Biosaccharide Gum-4 is derived from vegetal sorbitol by a controlled fermentation process. It forms a water-binding polysaccharide film on the skin’s surface that is said to be non-occlusive, transparent, and able to adhere to the skin perfectly, thereby protecting the skin from environmental pollution.
However, this effect was tried in a test-tube study which showed that while Biosaccharide Gum-4 film at least partially protected the skin models against heavy metals and particulate matter, it showed displayed no defense against ozone pollution.
It should therefore be noted that this ingredient does not offer complete protection against pollutants, and studies on real living human volunteers would be also needed.
It is used in skincare products in concentrations of up to 5%.
Science
1
Polysaccharides Bioactivity and Biotechnology, January 2015, pages 1867-1892
Portugal-Cohen, M., Oron, M., Cohen, D., & Ma'or, Z. (2017). Antipollution skin protection - a new paradigm and its demonstration on two active compounds. Clinical, cosmetic and investigational dermatology, 10, 185–193.
4
Safety Assessment of Microbial Polysaccharide Gums as Used in Cosmetics. International Journal of Toxicology 2016, Vol. 35(Supplement 1) 5S-49S
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