Home Cosmetic Science Talk Formulating Advanced Questions Aquaxyl (Xylitylglucoside, Anhydroxylitol, Xylitol) vs Dimethicone?

  • Aquaxyl (Xylitylglucoside, Anhydroxylitol, Xylitol) vs Dimethicone?

    Posted by Zink on May 23, 2017 at 12:20 am

    Anyone got experiences with aquaxyl compared to 350cps dimethicone for skin protectant / TEWL reduction properties?

    In my case it would be for a lightweight mineral sunscreen application to try to get some more moisturization efficacy. I see that Neutrogena Triple Age Repair SPF25 uses both.

    johnb replied 6 years, 11 months ago 2 Members · 6 Replies
  • 6 Replies
  • johnb

    Member
    May 23, 2017 at 7:20 am

    I cannot envisage any way that these materials are comparable. They are chemically and physically totally different. The only property they share is that they are both liquids - and that is only because Aquaxyl is an aqueous solution.

    The product you mention, Neutrogena Triple Age Repair SPF25, has the Aquaxyl very low in the LOI. It makes me class it in the category of fairy dust.

  • Zink

    Member
    May 24, 2017 at 6:56 am

    Aquaxyl is designed to be a dimethicone or petrolatum replacement for the purpose of reducing TEWL. 

    Judging from the LOI there could be as much as 2% in it (sum of the three components) - not fairy dust.

  • johnb

    Member
    May 24, 2017 at 7:07 am

    As I stated in my previous reply:

    I cannot envisage any way that these materials are comparable. They are
    chemically and physically totally different. The only property they
    share is that they are both liquids - and that is only because Aquaxyl
    is an aqueous solution.

    If you still believe that the two materials are comparable, there is nothing I can add.

  • Zink

    Member
    May 25, 2017 at 2:50 am

    I don’t believe anything, I’m looking at the data for Aquaxyl vs Dimethicone and they both reduce TEWL (according to suppliers), but if someone had real world experience with both agents used for this purpose that’d be more valuable.

  • johnb

    Member
    May 25, 2017 at 6:53 am

    Aquaxyl is a humectant and acts in a similar way to other humectant moisturisers such as glycerin, propylene glycol, urea etc and function by their hygroscopic nature holding water in solution and thus in contact with the skin surface.

    Silicones like dimethicone act in a similar way to petrolatum that is by forming a water repellent occlusive layer on the skin surface thereby trapping water between it and the skin surface.

    It should be borne in mind, though, that much of the occlusivity of silicones and petrolatum is lost when they are formulated into emulsion products in which the required contiguous water repellent layer is lost by the globular form in the emulsion and by the emulsifying agent itself - and potentially any other ingredients in the product - including humectants.

  • johnb

    Member
    May 25, 2017 at 8:52 am

Log in to reply.