The desire for natural gums and thickeners to replace synthetic materials is becoming increasingly important in the formulation of natural products. These materials are used to increase viscosity, prevent phase separation, reduce the formation of crystals and their growth, and improve the delivery of products to the skin.
The main problem facing the formulator is the vast number of options available and the rheology of the final selection. It is not unusual for some of these thickeners to be quite sticky and blending with more than one material is often helpful. Nature is a prolific provider of thickeners but in the most part none of them are as versatile as carbomer, which has the benefit of remaining relatively thin until neutralised. It is possible to produce a range of viscosities from slight thickening in viscosity up to a thick gel suitable for a face mask. This article will look at some typical thickeners used less commonly today in cosmetic and toiletries (historically they were popular).
Agar
Gelidium amansii G. cartilagineum (Food additive E406)
It is a natural polysaccharide, produced by different seaweeds of the family Rhodophyceae in the US and Japan. The word “agar” comes from the Indonesia word agar-agar (meaning jelly). Chemically, agar is a polymer made up of subunits of the sugar galactose. Agar polysaccharides serve as the primary structural support for the algae’s cell walls. The various species of alga or seaweed from which agar is derived are sometimes called Ceylon moss. It is used as a demulcent, disintegration agent, emulsifying agent, gelating agent for suppositories, laxative, suspension agent, tablet excipient and for plating cultures in microbiology.
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