A-Leen® 5 Upcycled Multifunctional Humectant & Antimicrobial Protection Agent (Pentylene Glycol)

A-Leen® 5 (INCI: Pentylene Glycol, CAS 5343-92-0, EC 226-285-3) is a multifunctional cosmetic ingredient supplied as a clear, colourless liquid that is odourless or has only a faint odour, and acts as a humectant, emollient, solubiliser and largely pH-independent antimicrobial protection agent. It is manufactured by Minasolve to a minimum purity of 99.0 area-% by GC, with a maximum water content of 1.0 %.

A-Leen® 5 is made by upcycling sugar cane bagasse, a renewable waste byproduct that does not compete with food resources, through a back-integrated raw material supply chain ensuring full traceability in accordance with the principles of green chemistry. It carries an ISO 16128 natural origin index of 1 (100 % natural origin) and 100 % renewable carbon.

The recommended use level is 0.5 to 5.0 % and the recommended pH of use is 2.0–12.0, so A-Leen® 5 can be formulated into skin care, sun care, hair care, make-up, toiletries, oral care and intimate care products, including high pH formulations. It is COSMOS approved and NATRUE approved.

Minasolve reports ISO 11930 challenge tests on A-Leen® 5 in an O/W emulsion at pH 5.5 against five organisms: Aspergillus brasiliensis, Candida albicans, Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus. Each result is reported as compliance with criteria A or criteria B of ISO 11930, or as a failure:

• Untreated placebo: criteria B for A. brasiliensis; failed for the other four organisms.

• 5 % A-Leen® 5: criteria A for all five organisms.

• 0.75 % phenoxyethanol in the same emulsion: criteria A for four organisms and criteria B for C. albicans. Minasolve concludes that A-Leen® 5 can be an alternative to phenoxyethanol.

• 2 % A-Leen® 5: criteria A for A. brasiliensis; failed for the other four organisms.

• 2 % A-Leen® 5 + 0.5 % A-Leen Aroma-3 (bio-based Phenylpropanol): criteria A for all five organisms.

• 3 % A-Leen® 5: criteria A for A. brasiliensis, C. albicans and E. coli; criteria B for P. aeruginosa and S. aureus.

• 3 % A-Leen® 5 + 0.1 % A-Leen Aroma-3: criteria A for A. brasiliensis, C. albicans, E. coli and S. aureus; criteria B for P. aeruginosa.

• 3 % A-Leen® 5 + 0.2 % A-Leen Aroma-3: criteria A for all five organisms.

Minasolve concludes that A-Leen® 5 has a synergistic effect with A-Leen Aroma-3. Two further ISO 11930 tests appear in the Technical Data Sheet: A-Leen® 5 as a standalone preservative at 3 % in a body cream at pH 5.3, and as a booster for 2 % Caprocine (Capryloyl Glycine) in an O/W emulsion at pH 5.5. Minasolve concludes that A-Leen® 5 can act as an effective preservative booster and also as a standalone preservative.

A-Leen® 5 is an easy to handle liquid. It is hydrophilic and readily soluble in water, alcohol, 1,2-alkanediols and caprylic/capric triglyceride, and can also be mixed with vegetable oils. The recommended pH of use is 2.0–12.0, and the product can be handled in mixtures during formulation at temperatures up to +130 °C without negative impact on quality.

A-Leen® 5 can be added directly to the water phase, either before or after emulsification. Where it is used to help hydrate gelling agents such as xanthan gum, early addition is recommended: premix the gum with A-Leen® 5 and add it to the water phase under mixing. For optimum antimicrobial protection in emulsions, Minasolve recommends late addition at the post-emulsification stage, below 40 °C, which also has a lower impact on the viscosity of the formulation.

The raw material is hygroscopic, so containers must be carefully closed and stored sealed at room temperature in dry conditions. Shelf life to expiry is 24 months.

A-Leen® 5 is made from the non-food part of sugar cane: bagasse, a renewable waste by-product, is upcycled, so the ingredient does not compete with food resources. The bagasse is derived from Saccharum officinarum grown in South Africa and/or the Dominican Republic.

The ISO 16128-2:2017 indices for A-Leen® 5 are a natural origin index of 1 (100 % natural origin), a natural index of 0, and organic and organic origin indices of 0. These indices were calculated on renewable carbon content, and the origin is stated as derived-natural with 100 % renewable carbon. A-Leen® 5 is COSMOS approved, NATRUE approved and a USDA Certified Biobased Product.

A-Leen® 5 is readily biodegradable, reaching 73 % DOC reduction within 28 days under OECD 301E, but failing the 10-day window. Its partition coefficient of log P 0.06 at 25 °C means accumulation in organisms is not expected, and it does not fulfil the criteria for PBT or vPvB.

No palm oil or palm kernel oil, and none of their derivatives, is used: the palm oil content of the raw material is 0 %. Under the EU Deforestation Regulation 2023/1115 it is recorded as not in scope because it is 100 % upcycled. A-Leen® 5 was recognised as a Silver Green Ingredient Award winner during In-Cosmetics Global 2014.

Moisturisation was assessed in a corneometry study over 24 hours with 12 volunteers, comparing A-Leen® 5 at 3 % with glycerin at 3 % and with untreated skin at 1, 2, 4, 8 and 24 hours after application; Minasolve reports a long-lasting moisturising effect similar to glycerin. A separate sensory study tested A-Leen® 5 at 3 % in an O/W emulsion with 23 volunteers, rating spreadability, absorbency, soaping effect, gloss, smoothness, tackiness and oiliness against glycerin and propanediol, and its sensorial impact was preferred by the panellists.

Skin compatibility was tested by HRIPT: nine consecutive occlusive patch applications within 30 days, Finn Chamber at 20 µl per patch, on a panel of 101 subjects, 35 of which had sensitive skin, induced no irritation and no allergic reaction. Key toxicological endpoints are an oral LD50 above 5000 mg/kg bw (OECD 401, rat), a dermal LD50 above 2000 mg/kg (OECD 402, rat), non-irritant to skin (OECD 404, rabbit), negative AMES and chromosome aberration tests, an oral NOAEL of 1000 mg/kg bw/day (OECD 422, rat) and a dermal NOAEL of 700 mg/kg bw/day (OECD 411, rat).

As a neat raw material, A-Leen® 5 is classified under Regulation (EC) No 1272/2008 as Eye Dam. 1, H318, causes serious eye damage, with the signal word Danger; wear eye protection and face protection when handling the undiluted material and keep an emergency eyewash facility near the handling zone.

A-Leen® 5 is approved under the European Cosmetic Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009 and under the cosmetic regulations of the USA, Canada, Australia, Japan, Korea and China (IECIC 2021, TSSC), holds NMPA number 000005-03100-2841 and is REACH registered under 01-2119491291-39-0004. It is not classified as CMR category 1A, 1B or 2, contains no SVHCs, nanomaterials, microplastics or PFAS, is produced neither from nor by GMOs, and is suitable for vegans and vegetarians.

Source: Minasolve and Adina technical documentation. Full details are available in the Technical Data Sheet, Regulatory Data Sheet and Product Brochure.