INCI: 1,3 Propanediol (or Propanediol 1,3)

1,3 Propanediol (also known as Naturesilk at IngredientsToDieFor.com) is a plant based, ECOCERT/NPA approved emollient and solubilizer for certain other ingredients.

Its a natural replacement for the petro-chemical based glycols (propylene, butylene, etc).

It is said to provide an “improved moisture binding activity” which can “hydrate the skin” along with “imparting a dry silky feel to emulsions.”

When I add Naturesilk to my conditioners and lotions, they have an added soft almost silky quality factor.  The actual product also appears to look shiner, giving it a the appearance of a store-bought quality product.     I usually use about 3% to 5%, although you can use it up to 70% in your mixes depending on what you’re making.

One of the best things about Naturesilk is that its WATER SOLUBLE.  This means you can add it to your spritzes and it can help to solubilize things like allantoin and extracts.  Allantoin, by the way, is dissolved with heat.  Don’t depend on Propanediol 1,3 alone.

Lotioncrafter.com says Propanediol 1,3 can actually help reduce the tacky feeling of glycerin.  Therefore, if want to use a significant amount of glycerin in your formula for its particular type of humectancy, adding Propanediol 1,3 can help cut down on the tacky, sticky after-feel.

Ingredientstodiefor.com says you can use Naturesilk to make a great fragrance mist in minutes. Their recommendation:
[junkie-alert style=”grey”] 1. Add 1% Essential or Fragrance oil to Naturesilk. Shake.

2. Add a preservative to water.

3. Mix the two things together.

4. Done. [/junkie-alert]

They give you a way to figure out what you need.  They recommend a 20:1 ratio.
That means for every 1% of Fragrance or Essential oil, use 20% Naturesilk.
If you want to use 2% Fragrance oil, use 40% Naturesilk.

Naturesilk lasts 2 years when stored properly, has no odor and is clear/colorless.

You can use it almost anything:
hair conditioners
shampoos
styling products (creams, gels, etc)
spritzers
skin cream
lotions
cleansers
toners
colognes / fragrance mist

If that weren’t enough, some suppliers say Propanediol 1,3 can help improve the efficacy of certain preservatives like phenoxyethynol (ie Optiphen, Euxyl PE 9010 etc).

So give it a try if you can.✍(◔◡◔)