What are the effects of Thickeners in Cosmetics?

Today, let's get to know one of the common ingredients in cosmetics: Thickeners.

Thickeners are hydrophilic polymer compounds that, when dissolved or dispersed in water, can increase the viscosity of the liquid and maintain the relative stability of the system.

Functions of Thickeners

Increase Viscosity: They make skin care products more viscous, enabling them to stay better on the face.

Enhance Stability: Thickeners reconcile the contradiction between water and oil, closely binding water molecules, oil molecules, active substances, etc. together, allowing them to be evenly distributed in the product and form a stable structure.

Modify Rheological Properties: Essentially, thickeners are rheological additives. After adding thickeners, the rheology of the cosmetic formula can be modified, thus changing its appearance.

Improve Skin Feel: They improve the user experience of skin care products, making the skin feel smooth when using them. Common thickeners include xanthan gum, gum arabic, methyl cellulose, ethyl cellulose, carbomer, etc.

Thickeners themselves are not harmful. However, if a product contains an excessive amount of thickeners, it may cause problems such as acne and skin damage. So, how can we know the amount of thickeners added?

This is when we need to look at the product's ingredient list. Generally, the earlier an ingredient appears in the list, the higher its content. If ingredients like xanthan gum or carbomer are listed very early in a product, then it is likely that the product is mainly composed of thickening agents with very few active ingredients. Prolonged use of such a product can easily damage the skin.