Ordering “cyclodextrin for a serum” without a substitution name usually returns the wrong powder. Hydroxypropyl Cyclodextrin (HP-β-CD) is a hydroxypropyl-substituted beta-cyclodextrin: a water-soluble molecular cage that hosts lipophilic guests. It is not a fragrance oil, not a preservative, and not a stand-alone “active claim” the way a peptide or vitamin is briefed.
Native β-CD solubility is the common mix-up: Why Hydroxypropyl Beats Native Beta-Cyclodextrin in Serums. How the powder dissolves and how the guest is loaded is in Dissolve HP-β-CD First, Then Premix the Guest.
What the INCI and COA are locking
Write the label INCI as Hydroxypropyl Cyclodextrin. CosIng-style inventory language for this name commonly lists fragrance and skin-conditioning functions. Those inventory words describe how the name is catalogued. They do not replace a formulation brief that places HP-β-CD as a solubilizer and guest carrier.
The product page lists CAS 128446-35-5 and also 94035-02-6. Treat both as documentation lines to confirm on the batch papers—not as proof that you received two different materials. If your regulatory pack only accepts one CAS, put that requirement in the sample email and match the COA before you scale.
The grade on this site is a white crystalline powder, assay ≥98.0%, molar substitution (MS) 0.40–1.50, loss on drying ≤5.0%, heavy metals ≤10 ppm, and water solubility above about 50 g/100 mL at 25°C. MS is the average number of hydroxypropyl groups per glucose unit. Two lots can share the INCI and still differ in MS; write the band you will accept.
Do not accept unsubstituted beta-cyclodextrin under this INCI. Do not accept a methylated or sulfobutylether β-CD under this name without a new INCI and a new COA.
What “in skin care” is actually deciding
Searches for hydroxypropyl cyclodextrin in skin care, what it does, and solubilizer use are placement questions. The hydrophobic cavity takes up lipophilic or poorly water-soluble guests; the hydroxypropyl rim keeps the complex more water-compatible than native β-CD. Formulators use that for clearer aqueous phases, guest handling for oxidation- or light-sensitive molecules, and odor trapping of volatile notes. Cosmetics Add’s product brief also lists controlled-release and irritation-mitigation language around encapsulated guests—those are formulation roles for the complex, not a finished-product clinical claim for every cream that lists the INCI.
Dose the guest from its own TDS. Dose HP-β-CD as the carrier. One line on the RFQ that says only “add cyclodextrin” does not tell the warehouse which ring, which substitution, or which MS to pull.
Use level, water phase, and pH on this grade
Suggested use on the product page is about 0.5–5.0%, set by how much guest you need to encapsulate—not by copying a single number from a trade brochure. Processing: dissolve in the water phase at room temperature or slightly elevated temperature (up to about 60°C). For encapsulation, premix with the lipophilic guest according to the TDS before or as you build the aqueous load—confirm the exact order for your guest rather than assuming every protocol is identical. The listed pH window is about 3.0–10.0.
A percent copied from a pre-made guest–CD complex solution is not the same as a percent of neat ≥98% powder. Calculate from the assay and form on the COA you buy.
What not to substitute silently
Four mix-ups show up on the same RFQ thread.
Native beta-cyclodextrin is a different INCI with much lower water solubility. Clear serums that tolerate haze poorly usually need the hydroxypropyl grade. That fork is hydroxypropyl vs beta-cyclodextrin.
Alpha- and gamma-cyclodextrins are six- and eight-glucose rings. Cavity size and guest fit change. They are not drop-in replacements for HP-β-CD without a new solubility and guest check. This site does not treat them as the same SKU.
Other substituted β-CDs (for example randomly methylated or sulfobutylether grades) are further INCIs in the pharmaceutical and cosmetic literature. If the brief names one of those, do not silently ship Hydroxypropyl Cyclodextrin.
A trade name for a finished CD–guest complex is not automatic equivalence to a neat HP-β-CD powder plus a separate guest. Match INCI, assay, MS, and guest identity on paper.
Pairing with Retinol and other guests
The product page notes synergy language with Retinol when the brief wants encapsulation for stability or sensory handling. Retinol remains a second purchase line and a second COA. HP-β-CD does not replace the vitamin A molecule on the order, and Retinol does not replace the carrier.
Write both INCI names if the chassis needs both. Quote them as two SKUs so the warehouse does not collapse them into one “stabilized retinol” line without documents for each.
What to send before the first sample ships
Put these lines in the message to the supplier:
- INCI Hydroxypropyl Cyclodextrin
- CAS line you will accept (128446-35-5 and/or 94035-02-6 as your pack requires)
- Appearance, assay (≥98.0% if that is your brief), and MS band (for example 0.40–1.50)
- Guest identity and target use band (often 0.5–5%)
- Water-phase dissolve window (ambient to ~60°C) and pH window for your process
- Whether you need a written complexation / premix protocol
- Bench-sample pack size, plus COA, SDS, and TDS with the shipment
Batch documents and a sample are available from the product page. Match the sample MS and assay to the specification you wrote, then scale. A clear HP-β-CD line usually returns documents and a quote; a vague “cyclodextrin for serum” line usually returns clarifying questions first.
