INCI name

XANTHAN GUM

Xanthan gum

Binding Surfactant – emulsifying Emulsion stabilising Gel forming Skin conditioning Surfactant – cleansing Viscosity controllingreviewed

A natural polysaccharide thickener.

What it is

Xanthan gum is a polysaccharide produced by fermentation with the bacterium Xanthomonas campestris. It thickens water and stabilises emulsions.

Where it is used

Gels, creams, cleansers and toothpastes.

Limits of interpretation

The INCI list shows which ingredients are present, not how much of each. Above 1%, ingredients are listed in descending order of weight; below 1% the order is free.

Functions

Binding: Providing adhesive properties during and after compression in cosmetic tablets and/or cakes.
Surfactant – emulsifying: Helping suspensions or dispersions of liquids in a second liquid by reducing the surface tension of the substances to be emulsified.
Emulsion stabilising: Helping the process of emulsification and improving emulsion stability and shelf-life.
Gel forming: Giving the consistency of a gel (a semi-solid preparation with some elasticity) to a liquid preparation.
Skin conditioning: Maintaining the skin in good condition.
Surfactant – cleansing: Wetting body surfaces, emulsifying or solubilizing oils, and suspending soil (generally, such ingredients contribute to the foaming and lathering properties of cleansing products).
Viscosity controlling: Increasing or decreasing the viscosity (thickness) of cosmetics.

EU regulation

This ingredient is not listed in the annexes of Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009 in the CosIng data.

Products with this ingredient (4685)

Check a full ingredient list