POTASSIUM HYDROXIDE
Potassium hydroxide is an inorganic base made of potassium and hydroxide. Outside the finished product, it may be supplied as a white solid in flakes, pellets, or granules, or as an aqueous solution, so it is not a botanical extract, oil, or butter.
POTASSIUM HYDROXIDE: what it is
Potassium hydroxide is an inorganic base made of potassium and hydroxide. Outside the finished product, it may be supplied as a white solid in flakes, pellets, or granules, or as an aqueous solution, so it is not a botanical extract, oil, or butter.
On an ingredient list, it appears as POTASSIUM HYDROXIDE. It is an alkaline substance and is distinct from sodium hydroxide, although both are hydroxides that can raise the alkalinity of a preparation. Its name on a label does not disclose the amount used in that product.
POTASSIUM HYDROXIDE: what it does in cosmetics
In cosmetics, potassium hydroxide helps adjust how acidic or alkaline a preparation is. That pH adjustment is useful when a composition needs to reach its intended range; it does not, by itself, mean that the ingredient is there to moisturize, treat, or soften the skin.
For someone comparing labels, its presence usually points to an adjustment made to the preparation. What a cosmetic feels like in use depends on the other ingredients and on the final concentration, and a pH-adjusting role does not show that potassium hydroxide on its own treats acne, wrinkles, dark spots, or another skin condition.
POTASSIUM HYDROXIDE: conditions and care
Concentrated potassium hydroxide is corrosive to skin and eyes. In cosmetics, restricted applications must follow the conditions set for each use; a finished product should not be treated as equivalent to the concentrated material.
Restrictions and conditions of use
Products containing this ingredient
See which products include it and the name used in each composition.
