Bis-(Butyl Dimethicone) PEG-3 Polyglyceryl-3 Ether is a synthetic silicone-based compound used primarily as a surfactant, emulsifier, and skin conditioning agent in cosmetic formulations. It is known for providing a silky, smooth texture and for its ability to form stable emulsions, enhancing the application properties of skin care and makeup products.

Chemical Composition and Structure

This ingredient is a complex molecule combining butyl dimethicone, a silicone that offers water-repellency and a silky feel, with PEG-3 Polyglyceryl-3 Ether, a polyether compound derived from glycerin which serves as an emulsifier. The structure allows it to reduce surface tension, improving the spreadability and blendability of cosmetic products.

Physical Properties

Bis-(Butyl Dimethicone) PEG-3 Polyglyceryl-3 Ether typically appears as a viscous, clear to slightly opaque liquid. It has excellent solubility in silicone and other organic solvents, and it provides a non-greasy, smooth finish on the skin.

Production Process

Synthesis: The synthesis involves chemically bonding butyl dimethicone with PEG-3 Polyglyceryl-3 Ether. This process requires precise control of reaction conditions to achieve the desired degree of polymerization and bonding.
Purification: Following synthesis, the compound is purified to remove any residual reactants and by-products, ensuring product purity and consistency.
Quality Control: The final product is tested for chemical consistency, stability, and performance characteristics to ensure it meets all required specifications for cosmetic use.

Applications

Cosmetic Products: Utilized in a range of cosmetic products including moisturizers, serums, foundations, and sunscreens, where it helps to improve product texture, spreadability, and moisture retention.
Skin Care: Offers enhanced conditioning effects, making it ideal for use in skin care formulations that aim to provide a silky, smooth feel while locking in moisture.
Makeup: In makeup, it helps in achieving a uniform application and enhances the longevity of the product on the skin.

Environmental and Safety Considerations

PEG (Polyethylene glycol) polymerize condensed ethylene oxide and water and are referred to as polyethylene glycols, but they are actually complex chemical components, polymers bonded together. For example, plastic is polyethylene and has a hard consistency, while polyethylene aggregated with glycol forms a liquid. PEGylation is produced not only as heterification but also as transesterification, which is the transformation of an alcohol by an ester.
The number that appears after the abbreviation PEG represents the molecular weight, and the higher this number is, the less it penetrates the skin.
The term 'eth' refers to the ethoxylation reaction with ethylene oxide after which residues of ethylene oxide and 1,4-dioxane, chemical compounds considered carcinogenic, may remain. The degree of safety therefore depends on the degree of purity of the compound obtained. No manufacturer appears to provide this information on the label, at least as of the date of this review.
Kim MC, Park SY, Kwon SY, Kim YK, Kim YI, Seo YS, Cho SM, Shin EC, Mok JH, Lee YB. Application of Static Headspace GC-MS Method for Selective 1,4-Dioxane Detection in Food Additives. Foods. 2023 Sep 2;12(17):3299. doi: 10.3390/foods12173299.
Abstract. Efficient detection methods must be developed for 1,4-dioxane due to its suspected status as a human carcinogen, which is highly mobile in food and environmental resources. In this regard, this experiment has been conducted to develop reliable and selective detection and measurement methods by using static headspace (SH) isolation, followed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). A new method was developed for determining the spiked 1,4-dioxane contents in a polyethylene glycol 600 (PEG 600). The optimal condition for SH-GC-MS was discussed. The representative ions of 1,4-dioxane and 1,4-dioxane-d8 in the SIM mode of MS are 88 and 96, respectively, and the peaks of the SIM mode were separated and confirmed. The linear range for the method covers 0.25 to 100 mg/L with a coefficient of determination (R2) ≥ 0.999. The method applicability was demonstrated by spike recovery across a variety of food additives (i.e., chlorine bitartrate, choline chloride, polysorbate 20 and 60, and PEG 1000). All spike recovery from the tested samples was in the range of 89.50-102.68% with a precision of 0.44-11.22%. These findings suggest a new analytical method for food safety inspection, and could be applicable for ensuring the safety of foods and environmental and public health on a broad scale.

INCI


Surfactant - Emulsifying agent. Emulsions are thermodynamically unstable and are used to soothe or soften the skin and emulsify, so they need a specific, stabilising ingredient. This ingredient forms a film, lowers the surface tension and makes two immiscible liquids miscible. A very important factor affecting the stability of the emulsion is the amount of the emulsifying agent. Emulsifiers have the property of reducing the oil/water or water/oil interfacial tension, improving the stability of the emulsion and also directly influencing the stability, sensory properties and surface tension of sunscreens by modulating the filmometric performance.
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