Back to Ingredient Dictionary
Common Name(s): 1-hydroxyethyl 4,5-diamino pyrazole sulfate
DESCRIPTION
What It Does: Reduces surface tension at oil-water interfaces, enabling effective cleansing, emulsification, and formulation stability.
Why It's Used: Surface-active agents are essential for emulsification, cleansing, and stabilization of cosmetic formulations containing both aqueous and lipid phases.
How It Works: The amphiphilic molecular structure positions the hydrophilic head in water and the lipophilic tail in oils, creating micelles that solubilize sebum, dirt, and oil-soluble impurities for rinsing in cleansers or stable emulsions in leave-on products.
Typically Found In: Cleansers,shampoos,body washes,foaming treatments
TECHNICAL DETAILS
Primary Category: Surfactants
Secondary Functions: Emulsifying,cleansing
Application Areas:
Facial Skincare
Body Care
Hair Care
Beard Care
Color Cosmetics (Makeup)
Dietary/Oral Supplements
Typical Concentration Range: 0.5โ30%
SOURCING & ETHICS
Vegan Status: Yes
Halal Status: Yes
Source Notes: Synthetic or semi-synthetic surfactant; no animal components.
SKIN COMPATIBILITY
Irritancy Rating: 2
Comedogenicity Rating: 0
Sensitivity Concerns: May cause irritation or stinging in sensitive or barrier-compromised skin at high concentrations; patch test recommended.
Safe for Sensitive Skin: Conditional
SAFETY & COMPATIBILITY
Safety Profile: Well-characterized cosmetic ingredient with established safety profile. mildly irritating to some individuals at typical use concentrations. suitable for leave-on and rinse-off cosmetics.
Works Well With: Other surfactants,thickeners,conditioning agents
Avoid Combining With: High concentrations in sensitive skin formulations
SCIENTIFIC NOTE
Surfactant critical micelle concentration (cmc) determines the threshold for emulsification: above the cmc, amphiphilic molecules self-assemble into micelles with hydrophobic cores that solubilize oils. hlb (hydrophile-lipophile balance) value predicts surfactant function: hlb 3โ6 for w/o emulsifiers, 8โ18 for o/w emulsifiers, >15 for solubilizers.
Last Verified: Cosing eu database; pcpc cosmetic ingredient safety reviews; ingredient-specific safety and efficacy literature
Primary Sources: 2025-01-15