What is the difference between the white and reddish-brown 40% glabridin grades?

The white and reddish-brown 40% grades are two separate SKUs with identical active content (40% glabridin by HPLC) and identical alcohol-soluble profile. The only difference is the degree of purification: the white grade undergoes an additional purification step to remove residual chromogenic botanical matrix components. The reddish-brown color in the brown grade is inherent to the extraction process — it is not a sign of degradation or lower quality. Specify white when formula base color is critical; reddish-brown when cost efficiency is the priority and base color is not a constraint.

What is the 90% oil-soluble glabridin grade and how is it different from the 90% alcohol-soluble grade?

These are two distinct grades at the same purity level with fundamentally different solubility. The 90% alcohol-soluble grade is a standard high-purity powder dissolved in polyol systems. The 90% oil-soluble grade uses a patented process to restructure glabridin into uniform 50 μm spherical particles, enabling direct dispersion in vegetable oils and anhydrous systems without precipitation. They cannot be substituted for each other. The oil-soluble grade has a fixed recommended use level of 0.2% and is the only grade suitable for face oils, lip oils, anhydrous serums, and the oil phase of O/W emulsions without a co-solvent.

When should the 10% water-soluble powder be used instead of a higher-purity grade?

The 10% water-soluble powder should be used when the formulation system is aqueous and no alcohol or oil co-solvent is acceptable — for example, water-based toners, essences, hydrogels, and sheet mask essences. It uses HP-β-CD encapsulation technology to enable direct aqueous dispersion. Higher-purity grades (40%, 90%, 98%) are alcohol-soluble and cannot be dispersed in a water phase without a sufficient polyol or alcohol concentration to maintain solubility. Choosing a higher-purity grade and attempting to dissolve it in water without adequate co-solvent will result in precipitation and uneven active distribution.

How do the 1–5% liquid grades differ from the powder grades?

The 1–5% liquid grades are pre-dissolved concentrates with a 12-month shelf life, available in both alcohol-soluble and water-soluble versions, and in colorless or reddish-brown variants. They are convenient for production environments without powder-weighing capability, or for small-batch compounding. The water-soluble liquid grades contain approved preservatives that must be accounted for in the finished formulation system. Powder grades (10%, 40%, 90%, 98%) have a 24-month shelf life and no added preservatives, making them the preferred choice for most manufacturing operations.

What Is the Difference Between Glabridin Grades?

Q: What is the difference between glabridin grades?

Glabridin grades differ across four dimensions: active content (1–5% up to 98–99%), physical form (liquid or powder), solubility system (alcohol-soluble, water-soluble, or oil-soluble), and color (white or reddish-brown). These are not interchangeable — selecting the wrong grade for a formulation system is the most common cause of incorporation failures, stability problems, and color issues. The correct grade must be specified before formulation development begins, not treated as a substitutable commodity.

Glabridin is not a single ingredient with variable purity — it is a family of grades, each engineered for a specific formulation system. Selecting the wrong grade is the most common source of incorporation failures, stability problems, and unexpected color development in glabridin-containing products.

This article explains how each grade dimension differs and how to select the right one at the formulation brief stage.

The Four Grade Dimensions

Every glabridin grade is defined by four parameters: active content, physical form, solubility system, and color. Each dimension is independent — a grade with the same active content can exist in multiple solubility systems and colors.

Dimension 1 — Active Content

Active Content	Grade Family	Primary Use Context
1%–5%	Liquid (pre-dissolved)	Convenient concentrates; direct addition to system
10%	Water-soluble powder	Aqueous systems; HP-β-CD encapsulated
40%	Powder	Standard brightening applications; most common commercial grade
90%	Powder (alcohol or oil)	High-purity; premium serums; oil-phase systems
98%	Powder	Clinical, luxury, efficacy-claim applications
99%	Powder	Ultra-premium; analytical reference
Custom	—	Any content level available on request

Higher active content means a lower use level is needed to achieve the same final active concentration in the finished product. The 98% grade requires significantly less material to deliver the same active dose as a 40% grade — relevant for cost-of-goods and handling precision.

Dimension 2 — Solubility System

This is the most critical dimension for formulation compatibility. Glabridin grades fall into three distinct solubility categories — and grades from different categories cannot be substituted for each other.

