OCTENIDINE HCL
OCTENIDINE HCL, also called octenidine hydrochloride, is the salt form of octenidine used as an ingredient. The HCL ending refers to its dihydrochloride salt form, which helps distinguish it from octenidine without that salt designation.
OCTENIDINE HCL: what it is
OCTENIDINE HCL, also called octenidine hydrochloride, is the salt form of octenidine used as an ingredient. The HCL ending refers to its dihydrochloride salt form, which helps distinguish it from octenidine without that salt designation.
It is an organic substance in the bispyridine class, rather than an oil, plant extract, or fragrance. Octenidine is known outside cosmetics as an antiseptic; that context explains its link with microbial control, but it does not make every cosmetic containing it a medical antiseptic.
OCTENIDINE HCL: what it does in cosmetics
In cosmetics, OCTENIDINE HCL has an antimicrobial function. In everyday terms, that means it is used to help control microorganisms on the skin's surface, rather than to add scent, colour, or a creamy feel to a product.
Clinical studies of antiseptic formulations containing octenidine examined skin preparation and decontamination measures in healthcare settings, not the performance of an ordinary cosmetic. The available review found variable results and a need for further comparisons, so a cosmetic containing it should not be expected to prevent or treat infections.
Products containing this ingredient
See which products include it and the name used in each composition.
