Humectants Market - Global Industry Size, Share, Trends, Opportunity, and Forecast, 2021-2031

The Global Humectants Market is projected to expand from a valuation of USD 27.12 Billion in 2025 to USD 38.71 Billion by 2031, registering a CAGR of 6.11%. These hygroscopic substances, including sorbitol and glycerin, are essential for maintaining moisture levels and stabilizing formulations within the pharmaceutical, food, and personal care sectors. Growth is primarily fueled by rising consumer appetite for functional beauty items and processed foods, both of which rely on humectants for hydration and texture maintenance. This industrial necessity is supported by strong market figures; for instance, Cosmetics Europe reported that the European personal care and cosmetics sector achieved retail sales totaling €104 billion in 2024, highlighting the substantial volume requirement for moisture-retaining ingredients in major manufacturing hubs.

However, the market encounters significant hurdles related to the volatile pricing of critical raw materials such as corn and crude palm oil. Manufacturers struggle with oscillating feedstock expenses caused by geopolitical friction and unpredictable agricultural harvests, which disrupt long-term production strategies and squeeze profit margins. When coupled with strict regulatory mandates regarding environmental sustainability, this economic uncertainty creates a formidable barrier that risks limiting capital expenditure and hindering the smooth progression of the Global Humectants Market.

Market Drivers

The rising consumer preference for ready-to-eat and convenience foods serves as a major driver for the global humectants industry. With increasingly hectic lifestyles, there is a growing dependence on processed items like nutrition bars, confectionery, and bakery goods, which necessitate effective humectants like sorbitol and glycerin to ensure texture stability and prolonged shelf life. This shift in consumption patterns is creating significant volume demand for food-grade ingredients, especially within booming digital commerce sectors where product durability is vital for distribution. Data from the National Bureau of Statistics of China illustrates this trend, showing that online retail sales of food commodities increased by 16.0% in 2024 as reported in January 2025, underscoring the rapid growth of the packaged food industry that drives ingredient usage.

Furthermore, the vigorous growth of the Global Cosmetics and Personal Care Industry reinforces market development, as humectants remain essential for hydration-focused formulations. Ingredients like propylene glycol and hyaluronic acid are pivotal in hair care, serums, and moisturizers for their ability to attract moisture and support barrier function, coinciding with the trend toward premium beauty products. This sector's robust performance directly boosts ingredient demand; Unilever reported in February 2025 that its Beauty & Wellbeing division saw underlying sales growth of 6.5% for the 2024 fiscal year. To meet this growing industrial requirement, major suppliers are enhancing their capacities; for example, Godrej Industries announced a commitment of USD 71.8 million in January 2024 to expand its oleochemical manufacturing infrastructure, ensuring a steady feedstock supply for the market.

Market Challenges

A major obstacle hindering the steady growth of the Global Humectants Market is the significant price volatility associated with key agricultural feedstocks, particularly corn and crude palm oil. These commodities act as the essential foundation for producing primary humectants such as sorbitol and glycerin. When the costs of these raw materials fluctuate unpredictably, manufacturers experience immediate disruption in their cost structures, making budget allocation and financial forecasting difficult. Consequently, companies are often forced to absorb increased input expenses to remain competitive, which compresses operating margins and reduces the funds available for essential industrial expansion.

This financial pressure intensifies when raw material costs undergo sharp inflationary increases. Data from the Malaysian Palm Oil Council indicates that the average price of crude palm oil rose by 9.7% year-on-year in 2024, reaching RM4,179.50 per tonne. Such a substantial rise in input values directly impedes market advancement by shifting financial resources away from R&D and capacity growth. Instead of funding new processing technologies or production facilities, manufacturers are required to direct capital toward managing operational costs and stabilizing supply chains, effectively slowing the broader evolution of the industry.

Market Trends

The humectants sector is currently observing a clear shift toward multifunctional ingredients that offer protective or therapeutic advantages in addition to moisture retention. Formulators are increasingly focusing on active humectants that strengthen the skin barrier and defend against environmental factors, blending basic hydration with advanced micro-protection. This preference for versatile, performance-oriented solutions is influencing portfolio strategies, with suppliers developing ingredients that merge hygroscopic qualities with botanical efficacy. In January 2025, Symrise AG reported in its 'Full Year 2024 Sales' update that its Cosmetic Ingredients division secured high single-digit organic growth, a success largely attributed to the strong industrial adoption of its active botanical and micro-protection offerings.

Simultaneously, the industry is pivoting toward microbial fermentation as a favored production method for high-purity humectants, moving away from reliance on plant extraction and traditional chemical synthesis. This biotechnological strategy enables the scalable creation of consistent, nature-identical ingredients like hyaluronic acid and bio-derived glycols, bypassing the limitations of volatile agricultural supply chains. The commercial success of this approach is reflected in the financial performance of major innovators prioritizing science-based development; DSM-Firmenich reported in February 2025, within its 'Full Year 2024 Results', that its Perfumery & Beauty unit achieved a 7% year-on-year sales rise, confirming the market's strong demand for its biotechnology-driven ingredient portfolio.

Key Players Profiled in the Humectants Market

• 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

Report Scope

In this report, the Global Humectants Market has been segmented into the following categories:

Humectants Market, by Type:

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

Humectants Market, by Source:

• Synthetic
• Natural

Humectants Market, by Application:

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

Humectants Market, by Region:

• North America
• Europe
• Asia-Pacific
• South America
• Middle East & Africa

Competitive Landscape

Company Profiles: Detailed analysis of the major companies present in the Global Humectants Market.

Available Customization

The analyst offers customization according to your specific needs. The following customization options are available for the report:

• Detailed analysis and profiling of additional market players (up to five).

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