Thickeners

Thickeners – Technical & Clean Standards Overview

Thickeners are functional cosmetic ingredients used to control viscosity, texture, and stability in personal care formulations. They help transform liquid systems into gels, creams, or structured emulsions, ensuring consistent performance, proper ingredient suspension, and a refined sensory experience.

Technical Properties

• INCI Names: Varies by thickener type (e.g., Xanthan Gum, Carbomer, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Cetearyl Alcohol, Magnesium Aluminum Silicate)

• Physical Form: Powders, granules, flakes, or waxy solids

• Solubility: Water-soluble, oil-soluble, or swellable depending on type

• Activation: Hydration, pH adjustment, heat, or shear depending on thickener chemistry

Thickeners function by hydrating, swelling, structuring, or crystallizing within the formulation to increase resistance to flow.

Functional Role in Cosmetics

Thickeners are used to:

• Control viscosity and flow behavior

• Stabilize emulsions and suspensions

• Improve spreadability and application control

• Enhance sensory feel, from light gels to rich creams

• Prevent ingredient separation over time

They are essential in lotions, creams, serums, gels, cleansers, shampoos, conditioners, masks, and sunscreens.

Types of Cosmetic Thickeners

• Natural Gums & Polysaccharides:
  (e.g., Xanthan Gum, Guar Gum, Cellulose derivatives)
  – Thicken by binding water and forming hydrated networks

• Synthetic & Semi-Synthetic Polymers:
  (e.g., Carbomer, Acrylates Copolymers)
  – Provide precise viscosity control and clear gel textures

• Fatty Thickeners & Structuring Agents:
  (e.g., Cetyl Alcohol, Stearyl Alcohol, Cetearyl Alcohol, Waxes)
  – Thicken through crystallization in the oil phase

• Mineral & Clay Thickeners:
  (e.g., Magnesium Aluminum Silicate, Bentonite)
  – Swell in water to stabilize and structure emulsions

Typical Use Levels

Use levels vary by thickener type and desired texture:

• Natural gums: 0.1–1.0%

• Polymer thickeners: 0.1–2.0%

• Fatty thickeners: 1–10%

• Clays/minerals: 0.5–5.0%

Thickeners are often combined to achieve optimal stability and sensory balance.

Clean Standards & Safety Profile

• Cosmetic Ingredient Review (CIR): Common cosmetic thickeners are generally recognized as safe as used

• Environmental Working Group (EWG): Most commonly used thickeners rate low hazard (Score 1–2), ingredient dependent

• GRAS Status: Some natural thickeners are GRAS for food use; GRAS is not required for cosmetic acceptance

• Skin Compatibility: Widely used in sensitive-skin and clean beauty formulations

Retailer Clean Compatibility

Cosmetic thickeners are broadly accepted under major retailer clean standards because they:

• Are non-toxic and non-bioaccumulative

• Support product stability and consumer safety

• Are available in natural, plant-derived, and biodegradable forms

• Enable silicone-free, PEG-free, and sulfate-free formulations (ingredient dependent)