytes are improved.

• Ethyl Ascorbic Acid (Vitamin C Derivative): a stable vitamin C derivative, is hydrophilic and prone to oxidative degradation. Pentylene Glycol stabilizes ethyl ascorbic acid in formulations by limiting its exposure to oxidative triggers such as light and air. Pentylene Glycol reduces the energy barrier for skin absorption by interacting with lipid layers, facilitating the deeper delivery of this antioxidant. This ensures the compound retains its skin-brightening and collagen-boosting properties even in high-stress environments.

  Chemical Insight: The amphiphilic nature of Pentylene Glycol allows it to form micelle-like structures with ethyl ascorbic acid, reducing its reactivity with environmental oxidants while improving its solubility in both oil and water phases.

Pentylene Glycol’s Multifunctionality ApplicationsBiolime

Pentylene Glycol’s chemical versatility enables it to serve multiple functions in personal care formulations, making it a key component in addressing hydration, stability, and sustainability challenges. 

How Pentylene Glycol Functions in Modern Formulations:

• Minimalist Formulations: Pentylene Glycol’s dual hydroxyl (-OH) groups allow it to function simultaneously as a humectant, solvent, and microbial stabilizer. These properties eliminate the need for additional ingredients, simplifying formulations while maintaining efficacy. The hydrogen-bonding capacity of its hydroxyl groups helps it attract and retain moisture, reducing trans-epidermal water loss (TEWL) and promoting skin barrier repair.

• Boosting Stability in Emulsions: The amphiphilic nature of Pentylene Glycol reduces interfacial tension between oil and water phases, ensuring homogeneity in emulsions. By stabilizing active ingredients within the aqueous and lipid phases, it prevents degradation, which is particularly beneficial in formulations with sensitive compounds like peptides or ceramides.

• Improving Active Ingredient Delivery: Pentylene Glycol’s molecular weight and polarity improve its ability to penetrate the stratum corneum, carrying hydrophilic and lipophilic actives deeper into the skin. For example, it improves the solubility of retinoids, peptides, and ceramides while maintaining their stability. This behavior increases the bioavailability of actives, enabling them to perform more effectively in targeted applications.

• Applications in Anhydrous Systems: In waterless formulations like solid cleansers or concentrated serums, Pentylene Glycol provides hygroscopic support, drawing in moisture from the environment to improve application. Its non-volatile nature ensures consistency and stability in products designed for long-term use without water-based preservatives.

The takeaway

Pentylene Glycol’s chemical versatility and multifunctional roles have solidified its position as a well-trusted ingredient in personal care formulations. Its ability to retain moisture, stabilize emulsions, and enhance the delivery of active ingredients is possible thanks to its diol structure, allowing it to perform multiple functions simultaneously. This compound not only simplifies formulations but also supports their effectiveness and long-term stability. 

This compound not only simplifies formulations but also supports their effectiveness and long-term stability, exemplifying the innovative approach of Symrise with their product, SYMRISE’S HYDROLITE® 5.