Xanthan Gum
Simply put, it’s what allows us to smoothly pour out our moisturizer or sunscreen. One word – flow
What is Xanthan Gum?
Xanthan gum is a polysaccharide, a sugar-based polymer produced by bacteria; it is used as a viscosity agent in personal care products and foods. It is produced by a process involving fermentation of glucose or sucrose by the Xanthomonas campestris bacterium.
Xanthan Gum's Benefits for Skin
In personal care products, xanthan gum is used to prepare water gels. Is also used in oil-in-water emulsions to help stabilize the oil droplets against coalescence, and has some skin hydrating properties. Simply put, xanthan gum makes a product thick enough at rest in the bottle to keep the mixture fairly homogeneous, but the shear forces generated by shaking thins it so it can be easily poured. When it exits the bottle, the shear forces are removed and it thickens back up.
