Ingredient guide · B

Butylene Glycol

Butylene Glycol is a clear, lightweight liquid used in countless UK skincare and makeup products. It helps formulas feel silky, prevents them from drying out, and allows active ingredients to absorb better into the skin. You’ll find it in moisturisers, serums, foundations and masks.

Butylene Glycol — Butylene Glycol is typically produced from plant sugars such as those derived from corn… | UK Lips ingredient guide

How it works in skincare

In cosmetics and skincare, butylene glycol functions as a humectant, solvent and skin-conditioning agent. It draws moisture from the air into the upper layers of the skin while improving the spreadability and texture of creams, lotions and liquid makeup. It also helps dissolve other ingredients that might not mix well with water or oils, creating stable, elegant formulas that feel lightweight and non-greasy on the skin.

Key benefits

  • Attracts and holds moisture in the skin
  • Improves product spreadability and silky feel
  • Enhances absorption of other skincare ingredients
  • Helps prevent formulas from drying out
  • Gives a smooth, non-sticky finish
  • Acts as a gentle solvent for active ingredients

Best for

dry skin, dehydrated skin, combination skin, sensitive skin, mature skin

Where it comes from

Butylene Glycol is typically produced from plant sugars such as those derived from corn or sugar cane through a fermentation and hydrogenation process.

Products with Butylene Glycol

Not every product on UK Lips lists a full ingredient breakdown — so there may be many more formulas that contain Butylene Glycol than we can show here. These are the comparisons where we’ve confirmed it in the listed ingredients.

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