Ingredient glossary / Humectant
Betaine
On the label: Betaine · Humectant
What it is
An amino-acid derivative from sugar beet; a humectant that also softens the feel of surfactants.
Humectants: Humectants draw water into the outer layer of skin from the air and the layers below; glycerin is the classic one.
Wikidata: Chemical compound. Q10860583 →
In the research
339 PubMed papers mention it with skin, cosmetics or hair; the three most recent:
- Optimization and Mathematical Modeling of Biocompound Extraction from Pterocaulon Species Using Deep Eutectic Solvents · Molecules (Basel, Switzerland), 2026
- Follicle-Targeted Deep Eutectic Solvent-Lipid Hybrid Nanocarriers for Phloretin against Androgenetic Alopecia · ACS applied materials & interfaces, 2026
- Microscopic Dynamic Mechanisms of Surfactant-Induced Skin Irritation · The journal of physical chemistry. B, 2026
A paper is a paper, not a verdict: titles are listed so you can read them, and a study on cells or mice says little about a cream on a face.
Other humectants
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