Beeswax is a natural wax produced by honeybees and refined for cosmetic use. It is commonly used in skincare and cosmetic products to add structure, firmness, and barrier support in balms, salves, sticks, and creams. Beeswax provides a protective, long-lasting feel and is valued in traditional and natural formulations, though it is not considered vegan due to its animal origin.
Cetearyl alcohol is a blend of fatty alcohols used in cosmetic products to thicken, stabilize, and improve texture. It helps create smooth, creamy lotions and conditioners while adding a soft, conditioning feel to skin and hair.
Unlike drying alcohols, cetearyl alcohol is non-volatile and non-drying, and is widely accepted under clean beauty standards due to its low irritation potential and strong safety profile.
Cetyl Alcohol is a plant-derived fatty alcohol commonly sourced from renewable vegetable oils such as palm or coconut. In cosmetics and skincare, it is used to thicken and stabilize formulations while improving texture and spreadability in lotions, creams, conditioners, and hair care products. It also contributes a smooth, non-drying skin feel, making it a widely used ingredient in modern and clean-leaning formulations.
Emulsifying Wax is a cosmetic ingredient used to blend oil and water into stable emulsions for lotions, creams, conditioners, and similar products. It helps build structure, improve texture, and maintain stability in skincare and haircare formulations. In more demanding formulations, advanced emulsifying wax systems such as CEB-N may be used to provide enhanced stability and greater formulation flexibility.
Golden Soy Wax is a plant-derived wax made from hydrogenated soybean oil. It is used in cosmetics and skincare as a structuring and consistency agent to add body, firmness, and a smooth texture to balms, salves, sticks, and solid lotion products. Its softer melt profile and creamy feel make it a popular choice for natural-leaning and clean beauty formulations.
Stearyl Alcohol S-95 is a plant-derived fatty alcohol typically sourced from renewable vegetable oils such as palm or coconut. In cosmetics and skincare, it is used to thicken and stabilize formulas while helping create smooth, creamy textures in lotions, creams, conditioners, and balms. It also enhances skin feel and structure, making it a common ingredient in clean and modern personal care formulations.
Suncoast Olivem 1000 is a plant-derived emulsifier obtained from olive oil and sugar (cetearyl olivate and sorbitan olivate). It is produced through gentle processing that preserves its natural origin and functionality, without chemical modification or ethoxylation.
In cosmetics and skincare, Suncoast Olivem 1000 is used as an emulsifier and co-emulsifier to create stable oil-in-water formulations. It provides smooth texture, emollience, and enhanced skin feel in creams, lotions, serums, and light moisturizers. Its mildness and plant-based origin make it suitable for sensitive, dry, and clean beauty formulations, helping deliver elegant, non-greasy hydration while stabilizing emulsions.
Xanthan Gum is a naturally derived polysaccharide used in cosmetics and personal care products to thicken, stabilize, and improve texture in water-based and emulsified formulations. It helps prevent separation and enhances viscosity in lotions, creams, gels, serums, and cleansers. Xanthan Gum is carefully selected by Suncoast PCP for its reliability, versatility, and compatibility with clean and modern formulation standards.
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.
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.
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.
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
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.
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
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)
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