What it is
The register’s chemical name for it: “2-Methylpentane-2,4-diol.”
- EU register name (INCI)
- HEXYLENE GLYCOL
- CAS number
- 107-41-5
- EC number
- 203-489-0
What the register lists it for
These are the uses the European Commission’s CosIng register lists for Hexylene Glycol in any cosmetic, hair roles first. They say why a maker might add it, not what it does in one formula, and they aren’t a safety rating.
- Emulsifying surfactant
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Lets oil and water mix into one cream or lotion and stay mixed. Conditioners and creams rely on them.
Register definition: “Helping suspensions or dispersions of liquids in a second liquid by reducing the surface tension of the substances to be emulsified.”
- Solvent
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Dissolves other ingredients. Water is the most common; some alcohols and glycols carry this role too.
Register definition: “Dissolving other components of cosmetics. Solvents are usually liquids (aqueous and nonaqueous).”
- Cleansing surfactant
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The washing ingredients: they let water lift oil, product and dirt off hair and scalp. Shampoos list them near the top; some conditioners hold a little.
Register definition: “Wetting body surfaces, emulsifying or solubilizing oils, and suspending soil (generally, such ingredients contribute to the foaming and lathering properties of cleansing products).”
- Perfuming
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Used as a perfume or scent material. Essential oils and their scent compounds, such as linalool and limonene, carry this role.
Register definition: “Used for perfume and aromatic raw materials.”
- Skin conditioning
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The register’s broad role for ingredients that keep skin in good condition. On a hair label it often sits beside a hair role, or marks a plant oil or extract.
Register definition: “Maintaining the skin in good condition.”
Where it sits on each label
US labels list ingredients from most to least, except that those at 1% or less may follow in any order. A name near the top is a large part of the formula. A label doesn’t mark where the 1% point falls, so further down, the order says little about how much is in it.
- Shampoos 1 label First five names: 0 of 1 Shampoos without it
- Clarifying shampoos 1 label First five names: 0 of 1 Clarifying shampoos without it
- Leave-in conditioners 1 label First five names: 0 of 1 Leave-in conditioners without it
- Stylers 2 labels First five names: 0 of 2 Stylers without it
Every label, product by product (5)
- Ouidad Curl Quencher Moisturizing Shampoo Shampoo 22nd of 37 names
- Maui Moisture Scalp Care Clarifying Shampoo with Apple Cider Vinegar Clarifying shampoo 30th of 34 names
- Mielle Pomegranate & Honey Leave-In Conditioner Leave-in conditioner 17th of 27 names
- Ouidad Curl Quencher Moisturizing Styling Gel Styler 23rd of 38 names
- Bounce Curl Light Hold Creme Gel Styler 17th of 20 names
Each line runs from the first name on a label to the last; a dot is where this ingredient sits. Makers change formulas now and then; if the list on your bottle differs, go by your bottle.
Your next step
Other emulsifying surfactant ingredients on these labels
- Polysorbate 20 21 labels
- Polysorbate 60 13 labels
- Xanthan Gum 11 labels
- Glycereth-2 Cocoate 10 labels
- PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil 10 labels
- Trideceth-12 8 labels
- PEG-120 Methyl Glucose Dioleate 7 labels
- PEG-150 Distearate 6 labels
Updated · The name, numbers and uses come from the European Commission’s CosIng entry (CC BY 4.0); we write the uses in US spelling and put the hair ones first. The labels are each maker’s own. The order rule is the FDA’s Cosmetics Labeling Guide. All our sources are on the Sources page.