Solubility	Grades Available	Formulation System
Alcohol-soluble	1–5% liquid · 40% white · 40% reddish-brown · 90% · 98% · 99%	Polyol systems, hydroalcoholic toners, O/W emulsions (dissolved in polyol phase)
Water-soluble	1–5% liquid · 10% powder	Water phase, aqueous serums, toners, hydrogels, sheet masks
Oil-soluble	90% oil-soluble powder	Face oils, lip oils, anhydrous serums, O/W emulsion oil phase

What goes wrong when the wrong grade is selected:

— Alcohol-soluble grade added to water phase: precipitation, clumping, uneven active distribution

— Water-soluble grade used in oil-phase system: phase incompatibility, emulsion destabilization

— Standard powder grade added to face oil: visible sedimentation within days

Dimension 3 — Color

Color variation exists only within specific grade families and is not a quality indicator.

Grade	Color Options	Cause of Color	Quality Implication
1%–5% liquid	Colorless to pale yellow or reddish-brown to dark brown	Botanical matrix concentration	None — both are within specification
40% powder	White or reddish-brown	Purification depth	None — identical active content by HPLC
90% powder	White only	High purification	—
98% powder	White only	High purification	—
10% water-soluble	White only	HP-β-CD encapsulation	—

The most common diagnostic error: Receiving a reddish-brown 40% grade and concluding the material has degraded. Brown color in this grade is inherent to the botanical extraction matrix. Confirm with HPLC if uncertain — active content will be within specification. Formulation yellowing during storage is a separate oxidative stability issue and is unrelated to the raw material's natural color.

When to specify white: Select the white 40%, 90%, or 98% grade when formula base color is critical — light-colored emulsions, tinted products, or formulations where any warm color shift in the base is unacceptable.

Dimension 4 — Physical Form (Liquid vs Powder)

Form	Grades	Shelf Life	Preservative	Best For
Liquid	1%–5% (all four variants)	12 months	Present (water-soluble) / absent (alcohol-soluble)	Convenient addition; brands without powder-weighing infrastructure
Powder	10% · 40% · 90% · 98% · 99%	24 months	None	Most manufacturing operations; better shelf life; no preservative burden

For most manufacturing contexts, powder grades are preferred: longer shelf life, no preservative considerations, and higher active concentration per unit weight.

Grade Selection Quick Reference

Formulation System	Correct Grade
Water-based toner / essence / hydrogel	10% water-soluble powder or 1–5% water-soluble liquid
Hydroalcoholic toner / mist	1–5% alcohol-soluble liquid or 40%/90%/98% alcohol-soluble powder (pre-dissolved in polyol)
O/W emulsion — active in polyol phase	40% white or reddish-brown or 90%/98% alcohol-soluble
O/W emulsion — active in oil phase	90% oil-soluble only
Face oil / lip oil / anhydrous serum	90% oil-soluble only
Formula where color is critical	40% white · 90% · 98% · 99% (avoid reddish-brown grades)
Cost-sensitive mass-market emulsion	40% reddish-brown (where base color allows)
Clinical / luxury / efficacy-claim product	98% or 99%
Non-standard concentration required	Custom grade — contact Huatai

The Two Most Common Grade Selection Errors

Error 1 — Treating all 40% grades as interchangeable

The 40% white and 40% reddish-brown are separate SKUs. They have identical purity but different purification depth and different visual impact on the formulation. Switching from white to reddish-brown mid-development will alter the base color of a light-colored emulsion.

Error 2 — Using an alcohol-soluble grade in a water phase

Without adequate polyol or ethanol concentration, alcohol-soluble glabridin will not stay in solution in a water-dominant phase. The result is precipitation that may not be visible at time of manufacture but becomes apparent after a freeze-thaw cycle or temperature excursion.

Every batch ships with COA, TDS, and SDS/MSDS. Additional testing available upon request.

Request samples, COA, or technical consultation glabridinchina.com · [email protected] · +86 17868678161

For professional cosmetic formulators and R&D audiences. Does not constitute regulatory advice.
Published 2026 — Huatai Bio-Fine Chemical, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China.

What Is the Difference Between Glabridin Grades?