Preservation for the next generation of water-based skincare.
HydraX is a plant-derived, food-grade ingredient that binds free water to help prevent microbial growth — while keeping the water that gives skincare its feel, texture and absorption.
Water gives skincare its feel. It also gives microbes what they need to grow.
Natural preservation is costing brands in growth, waste, and time.
Typical shelf life challenge for natural water-based formulations
Potential product waste from expiry
Natural preservation attempts that fail
The problem isn't making water-based skincare. It's preserving it well enough to scale.
Consumers are scrutinising. Brands are reformulating.
Consumers increasingly inspect ingredient lists and reject products that conflict with their expectations.
Brands are actively looking for alternatives to synthetic preservatives.
Existing natural alternatives are limited by efficacy, pH, dosage or formulation complexity.
Keep the water. Remove what microbes need.
A new way to preserve in skincare: HydraX binds the water so no microbes can grow.
Verified by A*STAR up to aw 0.60 — vs 0.75, the ISO 29621 low-risk threshold for microbial growth.
The benefits for brands
Meets preservation requirements of distribution, retail and growth channels.
Reduces spoilage and allows for larger batch production.
Removes preservation formulation failures.
HydraX can replace the water phase — while helping simplify the formulation.
Instead of simply adding another preservative to the formula, HydraX is designed as a functional water-phase ingredient.
Replace Aqua directly in the formulation, at the recommended dosage.
Combines preservation with humectant properties, reducing the need for additional humectants.
Reduces the need for emulsifiers, simplifying the formulation.
Colourless, transparent and odourless, with different grades offering different pH and viscosity profiles.
What goes in — and what never does.
- Plant-derived, organic-based inputs
- Food-grade ingredient classes
- Established, well-understood materials
- Clean-label & COSMOS-compatible
- Synthetic preservatives
- Formaldehyde donors
- Parabens or isothiazolinones
- Ingredients commonly flagged by clean-label scanners
Designed to help brands meet clean-label expectations — ingredient by ingredient.
- Creams & lotions, 60–90% moisture
- Shampoo
- pH 4.5–5.5
- Viscosity: 100–140 cP
- Creams & lotions, 60–70% moisture
- Designed for higher-temperature requirements
- pH 6.0–7.0
- Viscosity: 300–350 cP
Recommended dosage allows direct replacement of the water phase, with potential to reduce humectant and emulsifier use.
Invented at A*STAR. Built with customers. Designed to scale.
Starting with skincare. Built as a broader platform.
- 01Creams & lotions
- 02Serums & toners
- 03Personal care
- 04Food & other water-based formulations
Built to work across the formulation ecosystem.
For skincare and personal-care brands developing water-based products that need longer shelf life without compromising the clean-label positioning.
- Creams
- Lotions
- Sunscreens
- Shampoos
- Body washes
For manufacturing partners integrating HydraX into customer formulations, and scaling successful formulations into production.
- Baby
- Sensitive-skin
- Clean-label
For formulation teams testing HydraX across creams, lotions, serums, toners and other water-based formats.
- Microbiome-safe
- Bioactive-friendly
Don't just take our word for it — evaluate HydraX yourself.
Get in touch with our team to test it in your own formulations.
Ready to test HydraX?
Get samples and technical information to evaluate HydraX in your own formulation — before any commercial commitment.