PENTAERYTHRITOL
Pentaerythritol is a polyol, meaning a small molecule with four groups that interact with water. It is not a botanical extract or an oil; it is a chemical solid used in several industrial raw materials, including ingredients made for cosmetics.
PENTAERYTHRITOL: what it is
Pentaerythritol is a polyol, meaning a small molecule with four groups that interact with water. It is not a botanical extract or an oil; it is a chemical solid used in several industrial raw materials, including ingredients made for cosmetics.
Commercial pentaerythritol is made from formaldehyde and acetaldehyde. That synthetic origin distinguishes it from similarly named ingredients obtained from plants or oils: this label refers to the pentaerythritol molecule itself, not to a pressed, infused, or distilled plant material.
PENTAERYTHRITOL: what it does in cosmetics
In cosmetics, pentaerythritol can contribute as a humectant. In everyday terms, this type of ingredient is selected to help keep water in the skin's outermost layer, which matters for avoiding an overly dry-looking or dry-feeling surface soon after application.
It is also used for skin conditioning, a term associated with a softer, more comfortable feel at the surface. That does not make pentaerythritol by itself a treatment for dryness, irritation, or any skin disease; it describes a cosmetic contribution from the ingredient in the applied product.
Products containing this ingredient
See which products include it and the name used in each composition.
