What is the role of Tromethamine and HEPES in cosmetics?
Tromethamine and HEPES are cosmetic ingredients and they are both verified by EWG （Environmental Working Group）green certification. The certification level of the former is 1-2, and the latter is 1. This article will introduce the role of the above two materials in cosmetics.
HEPES is a zwitterionic buffer, belonging to good's buffer, with a pH range of 6.8-8.2. HEPES buffer is often used in the research of organelles and extremely variable, pH-sensitive proteins and enzymes, as well as in biochemical diagnostic kits, DNA/RNA extraction kits and PCR diagnostic kits.
As cosmetic components, Tris Buffer and HEPES have different functions and advantages.
The most common role of Tris Buffer in cosmetics is to adjust the pH. It can also be used as a neutralizer to neutralize thickeners (carbomers) to reduce stickiness and improve skin cell respiration efficiency to prevent clogging of pores. In addition, it can be used as an odor regulator in cosmetics containing amine salts to adjust the amine odor generated by friction when applying cosmetics, so as to avoid any residual or sustained odor release.
HEPES has the advantages of being safe to the human body, non-toxic, good physiological compatibility, and stable chemical properties. According to the EWG certification level, it is safer than Tris Base. HEPES can stabilize the PH range of skincare products for a long time, better maintain the activity of the extract of microbial fermentation products, and make the product anti-aging effect lasting for a long time. HEPES is also a commonly used penetration enhancer, which can promote the transdermal absorption of various functional components in cosmetics. Compared with azone enhancers, it has the characteristics of short onset time, less dosage and high penetration rate. In addition, in some cosmetics such as L'Oreal, Lancome, etc., HEPES is mainly used as a peeling agent to soften cutin and promote skin cell metabolism.
EWG certification has become an important standard for people to choose safe cosmetics. The EWG safety level is 1-10, of which 0-2 is green safety level, 3-6 is yellow, representing medium hazard, and 7-9 is red, representing high hazard. Both Tromethamine and HEPES belong to the green grade, meet international standards, and meet people's demand for "safe and natural" cosmetic ingredients.
