Common Name(s): 1,2-pentanediol,pentanediol,hydrolite-5
CAS Number: 5765-44-6
DESCRIPTION
What It Does: Provides humectant moisture retention with antimicrobial preservative-boosting activity.
Why It's Used: The balanced multifunctional diol โ pentylene glycol provides the ideal balance of humectancy and antimicrobial activity for clean beauty preservation systems with excellent sensory compatibility.
How It Works: C5 diol: longer chain than propylene glycol providing better antimicrobial activity but shorter than 1,2-hexanediol (slightly lower membrane activity). two oh groups provide humectant water binding. solvent for fragrances and some actives. synergistic with phenoxyethanol reducing required phenoxyethanol concentration.
Typically Found In: Clean beauty products,natural preservation systems,moisturisers
TECHNICAL DETAILS
Primary Category: Functional ingredient โ multifunctional pentanediol
Secondary Functions: Tewl reduction,skin plumping
Application Areas:
Facial Skincare
Body Care
Hair Care
Beard Care
Color Cosmetics (Makeup)
Dietary/Oral Supplements
Typical Concentration Range: 0.5%โ3%
SOURCING & ETHICS
Vegan Status: Yes โ synthetic
Halal Status: Yes
Source Notes: Synthetic or naturally derived. excellent aqueous solubility.
SKIN COMPATIBILITY
Irritancy Rating: 1/5 โ very low
Comedogenicity Rating: 0/5 โ non-comedogenic
Sensitivity Concerns: Non-irritating; suitable for all skin types.
Safe for Sensitive Skin: Yes
SAFETY & COMPATIBILITY
Safety Profile: Excellent safety profile. ewg score: 1.
Works Well With: Ceramides,emollients,occlusives,glycerin,hyaluronic acid
Avoid Combining With: No significant incompatibilities
SCIENTIFIC NOTE
Pentylene glycol's position in clean beauty preservation is due to a regulatory quirk: 1,2-pentanediol is not classified as a preservative in eu cosmetics regulations (unlike phenoxyethanol which requires preservative listing), so it can provide antimicrobial activity while not requiring the 'contains preservative' designation โ enabling cleaner labels in natural-positioned formulations.
Last Verified: 2026-03-12
Primary Sources: Cosing database,dsm hydrolite-5 technical data,cir safety assessment