Humectants Market - Global Industry Size, Share, Trends, Opportunity, and Forecast, Segmented By Type (Sugar Alcohol, Alpha Hydroxy Acid & Polysaccharides, Glycols, and Others), By Source (Synthetic and Natural), By Application (Food & Beverages, Oral & Personal Care, Pharmaceuticals, Animal Feed and Others), By Region and Competition, 2021-2031F

Forecast Period	2027-2031
Market Size (2025)	USD 27.12 Billion
CAGR (2026-2031)	6.11%
Fastest Growing Segment	Oral & Personal Care
Largest Market	Asia Pacific
Market Size (2031)	USD 38.71 Billion

Market Overview

The Global Humectants Market will grow from USD 27.12 Billion in 2025 to USD 38.71 Billion by 2031 at a 6.11% CAGR. Humectants are hygroscopic compounds, such as glycerin and sorbitol, primarily utilized to retain moisture and stabilize product properties across personal care, food, and pharmaceutical applications. The global market is currently expanding, fundamentally propelled by the escalating consumer demand for processed foods and functional beauty products where these ingredients are essential for texture preservation and hydration. This strong industrial requirement is substantiated by downstream market performance; according to Cosmetics Europe, in 2024, the European cosmetics and personal care sector reached retail sales of €104 billion, underscoring the critical volume demand for moisture-retaining agents in key manufacturing regions.

However, the industry faces a significant impediment regarding the price volatility of essential raw materials, including crude palm oil and corn. Manufacturers must navigate fluctuating feedstock costs driven by variable agricultural yields and geopolitical tensions, which complicates long-term production planning and pressures profit margins. This economic instability, combined with rigorous regulatory compliance requirements concerning environmental sustainability, presents a substantial challenge that could constrain capital investment and impede the seamless expansion of the Global Humectants Market.

Key Market Drivers

Escalating Demand for Convenience and Ready-to-Eat Food Products acts as a paramount catalyst for the global humectants market. As lifestyles become busier, consumers increasingly rely on processed foods such as bakery items, confectionery, and nutrition bars, which require effective moisture-retaining agents like glycerin and sorbitol to preserve texture and extend shelf life. This consumption shift is generating substantial volume demand for food-grade humectants, particularly within high-growth digital commerce channels where product stability is crucial for logistics. According to the National Bureau of Statistics of China, in January 2025, online retail sales of food commodities rose by 16.0% during 2024, reflecting the rapid trajectory of the packaged food sector that fundamentally underpins ingredient consumption.

The Robust Expansion of the Global Cosmetics and Personal Care Industry further cements market progression, as humectants remain the cornerstone of effective hydration formulations. Ingredients such as hyaluronic acid and propylene glycol are critical in moisturizers, serums, and hair care products to attract water and maintain barrier function, aligning with the premiumization trend in beauty. This sector's financial health directly correlates with ingredient demand; according to Unilever, in February 2025, the company reported that its Beauty & Wellbeing division achieved underlying sales growth of 6.5% for the 2024 financial year. To sustain this rising industrial appetite, key suppliers are fortifying their infrastructure; according to Godrej Industries, in January 2024, the company committed to investing USD 71.8 million to expand its oleochemical manufacturing capabilities, ensuring robust feedstock availability for the broader market.

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Key Market Challenges

The primary impediment to the seamless expansion of the Global Humectants Market is the substantial volatility in the pricing of essential agricultural feedstocks, specifically crude palm oil and corn. These raw materials serve as the fundamental building blocks for key humectants like glycerin and sorbitol. When feedstock prices oscillate unpredictably, manufacturers face immediate instability in their cost structures, which complicates financial forecasting and budget allocation. This uncertainty forces companies to absorb elevated input costs to maintain competitive pricing, thereby compressing operating profit margins and reducing the capital available for necessary industrial growth.

This financial strain is exacerbated when raw material values experience sharp inflationary spikes. According to the Malaysian Palm Oil Council, in 2024, the average price of crude palm oil surged by 9.7% year-on-year to reach RM4,179.50 per tonne. Such significant escalation in input costs directly hinders market growth by diverting financial resources away from capacity expansion and research initiatives. Instead of investing in new production facilities or advanced processing technologies, manufacturers are compelled to allocate capital toward stabilizing supply chains and managing operational expenditures, effectively stalling the broader development of the market.

Key Market Trends

The humectants market is witnessing a distinct move toward multifunctional ingredients that deliver therapeutic or protective benefits alongside their primary moisture-retaining capabilities. Formulators are increasingly prioritizing active humectants that reinforce the skin barrier and offer defense against environmental stressors, effectively merging simple hydration with advanced micro-protection. This demand for performance-driven versatility is reshaping portfolio strategies, as suppliers invest in ingredients that combine botanical efficacy with hygroscopic properties to meet sophisticated consumer needs. According to Symrise AG, January 2025, in the 'Full Year 2024 Sales' update, the company’s Cosmetic Ingredients division achieved high single-digit organic growth, a performance largely driven by the accelerated industrial uptake of its micro-protection and active botanical solutions.

