How Xanthan Gum Holds Beauty Products Together

When you manufacture cosmetics and personal care products, it is important to recognize the roles of many of the ingredients necessary for products to react in predictable ways. Xanthan gum, for instance, is one of the products personal care raw ingredients supplier Bell Chem supplies to thicken and emulsify beauty products, from lotions to hair care products and beyond.

Xanthan gum forms in a fermentation process with the bacteria Xanthomonas campestris imbibes on sugar to create a gummy substance ideal for binding or thickening ingredients. For skincare, the addition of xanthan gum makes products silkier, helps in spreading topical cosmetics, and deters the breakdown of products into their singular components. 

Xanthan gum is a polysaccharide, or complex sugar molecule. As such, it not only acts as an emulsifier, but it also may greatly benefit the epithelium. A metadata study concluded that polysaccharides have the potential to act as an “…antioxidant, antimicrobial, anticancer, healing, antiviral, immunomodulatory, antidiabetic, anticoagulant, insecticidal, hypolipidemic, antiparasitic, and radioprotective” agent. How many other emulsifiers can make this claim?

The beauty of emulsification

Many products tend not to naturally combine, such as water and oil. With so many beauty products containing both these ingredients, the tendency to separate is great. Xanthan gum prevents oil from floating to the surface of bottles and containers by binding the water to the oil – emulsification. This improves texture and spreadability, and consumers appreciate that xanthan gum is a natural product that can be used in minute amounts to create the perfect results. 

Thicker products, better results

At a low shear rate (minimal force), xanthan gum maintains its high viscosity. This gives it the ability to maintain its shape when mechanically manipulated; it is still able to be squeezed through a tube, for instance, without breaking down. This makes it ideal for many cosmetics and skin care products, especially those containing high pigmentation since uniformity is key in spreading even coloration.

While some products are viscous at specific temperatures and pH ranges, xanthan gum is stable between 10 and 60 Celsius (50° - 140° Fahrenheit) and from pH 3 to 12.

Viscosity and lather are surprisingly closely connected. A viscous product, when manipulated, produces air pockets – bubbles – that are perceived as lather. Rather than quickly popping, as soap bubbles are prone to do, lather with xanthan gum maintains its stability even with manipulation.

As a natural product with no recorded reactions with other ingredients, xanthan gum hinders neither products nor the human body. 

Bell Chem is your personal care raw ingredients supplier based in Longwood, FL (just north of Orlando) with hundreds of products stocked in their 50,000+ square-foot warehouse, including xanthan gum. You can expect the highest quality products, expedited shipping options for maximum efficiency, and unrivaled personalized customer service. Let our knowledgeable and friendly customer service representatives and accounting staff personalize all your needs by either calling 407-339-BELL (2355) or by sending us an online message.