Dissolving L-Ascorbic Acid with Glycols and Other Solvents

Asked by: perfect_fn On: April 10, 2018 Product Type: Cosmetics

Question

Can L-ascorbic acid be dissolved using solvents like Butylene Glycol, Propylene Glycol, Glycerin, 1,3-Propanediol, and Ethoxydiglycol instead of water? How effective are these solvents compared to water?

Answer

While water is the most effective solvent for L-ascorbic acid, other solvents like glycols can also dissolve it, although typically at lower concentrations and sometimes requiring heat.

Butylene Glycol, Propylene Glycol, Glycerin, and 1,3-Propanediol are all types of glycols that can help dissolve L-ascorbic acid. However, their capacity to dissolve L-ascorbic acid is significantly less than that of water. Using these solvents alone to dissolve L-ascorbic acid, especially at higher concentrations, can be challenging and may require heating the mixture.

Ethoxydiglycol is another solvent that can be used and is known to help dissolve various cosmetic ingredients, including some forms of Vitamin C.

In summary, while the mentioned glycols and Ethoxydiglycol can act as solvents for L-ascorbic acid, water remains the primary and most efficient solvent for this ingredient.