What do glyceryl oleate, phenoxyethanol, and hydroxypropyl methylcellulose do?
Glyceryl oleate is an emulsifying oil, probably used to stabilize some sort of cream. They also tend to have a distinctly “sweet” odor. Phenoxyethanol is a glycol ether often used in dermatological products such as skin creams. It is a colorless oily liquid. It is also used as a fixative for perfumes, an insect repellent, a topical antiseptic, a solvent for cellulose acetate, some dyes, inks, and resins, in preservatives, pharmaceuticals, and in organic synthesis. Hypromellose, short for hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC), is a semisynthetic, inert, viscoelastic polymer used in eye drops and as a binder in drug tablets. Basically, it’s a slippery thickening agent, when dissolved in liquid and a de-clumping agent when used dry (helps tablets break down evenly in your body).