Concurrently, there is a definitive pivot toward microbial fermentation as a preferred manufacturing route for high-purity humectants, reducing reliance on traditional chemical synthesis and plant extraction. This biotechnological approach allows for the scalable production of consistent, nature-identical ingredients, such as bio-derived glycols and hyaluronic acid, without the constraints of volatile agricultural supply chains. The commercial viability of this technology is evident in the financial results of key innovators who have centered their strategies on science-based creation. According to DSM-Firmenich, February 2025, in the 'Full Year 2024 Results' report, the Perfumery & Beauty business unit recorded a 7% year-on-year sales increase, validating the market's robust appetite for its biotechnology-driven and science-backed ingredient portfolio.

Segmental Insights

The Oral & Personal Care segment represents the fastest-growing category within the Global Humectants Market, driven by rising consumer awareness regarding hygiene and grooming. This expansion is primarily fueled by the essential ability of humectants to retain moisture in products like toothpaste, lotions, and hair treatments, effectively preventing drying and maintaining product texture. Additionally, the industry is shifting toward natural ingredients, a trend supported by safety standards from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). These regulatory assurances encourage manufacturers to innovate with bio-based humectants, ensuring this segment remains the primary engine of market growth.

Regional Insights

Asia Pacific currently holds the leading position in the Global Humectants Market, driven primarily by substantial expansion within the food and beverage and personal care sectors. Rapid urbanization and rising disposable incomes in countries such as China and India have accelerated the consumption of processed foods and bakery items, which rely on humectants for moisture retention and shelf-life stability. Additionally, the region benefits from established guidelines by organizations like the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India, which ensure the safe inclusion of additives, thereby fostering consistent industrial demand for these ingredients.

Recent Developments

• In November 2024, Croda International's beauty actives division launched a new hydration ingredient branded as Moist 24™ PLUSNAT. Designed as a sustainable evolution of traditional moisturizers, this active ingredient was derived from natural plant sources and aimed to provide long-lasting water retention in the skin. The company highlighted that the product was fully compliant with RSPO standards and Chinese cosmetic regulations, facilitating its use in global formulations. Efficacy tests conducted by the company showed that the ingredient maintained skin hydration for twenty-four hours, positioning it as a key solution for brands developing eco-friendly and high-performance skincare products.
• In October 2024, Clariant introduced a new range of high-performance excipients, including the VitiPure™ LEX series, at the CPHI trade show in Milan. The launch featured specific polyethylene glycols (PEGs) which serve as critical solubilizers and humectants in both pharmaceutical and cosmetic applications. The Global Head of Health Care at Clariant explained that these products were designed to meet the industry's need for ingredients with low microbial and endotoxin levels, particularly for sensitive parenteral formulations. This strategic portfolio expansion underscored the company's focus on providing high-purity, regulatory-compliant solutions to support the creation of safe and effective medicines.
• In April 2024, Ingredion Incorporated announced a strategic commercial collaboration with LBB Specialties to expand the distribution of its personal care portfolio across the United States and Canada. Under this exclusive partnership, LBB Specialties was tasked with managing the sales of Ingredion’s plant-based ingredients, including bio-based polymers, starches, and humectants. The Senior Vice President of LBB Specialties Care emphasized that this alliance would enable beauty brands to access sustainable solutions that improved formulation texture and performance. This initiative was part of Ingredion's broader strategy to deliver clean label ingredients to the growing North American beauty market.
• In January 2024, the Active Beauty division of Givaudan launched a new sustainable hyaluronic acid ingredient named PrimalHyal™ 50 Life. Produced through precision fermentation, this low molecular weight humectant was designed to offer deep skin penetration and stimulation of tight junctions. The company reported that the ingredient boosted skin hydration for up to 72 hours post-application and achieved a significant reduction in environmental impact compared to standard manufacturing processes. This breakthrough allowed the company to provide a highly effective moisturizing solution that aligned with the rising consumer preference for eco-conscious and sustainable personal care products.

Key Market Players

• Archer-Daniels-Midland Company
• Ashland Global Holdings Inc.
• BASF SE
• Barentz International BV
• Brenntag North America, Inc.
• Cargill Incorporated
• Ingredion Incorporated
• Dow Inc.
• Azelis Americas, LLC
• Anderson Global Group, LLC

By Type	By Source	By Application	By Region
Sugar Alcohol Alpha Hydroxy Acid & Polysaccharides Glycols and Others	Synthetic and Natural	Food & Beverages Oral & Personal Care Pharmaceuticals Animal Feed and Others	North America Europe Asia Pacific South America Middle East & Africa

Report Scope:

In this report, the Global Humectants Market has been segmented into the following categories, in addition to the industry trends which have also been detailed below:

• Humectants Market, By Type:

• Sugar Alcohol
• Alpha Hydroxy Acid & Polysaccharides
• Glycols
• and Others

• Humectants Market, By Source:

• Synthetic and Natural

• Humectants Market, By Application:

• Food & Beverages
• Oral & Personal Care
• Pharmaceuticals
• Animal Feed and Others

• Humectants Market, By Region:

• North America
• United States
• Canada
• Mexico
• Europe
• France
• United Kingdom
• Italy
• Germany
• Spain
• Asia Pacific
• China
• India
• Japan
• Australia
• South Korea
• South America
• Brazil
• Argentina
• Colombia
• Middle East & Africa
• South Africa
• Saudi Arabia
• UAE