A plant-based ingredient derived from cellulose. The rough version of microcrystalline cellulose is used in scrubs instead of plastic microbeads and the finer version is used as a thickener and stabilizer and readily absorbs oil and sweat.
Functions
Abrasive,
Abrasive
Abrasives 'physically' exfoliate the skin (i.e., manually remove dead skin cells) by rubbing against its surface.
Abrasive,
Abrasive
Abrasives 'physically' exfoliate the skin (i.e., manually remove dead skin cells) by rubbing against its surface.
Absorbent,
Absorbent
Absorbent – soaks up excess oil from the skin.
Absorbent,
Absorbent
Absorbent – soaks up excess oil from the skin.
Anticaking,
Anticaking
Anticaking – prevents the formation of clumps.
Anticaking,
Anticaking
Anticaking – prevents the formation of clumps.
Bulking,
Bulking
Bulking – increases the volume of a product.
Bulking,
Bulking
Bulking – increases the volume of a product.
Emulsion Stabilizing,
Emulsion Stabilizing
Emulsion stabilizing – increases the stability of a formula.
Emulsion Stabilizing,
Emulsion Stabilizing
Emulsion stabilizing – increases the stability of a formula.
Light Stabilizing,
Light Stabilizing
Light stabilizing – absorbs UV light to protect ingredients.
Light Stabilizing,
Light Stabilizing
Light stabilizing – absorbs UV light to protect ingredients.
Opacifying,
Opacifying
Opacifying – reflects light and creates opaque products.
Opacifying,
Opacifying
Opacifying – reflects light and creates opaque products.
Slip Modifier,
Slip Modifier
Slip modifier – provides lubricity to a product.
Slip Modifier,
Slip Modifier
Slip modifier – provides lubricity to a product.
Viscosity Controlling
Viscosity Controlling
Viscosity controlling – changes the thickness of a product.
Viscosity Controlling
Viscosity Controlling
Viscosity controlling – changes the thickness of a product.
Origin
Botanical,
Botanical
Ingredients derived from plants, mosses, and lichens: extracts, oils, powders, juices and other types of processed plant materials.
Botanical,
Botanical
Ingredients derived from plants, mosses, and lichens: extracts, oils, powders, juices and other types of processed plant materials.
Synthetic
Synthetic
All kinds of ingredients formulated or produced by a chemical process, or those that have a chemical modification in their structure.
Synthetic
Synthetic
All kinds of ingredients formulated or produced by a chemical process, or those that have a chemical modification in their structure.
Microcrystalline cellulose is a plant-based ingredient derived from cellulose, a polysaccharide building block of all plant cells. The source materials are usually wood pulp or cotton, although other sources such as bamboo, grain hulls, straw, or hemp are also possible.
Cellulose is made of glucose molecules and, in its natural state in plants, can be made up of thousands of glucose units linked into a very long chain. In order to manufacture Microcrystalline Cellulose, however, this chain needs to be chopped into pieces of less than 400 glucose units.
For use in skincare, microcrystalline cellulose comes in the form of a white powder of varying particle sizes, which is insoluble in water.
The rougher powders are used as abrasive ingredients in scrubs instead of plastic microbeads, whereas the finer types are used as thickeners and stabilizers in makeup (where it readily absorbs oil and sweat and shields the skin from sunlight), pastes, and powders. It may create an opaque look when incorporated into a liquid.
Science
1
Trache, D., et al. (2016). Microcrystalline cellulose: Isolation, characterization and bio-composites application—A review. International Journal of Biological Macromolecules, 93, 789–804.
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